All animals brought to school must be:
1. In good physical condition
2. Vaccinated against transmittable diseases
3. In clean, safe and suitable cages or containers or otherwise appropriately controlled
Students bringing animals to school must first obtain the consent of the teacher and the parent/guardian.
Animals shall not be brought to school on school buses without express permission of the principal or designee. Such permission shall not be required for seeing-eye dogs or service dogs needed by students.
(cf. 5131.1 - Bus Conduct)
Students shall not bring poisonous or wild animals to school. If wildlife specimens are used in a biology class, protective gloves and a face shield shall be worn by anyone handling these specimens and the animals' saliva and neurological tissue shall be treated as infectious.
(cf. 5141.23 - Infectious Disease Prevention)
Animals brought to school by students shall generally be taken home the same day they are brought to school.
With the consent of the principal or designee, animals may remain at school longer under the following conditions:
1. The animal shall remain in the classroom only for the number of days needed to achieve the educational goal.
2. The teacher shall provide a plan for the proper care, sanitation, feeding and handling of the animal.
3. The teacher shall be responsible for the animal's care in the event of any school closure and may allow students to take class pets home over weekends.
4. The teacher shall be familiar with any potential dangers caused by the animal and shall give special consideration to any students who have allergies to certain animals.
Use of Animals by Individuals with Disabilities
For an individual with a disability, service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks related to the individual's disability and for his/her benefit. For example, for an individual who is blind or has low vision, a service animal would mean a dog that helps him/her with vision, navigation, and other tasks; for an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing, a service animal would mean a dog that alerts him/her to the presence of people or sounds; and for an individual with psychiatric or neurological disabilities, a service animal would mean a dog that assists him/her by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. (28 CFR 35.104)
Individuals with disabilities may be accompanied on school premises and on school transportation by service animals, including specially trained guide dogs, signal dogs, or service dogs. (Education Code 39839; Civil Code 54.2; 28 CFR 35.136)
The Superintendent or designee may ask any individual with a disability to remove his/her service animal from school premises or transportation if the animal is out of control and the individual does not take effective action to control it or the animal is not housebroken. When an individual's service animal is excluded, he/she shall be given an opportunity to participate in the service, program, or activity without having the service animal present. (Education Code 39839; Civil code 54.2; 28 CFR 35.136)
Regulation CARLSBAD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: July 26, 2006 Carlsbad, California
revised: August 24, 2011