Service dogs can provide help to people with vision problems, hearing problems, and other disabilities.
Do you have one?
Do you need one?
Are you contemplating getting one?
I looked up the law and it didn't require a vest for the dog. I thought that was odd. It would seem that people would have less trouble with a service animal being in a store or restaurant if the animal was obviously a service animal. Otherwise, anyone could say the animal was a service animal and it could simply be their pet that they didn't want to leave alone at home or in the car.
The Americans with Disabilities Act states that people with disabilities are allowed public access rights for their specially trained assistance dogs. Anywhere.
There are rules, though.
- the dog must be well-behaved and under control, on a leash or harness
- the dog must be well-groomed
- the person is responsible for the dog including cleaning up any messes, keeping the dog under control, and paying for any damage the dog does
- the dog must be trained to perform one or more tasks for the person
Business owners are allowed to ask only two questions of a person with a dog coming into their business:
- Is that your pet?
- What does the dog do for you?
What business owners can't ask:
- What is your disability?
- For proof of disability
- For proof of where the dog was trained
How to get a service dog
- Get a letter from your doctor stating that you are disabled under the American Disabilities Act.
- You need to know what you need help with so the dog can be specifically trained for that purpose.
- You must be willing to wait for the dog to be trained.
- Pay about $25,000 for a professionally trained dog. You can train your own dog, too, though.
Emotional support dogs
- Can live with you in housing where dogs aren't allowed without paying an extra fee.
- Can fly with you without additional fees.
- Any dog can be an emotional support dog and they don't have to be specially trained.
- It's a good idea to get a vest or tag, though, to save the hassle of explaining the dog's presence everywhere you go.
- Some conditions you can have a support dog for are: anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts/tendencies.
- Consult your doctor for information on how to go about getting an emotional support dog.
More information:
- Even if a business posts a "no pets" sign, service dogs are allowed.
- Business owners cannot charge a maintenance fee for allowing the dog to enter.
- The dog isn't required to wear a vest, but it is recommended
- https://www.officialservicedogregistry.com/register-your-emotional-support-dog/
What do you think of the fact that emotional support dogs don't have to be trained? I think that's kind of odd. I wouldn't want just any dog in the store. If they don't like the scent of someone, or another trained dog comes along, the untrained dog could cause a lot of trouble.
