There are some customer service sites in which people seem to think it breaks a law if an employee asks if an animal is a service animal. I believe no law has been enacted making it so. I call utter bullshit and misunderstanding of stuff they have heard. How could you enforce health regulations dealing with animals on premises, if you couldn’t ask if it’s a service animal?
I think in the retelling of the law, “you can’t ask a person with a guide dog to leave” got bastardized into “you can’t ask a person if that’s a guide dog.”
A small block of my police in-service training I took last month dealt with this.
It’s a bit screwy. Under the law here (Wisconsin. Not sure if it’s also a federal law) you can ask if an animal is a service animal, but you can’t insist on the certification document. So if a guy comes in with a walrus and says it’s his service animal, under the law you have to accept his word and allow the animal in. I didn’t see anything in the reading that indicated what kind of consequences there are for people who lie. As far as I could see there isn’t any.
ETA: And there isn’t any regulation as to what type of animal can be used as a service animal.
[QUOTE]
[ul]
[li]Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA.[/li][li]A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.[/li][li]Generally, title II and title III entities must permit service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go.[/li][/QUOTE]
[/ul]
Service Horses
Edit, too slow. Echo what is said above.
Thanks for the replies. I knew I’d get an answer here. Bullshit on can’t ask if it’s a service animal. Bonus is you know anything not a dog or miniature horse is not allowed.
That’s interesting. I would have thought there’s some kind of documentation required to have a service animal. So, basically, anyone can take a dog and lie about its status and function as a service animal if they wanted to? I mean, I guess I could kind of see the point in that you don’t want people who legitimately use service animals getting hassled all the time for “their papers,” but I’m still a bit surprised if I’m understanding that correctly.
I’m just waiting to encounter some of the new generation of “service animals” on a plane flight. :dubious:
That’s the Federal statute, which I posted I didn’t know about. What I was talking about was our state regs, which you would think would mirror the feds but doesn’t. It’s more permissive. The instructor pointed out about some people who have helper monkeys and even helper birds. :rolleyes:
Add in is it illegal for an non employee random person to start quizzing the person about there legitimacy of the service animal claim. Prove it I don’t believe it. Not that I expect the owner to be required to respond, but the random stranger has no legal restrictions on their questions do they.
A random stranger (theoretically) has no ability to interfere with the service animal or it’s human, so they’re free to do or say anything that’s not prohibited by some other law.
That’s what I thought. The law only applies to the business then.
Echoing what was said earlier, states are able to be MORE permissive regarding service animals, just not LESS permissive.
At my branch, a few years ago, we had a regular patron who had a “service dog” who was a miniature terrier that she wore in a baby sling, with no service markings or harness or anything. According to her (we didn’t ask, she volunteered) it was necessary that she wear the dog to keep her severe yet unofficial (again, she volunteered) social anxiety at bay. If we wanted to be assholes about it, I’m sure we could have contested it, but really, she looked perpetually stressed, and I didn’t (and still don’t) give that much of a shit.
I live in the hope that someone will walk in with a service pony. I won’t even mind if it drops horse turds on our floor. A service pony is cool as hell.
US commercial air travel and people with disabilities are also governed by the Air Carrier Access Act.
Animals for emotional issues are not service animals under ADA.
Portland, Oregon, has already set up rules for miniature horse (not pony) service animals using mass transit, including light rail.
I’ve never seen any service animals in public in Virginia other than dogs; but I do know that “comfort animals” and such to help with psychological issues do preempt some local ordinances here. For example we had a neighbor woman who had a pet goat she kept in her back yard. This was in violation of a city ordinance prohibiting the keeping of livestock, which goats fit said classification. But she had the animal to help with an anxiety issue or something and the local ordinance was thus unenforceable. (I have some busy body neighbors that tried, I personally didn’t give two shits if someone down the street had a goat since it doesn’t affect me at all.)
“Comfort animals” aren’t actually legal here - I wish they were, actually.
However, I was the manager, and it was my call, and I didn’t feel like being a legalistic asshole. If her life and emotional state are such that she feels better carrying a dog around in a sling with her all the time, then I’m not going to be the one to harsh her vibe.
“Parrots for psychosis” is apparently a thing. I think that would make a cool bumper sticker. 
Do they have legalistic definitions to decide what’s a “miniature horse” and what’s a “pony”? Like a list of “horse” breeds and a list of “pony” breeds? They’re all the same species.
Psittacines for psychosis.