Assistance Dog Policy

What is an assistance animal?

Assistance animals can make a profound difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Roundabout Circus supports the important work of these animals and their role in enabling people with disabilities to access our space. We aim to serve our community and will make every effort to safely accommodate individuals who are accompanied by an assistance animal on site.

Roundabout Circus will assist guests who require assistance animals to access areas and facilities on site where guests are permitted.

An assistance animal (also commonly referred to as a service animal) is defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) as a dog or other animal that:

1. Is accredited under law to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability;
2. Is trained by an accredited training organisation prescribed by the regulations; and
3. Meets the standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place.

There are several other types of animals which do not meet the legal definition and are not considered assistance animals, including:

• Companion animals
• Emotional support animals
• Therapy animals
• Facility animals
• Visitation animals

We recognise the service and supporting role that these animals have in an individual's life and will assess and make reasonable adjustments for any individual requests we receive.

A non-assistance dog will require a training report for behavioural assurance to be submitted as part of the approval process. Requests and supporting documentation are required prior to attending — contact admin@roundaboutcircus.com.

Proof of accreditation

Roundabout Circus is entitled to request reasonable proof that your animal is a genuine assistance animal. This means proof:

• That you have a disability;
• That your animal has been trained to alleviate the effect of the disability; and
• That your animal is trained to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for an animal in a public place.
• An ID card showing accreditation under a state Act, such as the GHAD Act 09.
• Importantly, a person with a disability has the right to train their own assistance animal so long as they can provide proof that the training meets the definition of an assistance animal.

Registration as an assistance animal under the Companion Animals Act 1998 does not necessarily provide proof the animal is an assistance animal for the purposes of entering a public place or public transport.

Social behaviour and expectations

While attending Roundabout Circus, all animals will:

1. Meet the standards of hygiene, including toileting.
2. Demonstrate social behaviour that is neither unruly nor aggressive.
3. Be under continuous effective control by their owner or handler.
4. Not be left unattended or tethered.

Owner / handler responsibilities

1. Managing the hygiene and behaviour of the animal.
2. Ensuring the animal remains under continuous effective control.
3. Providing Roundabout Circus evidence of service-animal accreditation or accredited in-training status.
4. Providing evidence for the requirement of a non-assistance animal — a training report for behavioural assurance must be submitted as part of the approval process.

Other students and guests

Dogs are the most common assistance animal — including guide dogs, hearing dogs and psychiatric service dogs. It is important that members of the public do not pat or distract assistance dogs unless permitted by the owner.

Owners of assistance animals have full public access rights. This means certified assistance animals are permitted to accompany their owner wherever members of the public are allowed to go, including on public transport. The only exceptions may be areas where there is a public health risk. It is illegal to discriminate against anyone who is reliant on an assistance animal by denying them full public access rights. View the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.