Control/Confinement

Animals must be:

• Secured on a lead, in a crate, or in a turnout pen at all times unless engaged in a SCA sanctioned and scheduled activity, such as coursing.
• Under sight/sound supervision of a responsible teen or adult at all times.

Vaccinations

• Current veterinarian issued rabies vaccination certificate (paper or ID card) is required for dogs, cats and other animals (i.e., ferrets) required by law to have rabies vaccination in the county/state where the event is held.
• Rabies tags are not sufficient.
• A copy of the rabies vaccination certificate is required to be shown when registering upon arrival at site.

Expected Behavior

• Owners are responsible for the animal they bring to site. The person who brings the animal to site is considered the owner, unless the legal owner is on site and identified.
• Animals will not engage in disruptive or aggressive behavior.
• Animal waste must be disposed of in an appropriate and timely manner.
• All animals brought to site will be registered upon arrival and wear their site token for the duration of the event. Service animals will have a visually different site token denoting their status.
• Animals must be sufficiently sheltered from weather and maintained in a reasonable manner (food, water, etc.).

Owner Responsibility Agreement

Owners will sign an agreement upon arrival at site:

• Accepting responsibility for the health and well-being of their animal.
• Accepting responsibility for all injury or damage caused by their animal.
• Confirming that the animal is in good health and not aggressive or disruptive.
• Agrees to comply with Barony of the South Downs Animal Rules and understands that they may be asked to remove the animal from site if they fail to comply.

Service Animals

In compliance with ADA laws:

• As of 3/15/2011 the ADA defines a service animal as a dog (or a miniature horse in some special cases) and performs behaviors directly related to the handler’s disability.
• Service animals are not pets. Their work requires them to stay with their disabled handler to provide services the handler cannot do for themselves. Public businesses are required to give them access.
• Service animals must be contained (see Control/Confinement) unless the behaviors for which the service animal is needed cannot be adequately performed while contained. They must remain under the control of their partner at all times while working. Off duty service animals must be contained.
• Owners of aggressive or disruptive service animals may be asked to remove their animal from site (see Violations).
• Emotional support animals are not service animals. Service animals are trained to perform behaviors that are not natural to the animal to compensate for actions which the disabled person cannot do for themselves. ESAs provide support and companionship, but do not have specific trained behaviors. ESAs do not have ADA protection for access to businesses.

Violations

• Owners will receive one warning from the animal steward, with notification to the event steward and seneschal of the Barony of the South Downs. On a second incident the owner may be asked to remove the animal from site. In circumstances of gross violation (i.e., dangerous behavior) the owner may be asked to remove the animal from site immediately after the first incident.
• Animals with repeated and/or gross violations may be banned from future baronial sponsored events and activities.
• Abuse or neglect of animals will be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.
• The chain of command for disputes is:
  1. Event Animal Steward
  2. Event Steward
  3. Baronial Seneschal
  4. Kingdom Seneschal