Pet-Friendly Campus

We can't wait to meet your dogs, cats and fish!

Don't want to leave your pet behind when you go to college? At Jewell, your furry or finned friend can be your roommate. Our new pet-friendly spaces are located on the lower floors of Browning and Eaton residence halls, with designated bathing locations, outdoor areas and waste-disposal containers. If you'd like the comfort of your pet on campus, just watch for the forms in the spring when you apply for housing.
 

Pet-Friendly Policy

Effective: 8/1/20
Updated: 10/25/19; Reviewed: 10/13/21
Contact: Student Life Office

Purpose
William Jewell College residential students have the privilege of living with a pet in campus housing per stipulations of this policy. This policy was developed around the College’s values of Courageous Citizenship, Inclusive Communities and Innovative Thought. Other considerations include student health, wellness, safety/welfare, respect and responsibility. The success of pet-friendly campus housing rests squarely on student’s commitment to responsible pet ownership and the College’s ability to provide a safe and healthy residential environment conducive to learning. Authorization to live with a pet is a privilege, granted at the College’s sole discretion, and can be revoked for failure to comply with the provisions of this policy.

Service Animals or Emotional Support Animals
This policy does not apply to Service Animals or Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended in 2008, and the Fair Housing Act. Please refer to the College’s ESA policy or to the Office of Accessibility Services for more information.

Acceptable Pets
William Jewell College defines acceptable pets, for the purpose of this policy, as:

  • Non-aggressive sterilized dogs not of a breed (mixed or otherwise) on the prohibited breed list below, older than 6 months of age and weighing less than 40 pounds with documentation of all up-to-date vaccinations (including but not limited to rabies) and licensed in accordance with the City of Liberty’s regulations (www.libertymissouri.gov/2313/Owning-Pets-in-Liberty);
  • Non-aggressive sterilized cats older than 6 months of age and weighing less than 40 pounds with documentation of all up-to-date vaccinations (including but not limited to rabies) and licensed in accordance with the City of Liberty’s regulations (www.libertymissouri.gov/2313/Owning-Pets-in-Liberty); or
  • Fish that can humanely thrive in an aquarium that does not exceed 10 gallons.

All acceptable pets must be registered with and authorized by William Jewell College. Jewell reserves the right to deny pet applications for animals deemed unsafe, harmful, threatening, aggressive or for any other reasonable safety or well-being concern.

Prohibited Breed List
For reasons of safety, the following canine breed are not permitted on campus:

  • Akitas
  • Alaskan Malamutes
  • American Bulldog
  • Bandog
  • Boxer
  • Bully Kutta
  • Chow Chow
  • Doberman Pinschers
  • Dogo Argentino
  • German Shepherds
  • Great Danes
  • Gull Dong
  • Japanese Tosa
  • Mastiffs
  • Pit Bull Terriers
  • Presa Canario
  • Rhodesian Ridgeback
  • Rottweilers
  • Siberian Huskies
  • Staffordshire Terriers
  • Wolf hybrids

Pet-Friendly Residential Facilities
The lower floors of Browning Hall, which house returning and transfer students who have completed 2 or more semesters of college, and Eaton Hall, which houses new, first-year and transfer students with only 1 completed semester of college, are designated for pet-friendly housing. These buildings are designated as pet-friendly because they offer tiled-floor rooms which are more conducive than carpet. Students electing to bring a pet to campus must reside in a pet-friendly designated room. Availability will be assigned per the College’s campus housing prioritization processes (see campus housing application). Students who are not assigned to a pet-friendly designated room will not be permitted to reside with a pet or bring a pet onto campus.

Pet Owner Responsibilities & Requirements

  • Pets are only permitted on-campus following completion of the Campus Housing Application, submission and verification of the Pet Application every academic semester, and receipt of written Pet Authorization from the Student Life Office.
  • Dog and cat pet applications must include proof of license with the City of Liberty and documentation of all veterinarian-recommended vaccinations including the absence of communicable diseases such as fleas and parasites, an active flea/tick program, and sterilization. All dogs and cats must wear current vaccination and identification tags at all times.
  • A non-refundable Pet Fee of $150 per semester will be applied for dogs and cats or $25 per semester for fish. The Pet Fee will be applied to the hosting student’s account.
  • Pets must not prevent other residents from equal access or enjoyment of the residential living facilities.
  • Students may possess one dog or cat that meets the established requirements, or one 10-gallon aquarium of fish.
  • Dogs and cats must be housebroken.
  • Pet owners must maintain complete control of and assume full responsibility for their pet’s actions at all times. Pets must be generally well-behaved, which includes no barking, whining, scratching, chewing or aggressive behavior. Animals shall not disturb, annoy or otherwise cause a nuisance to other members of the Jewell community.
  • Pet owners are solely responsible for the proper disposal of pet waste in a designated pet waste disposal container and cleaning up all other messes made by their pet. Cat owners must possess and regularly clean litter box in their residence hall room. Disposal of pet waste, including cat litter, is prohibited in restrooms, toilets, trash cans, trash rooms or in any non-approved pet waste disposal container.
  • Pet owners are responsible for any odors, damage, noise, infestations, adverse conditions, disruption, misconduct, etc. resulting from their pet. Residents will be financially responsible for any damages that result from their pet or from noncompliance with this policy, including but not limited to costs for cleaning and repairs.
  • Pets are restricted to the owner’s residential room, corridors connecting the owner’s room and the building’s entrance/exit, and designated outdoor pet-friendly areas. Pets will not be allowed into other buildings on campus.
  • All pets must be under the control of their owners at all times, including traveling to and from the residence. All pet must either be secured in an appropriate animal containment unit/cage or be on a leash when traveling to and from the resident’s room, and in common areas within the residence. The resident must be in control of the pet at all times in common areas of the residence. Pets are not allowed in common residential areas without the resident.
  • Pets must be supervised at all times by the owner and may not be left unattended, tethered or tied up outside of the owner’s sleeping room. A pet is only permitted to be left unattended in the pet owner's sleeping room for periods of less than 6 hours. If the pet is not well-behaved, or is at risk of damaging property, it must be properly crate-trained and left in an appropriate kennel, crate or cage when the owner is not present. Pets may not be left unattended on campus for extended periods of time (generally more than 6 hours) or when Campus Housing is closed. Roommates are not care givers and cannot be responsible for taking care of the pet. If a resident anticipates an extended absence from his/her room, he/she must make advanced arrangements for the animal to be cared for either by a roommate or off-campus, and must notify Residence Life of those plans. In the event that a pet is left alone in a room for an extended period of time and is not being properly cared for, someone from Residence Life will contact the resident or the emergency contact to remove the animal. Pets must be appropriately groomed to prevent excessive odors, attraction of pests, shedding or damage to furnishings.
  • All pets must be in good health while on campus. The College reserves the right to restrict pets from campus not deemed healthy or safe.
  • Pet bathing in campus restrooms is prohibited. Pet bathing is only permitted in the designated pet-bathing location.
  • As deemed necessary by Facilities Management, pet owners may be asked to remove their pet from their room for necessary maintenance/repairs. Facilities Management reserves the right to require pet owners to be present and/or to require pets to be appropriately kenneled or crated when maintenance/repair work is being performed.
  • Pet negligence or any other form of pet mistreatment/abuse (such as confining a pet for more than 6 hours and/or failure to properly exercise a pet) will not be tolerated.
  • Pet owners agree to hold harmless William Jewell College and assume full legal and financial responsibility for their pet and its actions.
  • Pet owners’ failure to adhere to this or any other College policy as a result of their pet may be a violation of the College’s Standard of Conduct.

Grounds for Housing Reassignment, Revocation of Pet Authorization and Pet Removal
William Jewell College reserves the right to permanently revoke the written pet authorization and remove any animal at any time as a result of the violation or subsequent violations of this policy or any relevant state or local animal ordinance, and to contact the emergency contact provided or proper authorities to have the animal removed from campus. The College, at its discretion, may temporarily remove an animal, pending further investigation, if it feels the animal is in immediate danger or is a threat to others in the immediate area. Specifically:

  • Concerns relating to disruptive pet behavior may result in revocation of written pet authorization. Disruptive behavior includes but is not limited to excessive barking.
  • Aggressive behavior will result in revocation of the written pet authorization without advance warning, and aggressive pets will be removed from campus. The term “aggressive behavior” includes but is not limited to biting and attempting biting, scratching, growling and excessive jumping. William Jewell College reserves the right to define “aggression” and “aggressive behavior” at its discretion.
  • William Jewell College reserves the right to remove any pet from campus if it or the pet-owner fails to meet any of the requirements of the William Jewell College Pet-Friendly Campus Housing Policy.

The College reserves the right to reassign a pet owner’s campus housing assignment in response to any complaint about allergies, health concerns, phobias or other legitimate concerns not related to the aforementioned aggressive or disruptive pet behavior.