The College Coordinating Council considered adopting the city’s municipal code to address animals on campus at a meeting Wednesday.PCC, though not considered city property, is allowed to adopt city policies. The campus similarly adopted the city’s smoking policy of 20 feet from buildings before setting designated smoking areas.
Should it follow the city, PCC would still have to come up with rules about animals indoors in classrooms and offices.
“Having something like this is very difficult to enforce,” said PCC President Lisa Sugimoto.
Ultimately, the Board of Trustees would have to approve of any policy, although not everyone in the CCC was in agreement.
“I will communicate to [the Board of Trustees] that it’s not fully supported,” said Sugimoto.
One thing the council agreed on is that safety is the main priority.
Police Chief Peter Michael and others brought to light the issue of having non-students or non-faculty on campus with their pets.
“We have a general public who use the tennis courts,” and walk their pets on campus, said Michael.
“It’s easier to see than smoking,” he said, alluding to the ease of being able to spot offenders compared to smokers breaking the rules. If confronted with someone refusing to leave with their animal, a citation would be given, said Michael.
“The last thing we would (want to) do is make an arrest,” he said.
Michael mentioned an incident on Monday when someone left a dog tied up somewhere on campus alone for a long period of time late at night. Police opted to call the Humane Society.
Jason Herbert, associated students vice president of academic affairs, said the AS approves of having a policy but they “don’t think it’s enforceable.
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