policy

Pet Policy

Introduction

ICC Austin recognizes pets may be an integral part of a member’s life.  The ICC Austin Pet Policy arose from the observation of repeated pet-related problems and member survey feedback. The intention is to create an accountability framework and to increase the desirability of our house-communities to a broader range of prospective members.

If you have a concern about a pet's behavior, submit an Incident Report.  

Definitions

Pet. A pet is an animal kept for ordinary use and companionship. A pet is not considered an assistance animal..  
Assistance Animal.  An animal that does work, performs tasks, assists, and/or provides therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities. An assistance animal is not a pet. Refer to the Assistance Animal Policy for more information.  

Policy

  1. ICC Austin allows pets at Arrakis, Eden, Helios, House of Commons, and New Guild.  Pets are not allowed at French House, House of Audre Lorde, or Royal.  No animals are permitted at Ruth Schulze which is a designated hypo-allergenic facility.  
  2. Pets are not allowed in shared rooms. 
  3. The following rules apply to all pets residing in an ICC Austin facility.
    • Pets must be controlled by their owner at all times and may not roam freely in common areas without expressed consent from every current house member. Consent must be obtained by the pet owner via an electronic survey. Consent for pets to roam freely may be withdrawn at any time by any member for any reason.  No roaming is allowed by any pet during interim periods. 
    • All supplies related to the care of the animal must be kept in the member’s private room.  This includes but is not limited to water bowls, feeding bowls, crates, litter boxes, etc.  
    • Pets may not adversely impact the living environment for other ICC Austin members. Owners must ensure the pet does not bark excessively, jump, sniff, harass, or disturb other members and/or their personal belongings.  
    • Pets must be house broken (dogs), litter trained (cats), or provided with an appropriate sized cage for living and defecating (guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits, etc.). 
      • Litter boxes and cages must be cleaned regularly and may not produce odors that impact other members.
      • Any incidences of urination or defecation in an ICC Austin facility must be immediately cleaned and sanitized with the appropriate supplies.
  4. The following rules apply to all house-communities that allow pets.
    • House-communities must ensure commons areas remain reasonably clean and free of pet hair accumulation.
    • Every member, regardless of if they own the pet, shares joint responsibility for pet activities in the commons areas.  
    • Any incidences of animal urination or defecation in an ICC Austin facility must be immediately cleaned and sanitized with the appropriate supplies.
    • House-communities may develop additional pet policies as long at they do not conflict with the ICC Austin Pet Policy or the Assistance Animal Policy. 
    • Members need to be aware that once a pet has been voted/ approved, there cannot be a subsequent vote to force the removal of the pet. The only way to remove a pet (that a member is not removing willingly) is to hold a member review for uncooperative behavior that results in removal of the member and pet from the house.
  5. Pets are required to be current on all applicable vaccinations, including flea and tick medication.  Any animal that has a propensity to carry rabies must wear a current rabies vaccination tag.  Vaccination records must be made available upon request. 
  6. Pet owners may be required to cover the cost of professional room cleaning (removal of all pet dander, hair, odors) and for repair of any damage/wear caused by pets upon move-out. This may include the full replacement cost for carpet in carpeted rooms or floor refinishing in rooms with wood floors.
  7. Pets may be removed from an ICC Austin facility if any aggressive behavior is shown towards another member, their guests, another pet or assistance animal, and/or ICC Austin Staff or contractors.  If you have a concern about a pet's behavior, submit an Incident Report.  
  8. Failure by the owner to adequately care for or mistreatment of a pet may be cause for removal or exclusion of the animal from ICC Austin facilities.
  9. ICC Austin reserves the right to temporarily or permanently exclude a pet from its facilities if the animal’s behavior is unruly, aggressive, or causes significant disruption or damage to the house community.