http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIa1Vs4jf7s&feature=player_embedded
The video is a bit outdated, from 2010, and states that many different kind of animals can be Service Animals, including monkeys, THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE. As of March 2011, when the ADA was revised, only dogs and some miniature horses are allowed as Service Animals.
Another important note that people need to be aware of is that THERAPY dogs are NOT the same as a SERVICE DOG. Therapy dogs DO NOT have the same public access rights as Service Dogs do. Therapy Dogs are sometimes allowed into hospitals, care facilities, etc to visit the elderly, sick and possibly dying, in order to help lift their spirits, and bring smiles, as well as provide some much needed comfort and therapy to someone who might live alone and suffer with depression or anxiety. There is MUCH benefit to patients of all walks of life when they visit with Therapy Dogs. However, a Therapy Dog is very different than a Service Dog.
A Service Dog has been specially trained to perform certain individual TASKS to assist the disabled handler, for example, picking things up that have dropped to the floor, opening doors/closing doors, alerting to sights or sounds, etc. Because Service Dogs are specially trained and perform tasks to assist the disabled handler, they are allowed public access rights the same as their handler. They are allowed to go EVERYWHERE the handler is, so that it may continue to assist the handler in any given situation.
The different between a Therapy Dog and a Service Dog is significant and needs to be well understood by handlers and law officers as well.
A Therapy Dog is considered a PET, while a Service Dog is NOT A PET.
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| I couldn't resist posting this....it's just too cute |
Businesses and establishments that do not allow pets, will not allow a Therapy Dog inside, unless special permission was granted beforehand for special visits.
The Video below describes the laws on Service Dog pretty well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIa1Vs4jf7s&feature=player_embedded
interesting video. i was especially sucked into the cop talking about when service dogs can legally be evicted from a place of business, ie barking, growling, threatening or creating a disturbance "but be sure to check that no one has provoked the dog."
ReplyDeletethe pit nutter's reach is deep. i live near 2 expensive highly trained GUIDE dogs, a mobility service GSD, and a lab that appears to be a service dog. i have worked with an individual who brought her service dog to work. every single one of them is passive beyond words, they become even more passive when "provoked", ie menaced or attacked by pits and rotts. the only "service" dog that i have seen behave aggressively (unprovoked) was a PIT BULL. i stood and watched it growl and lunge at people walking by as the dirt bag nutter complained to the asst store manager about some petty bullshit. i waited to speak to that manager and i complained to her about the pit bull and i educated her about the store's RIGHT to evict the pit bull and the store's OBLIGATION to the safety of their customers to evict the pit bull. there was no reasoning with that effing dingbat.
I WISH I HAD A VIDEO CAMERA! i would have played it for her. then sent it to corporate HQ and the police.
Yes, that's why I put the video up. Thank you, Dawn. It is important that business owners/managers know that they do have the RIGHT to evict ANY Service Dog that is being aggressive, barking, lunging, or even just problematic....they don't have to be aggressive to get the boot....if I take my Service Dog to a restaurant and she is soliciting pets or begging for food, this is problematic and bothersome to other patrons and the dog CAN be evicted. A properly trained Service Dog is most often unnoticed by other patrons, until the handler gets up to leave, and other people around the handler finally notice that the dog is there because they see it.
DeleteWhen I take Jade out to restaurants, etc....someone always says, "oh wow, I didn't even notice you had a dog under the table....she's so quiet and well behaved." That is how it is SUPPOSED to be.
Thanks for the feedback, Dawn.
Great post.
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Thanks for this post. I'm a devoted advocate of the healing power of animals and of therapy animals for the elderly, sick, etc.. However, I think there needs to be some restrictions, because people are going to exploit therapy animal provisions to have pit bulls, gorillas, or other exotic or illegal animals. And we just can't have that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, even though I myself would not hesitate to get a therapy animal for my recovery if needed, and I believe therapy animals should be allowed in most housing situations, I do not feel the need to take emotional support animals everywhere. Seriously, ESAs exist to promote quality of life, in which case you really only need them in the home or wherever you spend most of your time. It is NOT necessary to take your ESA on a five-minute trip to the gas station convenience store. People who do things like that, I think, have a major sense of entitlement and they exploit service and therapy animal provisions to not follow rules.
And one last thing: Pit bulls are a terrible choice for a therapy OR a service animal. Really, if a put bull were to get help or defend its owner by barking and lunging at people, what do you think would happen? People wouldn't try to help the disabled person; they would run as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Not exactly the intended result.