Service Animals FAQs

• What is a service animal?
• What does a service animal do?
• A service animal is just a pet though, right?
• Should I be aware of anything when considering getting a service animal for myself?

Places of Business and Service Animals

• What are the laws that apply to service animals in a place of business?
• What must I do, as a business owner, when someone with a service animal attempts to patronize my business?
• In a business with a posted "no pets" sign, do they still have to allow service animals?
• My local health department has told me that only a guide dog has to be admitted. Isn't this a violation of the ADA?
• Can I be charged a maintenance or service fee for bringing my guide dog or service animal into a business?
• Are taxicab drivers allowed to refuse to pick me up if I have a service animal?
• Who is responsible for the guide dog or service animal while in a business establishment?
• What if a guide dog or service animal barks or growls at other people, or otherwise acts out of control?
• Are there associations for guide dog users?
• Is there a checklist of specific questions that I should have for service animal or guide dog providers?
•  Are there additional resources where I can get information about service animals?

Updated March 2010

Q. What is a service animal?

A. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

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Q. What does a service animal do?

A. Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself.

Guide dogs are one type of service animal used by some individuals who are blind. This is the type of service animal with which most people are familiar. But there are service animals that assist persons with other kinds of disabilities in their day-to-day activities. A few examples include:

• Alerting persons with hearing impairments to sounds.
• Pulling wheelchairs or carrying and picking up things for persons with mobility impairments.
• Assisting persons with mobility impairments with balance.

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Q. A service animal is just a pet though, right?

A. Not at all. Some, but not all, service animals wear special collars and harnesses. Some, but not all, are licensed or certified and have identification papers. However, it is not always possible to have documentation, and proof generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. Although a number of states have programs to certify service animals, you are not required to always have certification before being permitted to enter a business or public place.

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Q. Should I be aware of anything when considering getting a service animal for myself?

A. Yes. Choosing a service animal must be made with the understanding that providing for the animal’s care is a large responsibility and it is a major commitment. Careful planning will ensure that you and your service animal will be a happy team for many years to come.

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Q. What are the laws that apply to service animals in a place of business?

A. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), privately owned businesses that serve the public are prohibited from discriminating against individuals using guide or service dogs. The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed.

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Q. What must I do, as a business owner, when someone with a service animal attempts to patronize my business?

A. You must serve them in the same way you’d serve other customers. An individual with a guide dog or service animal may not be segregated from other customers.

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Q. In a business with a posted "no pets" sign, do they still have to allow service animals?

A. Yes. A guide dog or service animal is not a pet. The ADA requires businesses to modify their "no pets" policy to allow the use of a service animal by a person with a disability. This does not mean you must abandon any "no pets" policy altogether but simply that one must make an exception to a general rule for service animals.

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Q. My local health department has told me that only a guide dog has to be admitted. Isn't this a violation of the ADA?

A. Yes, if someone refuses to admit any type of service animal on the basis of local health department regulations or other state or local laws. The ADA provides greater protection for individuals with disabilities and so it takes priority over the local or state laws or regulations.

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Q. Can I be charged a maintenance or service fee for bringing my guide dog or service animal into a business?

A. No. Neither a deposit nor a surcharge may be imposed on an individual with a disability using a guide dog or service animal as a condition to allowing the animal to accompany the individual with a disability, even if deposits are routinely required for pets. However, a public accommodation may charge its customers with disabilities if a guide dog or service animal causes damage so long as it is the regular practice of the entity to charge non-disabled customers for the same types of damages. For example, a hotel can charge a guest with a disability for the cost of repairing or cleaning furniture damaged by a guide dog or service animal if it is the hotels policy to charge when non-disabled guests cause such damage.

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Q. Are taxicab drivers allowed to refuse to pick me up if I have a service animal?

A. No. Taxicab companies may not refuse to provide service to individuals using guide dogs or service animals. Private taxicab companies are also prohibited from charging higher fares or fees for transporting individuals with their guide dogs or service animals than are charged to non-disabled persons for the same or equivalent service.

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Q. Who is responsible for the guide dog or service animal while in a business establishment?

A. The care and supervision of a guide dog or service animal is solely the responsibility of his or her owner. A business establishment is not required to provide care, food or a special location for the animal.

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Q. What if a guide dog or service animal barks or growls at other people, or otherwise acts out of control?

A. Any animal, including a guide dog or service animal, can be excluded from a facility when that animal's behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. For example, any guide dog or service animal that displays vicious behavior towards other guests or customers may be excluded. Each situation must be considered individually though, someone with a service animal cannot be denied service from a business based on previous experience with a similar type of service animal.

Although a public accommodation may exclude any service animal that is out of control, it should give the individual with a disability who uses the service animal the option of continuing to enjoy its goods and services without having the service animal on the premises.

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Q. Are there associations for guide dog users?

A. Yes, major consumer organizations operate interest groups focusing on guide dog and service animal issues. These include:

Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI)
www.gdui.org
14311 Astrodome Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20906-2245
(301) 598-5771 (V/Relay)
(888) 858-1008 (Toll-free V/Relay)
info@gdui.org

GDUI is affiliated with the American Council of the Blind and is a peer support network and membership organization which promotes acceptance of blind people and their guide dogs, works for enforcement, expansion and standardization of laws admitting guide dogs into public places, advocates for quality training and follow-up services, publishes an audio magazine, "Paw tracks".

GDUI's free product catalog, which lists items available for sale, is available in Braille, large print, cassette and IBM disk. Making Impressions: A Handbook for the Prospective Guide Dog Handler is available in alternative formats and is available free of charge in GDUI's catalog. Be sure to access the website or call the toll-free number to order books and for more information.

National Association of Guide Dog Users
www.nfb-nagdu.org
National Federation of the Blind
1003 Papaya Drive
Tampa, Florida 33619
813-626-2789 (V/Relay)
800-558-8261 (V/Relay)
president@nfb-nagdu.org

The National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) is a division of the National federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest organization of the blind in the United States. Founded in 1940 the National Federation of the Blind has grown to over 50,000 members, with Affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In addition to more than 750 local Chapters, the NFB has a number of special interest Divisions that were formed to address the concerns of specific populations within the blind community. The National Association of Guide Dog Users is one such division.

The National Association of Guide Dog Users is an organization for blind people who currently use guide dogs as mobility tools, those considering getting a guide dog, or those who want to learn more about the use of such dogs. We provide a forum for those interested in the guide dog movement to discuss common issues and to increase opportunities for those who have chosen to use a guide dog for independent travel. NAGDU works to promote sound practices in the training and use of such dogs for mobility by offering input and advice to guide dog training programs. We are also committed to educating business owners, law enforcement officers, and the general public about state and federal laws that give disabled people the right to be accompanied by their guide dogs.

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Q. Is there a checklist of specific questions that I should have for service animal or guide dog providers?

A. Here are some suggestions:

• How much will an assistance dog cost?
• Is there an application fee or other types of fees?
• What breeds are used?
• Where does the organization get its dogs?
• What is the minimum age of a recipient?
• Does the recipient do the training, or does the provider?
• Does training occur at home or in a facility?
• How long is the dog in training before being placed with the recipient?
• How long is training for the recipient and the dog as a team?
• What geographical area does the provider serve?
• Will the program consider applicants with multiple disabilities?
• Will providers consider training an individual's own dog as assistance dog?
• What is the waiting period for a dog?
• How many dogs does the provider place each year?
• Does the program award ownership of the dog to the recipient upon certification?
• Is the provider a member of a professional organization focusing on service dog work?
• What are the trainer's qualifications?
• Is the facility physically accessible as defined in the ADA?
• Does the agency provide room and board to recipients during training?
• And is this included in the fees advertised?

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Q. Are there additional resources where I can get information about service animals?

A. Yes. The following are lists of organizations, publications, websites and listservs that you may find helpful:

Listing of agencies and organizations Serving General Disability Populations

Assistance Dogs International
www.assistancedogsinternational.org
P.O. Box 5174
Santa Rosa, California 95402
info@assistancedogsinternational.org

Blue Ridge Assistance Dogs
www.blueridgeassistancedogs.org
P.O. Box 229
Manassas, Virginia 20108
703-369-5878 (V/Relay)
703-369-5878 (FAX)
info@blueridgeassistancedogs.org

Canine Companions for Independence
www.caninecompanions.org
P.O. Box 446
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446
866-CCI-DOGS (866-224-3647, Toll-free V/Relay)

Dogs for the Deaf, Inc.
www.dogsforthedeaf.org
10175 Wheeler Rd.
Central Point, OR 97502
541-826-9220 (V/Relay)
541-826-6696 (FAX)
info@dogsforthedeaf.org

Service Dogs for America
(Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation Inc.)
www.greatplainsdogs.com
920 Short St.
P.O. Box 513
Jud, ND 58454-0513
701-685-2242 (V/Relay)
701-685-2290 (FAX)
info@greatplainsdogs.com

KSDS
www.ksds.org
124 W. 7th St.
Washington, KS 66968
785-325-2256 (V/Relay)
785-325-2258 (FAX)
ksds@ksds.org

NEADS Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans
www.neads.org
P.O. Box 213
West Boylston, MA 01583
978-422-9064 (V/TTY)
978-422-3255 (FAX)
info@neads.org

Paws with a Cause
www.pawswithacause.org
4646 South Division
Wayland, MI 49348
800-253-7297 (V/Relay)
paws@pawswithacause.org

Delta Society National Service Dog Center
www.deltasociety.org
875 124th Ave NE
Ste 101
Bellevue, WA 98005
425-679-5500 (V/TTY)
425-679-5539 (FAX)
info@deltasociety.org

International Association of Assistance Dog Partners
www.iaadp.org
Information and Advocacy Center
38691 Filly Drive
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
888-544-2237 (V/Relay)
IAADP@aol.com

Saint Francis of Assisi Service Dog Foundationwww.saintfrancisdogs.org
P.O. Box 19538
Roanoke, VA 24019
540-342-3647 (V/Relay)
info@saintfrancisdogs.org

Service Dogs of Virginia
www.servicedogsva.org
PO Box 408
Charlottesville, VA 22902
info@servicedogsva.org

Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.
www.guidedogs.com
Box 151200
San Rafael, CA 94915-1200
800-295-4050 (Toll-free V/Relay)
information@guidedogs.com

Guide Dogs of America
www.guidedogsofamerica.org
13445 Glenoaks Blvd.
Sylmar, CA 91342
818-362-5834 (V/Relay)
818-362-6870 (FAX)
mail@guidedogsofamerica.org

Leader Dogs for the Blind
www.leaderdog.org
1039 S. Rochester Rd.
Rochester Hills, MI 48307-3115
248-651-9011 (Voice)
888-777-5332 (Toll free)
248-651-3713 (TTY)
leaderdog@leaderdog.org

The Seeing Eye, Inc.
10 Washington Valley Rd.
P.O. Box 375
Morristown, NJ 07963-0375
973-539-4425 (V/Relay)
973-539-0922 (FAX)
info@seeingeye.org

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