Although certification of a service animal is not required, why do disabled pet owners find it important?

Posted on March 27, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

Although registration is optional and voluntary under the law, many service animal owners have found it a useful tool to help them assert their rights. It is often easier to show paperwork than to try educating the person about the law. By handing over your registration, you get to shortcut the conversation.

Please take note that under the law, landlords, employers, restaurant staff, and other people are not allowed to demand a registration certificate from you. However, most of these people demand paperwork anyways.

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

The Service Animal Registry of California invites you to have your assistance animal registered in order to designate its status. We also encourage you to take our online classes so you can be fully aware of your rights and gain more knowledge about your support animal.

Finally, we present to you our book entitled, “ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS” to provide you with a complete education on assistance animals.

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Is there is a requirement under the law for an assistance animal to be certified or registered?

Posted on March 20, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

The answer is NO.

There is no requirement under the law for an assistance animal to be certified or registered. There is no governmental agency that tracks the status of individual animals and a disabled owner can train a service animal him or herself, so there is no specific training certificate needed. Therefore, any registration is optional and voluntary under law. The registration itself does not create or change your animal’s status. Your animal’s status under the law is determined by your disability and the animal’s assistance to you with that disability.

Although there is no federally-operated registry in existence at this time; several private registries such as the Service Animal Registry of California exist so that we can offer assistance animal owners a critical and helpful tool.

Registration with a registry such as the SARC is purely voluntary and many owners find that it helps them explain their animal’s status to landlords, airline ticket counter agents, employers, retail store staff, restaurant staff, and others.

Those people are not allowed to demand registration “paperwork,” or “documents” for your assistance animal, but many will demand paperwork anyways, even though none is legally required.

Showing your registration certificate is an easy way to assert your rights and is often easier than trying to educate the person about the law. By handing it over, you can shortcut the conversation.

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

What are the things that housing providers are not allowed to do when accommodating tenant/hotel guests and their service animals?

Posted on March 19, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

Under the law, the housing provider may not:

Demand a pet deposit or any additional deposit related to the Assistance Animal specifically.
Demand pet rent.
Restrict the areas of the housing complex where a service animal may access. However, an emotional support animal’s access may be limited to the housing domicile interior and be prohibited in common areas and outdoor areas (such as the pool area or barbecue area) that other tenants also use. Once again, Service Animals have additional access rights that Emotional Support Animals do not

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Will airline personnel require documentation for an emotional support animal to accompany disabled owner?

Posted on March 12, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

With respect to Emotional Support Animals (ESA), airline personnel may require current documentation (i.e., not more than one year old) on letterhead from a health professional stating:

That the passenger has a mental health-related disability.
That having the animal accompany the passenger is necessary to the passenger’s mental health or treatment or to assist the passenger (with his or her disability).
That the individual providing the assessment of the passenger is a licensed mental health professional and the passenger is under his or her professional care.

The purpose of this requirement for a medical letter is to prevent abuse by passengers that do not have a medical need for an Emotional Support Animal.

Airlines are not permitted to require the documentation to specify the type of mental health disability. Therefore, the letter does not have to specify what it is that the patient suffers from (e.g., panic attacks).

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Should a service animal wear identifying gear?

Posted on March 5, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

There is no requirement under the law for an assistance animal to wear any identifying gear such as vests, harnesses, tags, or other gear.

These are not legally required, and probably never will be, in order to allow disabled people to move freely in public without stigma or feeling labeled. However, even though not required, gear is sometimes desired by an owner in situations where it will short-cut conversations or help prevent misunderstandings in public spaces.

For example, if a dog is wearing a shirt which states “Medical Alert Service Animal,” then the disabled owner/handler might avoid having to explain his or her animal’s status when visiting public spaces such as restaurants.

Although gear can shortcut uncomfortable conversations with landlords, employers, airlines, and business owners, it does not give the animal its status.

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Are assistance animals allowed in residential housings?

Posted on March 5, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

If you are wondering whether an assistance animal can live with you, know that there are two types of assistance animals which a landlord, property manager, or hotel must allow to reside with its owner/handler in any residential housing.

They are…

1. Service Animals
2. Emotional Support Animals

Notice that Therapy Animals are not included in this list. Therapy Animals have no right for housing accommodations by landlords and hotels. The animal would be treated as an ordinary pet when it comes to housing, and a landlord or hotel can impose whatever restrictions it has in place for pets.

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Is an individual allowed to have multiple assistance animals such as two service animals?

Posted on March 5, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

There is no specific regulation or law that limits a disabled owner to a certain number of Assistance Animals. Because there is no direct guidance, it is likely that an owner would have to show a reasonable need for the number of animals in question.

For example, if a disabled owner/handler has diabetes and mobility issues, and keeps two Service Animals because one animal is trained to detect a drop in blood sugar, and the other is trained to provide physical support and stability, and to fetch objects and open doors, then it would probably be deemed reasonable to have both animals.

However, if a tenant keeps two Emotional Support Animals to assist with combating suicidal tendencies and severe depression, then the landlord could have a viable argument against allowing both animals unless there was a reasonable justification for needing both animals.

The landlord could argue that one animal alone would provide the needed support. A physician’s note would likely need to specifically recommend the multiple animals.

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Service animals can assist people with psychiatric conditions

Posted on March 5, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

When provided training, service animals can help individuals suffering from psychiatric conditions. These conditions include but are not limited to anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Training will allow these animals to detect the onset of their disorder.

To detect the onset of the condition, the service animal’s task/s are the following:

Pulling on the individual’s clothing.
Reminding the individual to take medicine.
Providing safety checks or room searches for individuals suffering from PTSD.
Interrupting self-mutilation.
Removing disoriented individuals from dangerous situations.

Remember that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not apply to a service animal while that animal is still in training.

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Who should train the service animal and what are the tasks to be performed by that animal?

Posted on February 26, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

Service animals must be trained to perform a specific task for the benefit of its disabled owner/handler. This training may be done by either a certified professional trainer, a non-certified professional trainer, a friend, a family member, or the person with the disability.

The tasks could include the following or similar tasks:

Navigation for the blind
Hearing assistance for the hearing impaired
Rescue work for owners and handlers whose condition may cause emergency conditions which may require fetching help
Pulling a wheelchair
Assisting with mobility by giving physical support
Fetching dropped items
Preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors
Reminding the individual to take medicine
Providing safety checks or room searches for persons with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Interrupting self-mutilation
Removing disoriented individuals from dangerous situations
Assisting during medical incapacitation, such as during a seizure
Alerting the individual as to a medical issue, such as an oncoming seizure, blood
sugar drop, or other medical condition onset
Alerting individuals to the presence of allergens
Other similar or related tasks

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

What are the five things you need to know about Service Animals?

Posted on February 20, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

Some people rely on service animals to provide them with daily support for specific medical conditions. If you don’t own a service animal, you may have some questions about what these animals do and whether they are allowed in the synagogue (Jewish place of worship).

Below are five common questions about service animals and their corresponding answers.

1. What is the definition of a service animal?

A service animal is an animal (usually a dog) that’s specially trained to help a person with a disability perform tasks that he cannot do himself. A common scenario is a blind man assisted by a trained service dog.

2. What is the role of a service animal?

Service animals can take on different roles and that includes detecting abnormal blood sugar levels (for diabetics), alerting people with hearing problems, picking up items for those with mobility problems, and more.

3. Is a service animal allowed in the synagogue?

Though the ADA states that service animals are allowed to accompany their owners in public spaces, synagogues are not covered under the ADA. This means that a service animal is not permitted in the synagogue unless there is an event that’s open to the public.

4. Can you feed and pet another person’s service animal?

Whether another person’s service animal wears a vest or not, you always need to ask permission from the owner before touching or speaking to the animal. Remember that a service animal is not considered a pet and is obligated to its owner.

5. What if you encounter a disruptive service animal?

A service animal should be well-behaved and obedient to its owner’s commands. If the animal disrupts others by barking or wandering around and the owner does not do anything about it, you may request for the animal to be removed.

Article source: Chabad.org

Are you an owner of an assistance animal?

Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.

ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

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