Does anyone else use a service dog?

I would definitely be contacting the highest person/management who works for this venue. Or tell them you will contact your lawyer if they don't comply with the ADA. If I were in your position, this would leave a sour taste in my mouth and would make me want to change venues, but that's easier said than done. Good luck!

I would threaten legal action. I'm sorry that you're going through this, businesses definitely need to become more educated about service animals.

I’m pretty sure it’s literally illegal for them to not allow you to have him with you. Look up specifics in the ADA and show it to them; otherwise demand a full refund and find somewhere more accommodating! So sorry you’re experiencing this. How ridiculous.

They cannot do that due to the ADA. Threaten legal action and research some other venues. Having a venue that is not complying with laws that are for your well being just doesn’t sit right and I would not want to do business with them if they didn’t comply

I know there is a lot of grey areas due to "emotional support animals" and actual service animals, so maybe they're confused and think it's the former. ESA's are starting to get less and less privelages due to abuse of the system. Since you said service animal, though, I'm assuming they are a certified service animal, and they cannot legally separate you and your companion. Sorry you're dealing with this, and I hope it gets resolved quickly!

Tell them the don’t have a choice. They do have doggie boots.

View Quoted Comment Thank you! We've already paid and there is no refund. I didn't tell them about my service animal when I booked. I didn't think it'd be a problem. I've been dealing with the assistant Mgr. I'm going to explain he, my service animal, is protected by the ADA and they are breaking the law by telling me he must be put in a kennel. I will go above her head if I need to do so.

Abosutely, unacceptable. She is violating the law and you’re rights. Speak with upper management and tell them you will take legal matters if necessary. They are offering you a service.

Under the law, service dogs like seeing eye dogs, mobility aid animals that are dogs, aids to the handicapped ( open doors, pick things up etc.) are all trained to perform specific tasks. And must be allowed, or you have a legitimate legal complaint. Animals who are with you for emotional comfort, do not have any right to be with you, and individual policies may be set by employers or hotels and restaurants. So many people in companies get confused, and feel they can say no to any service animal, not finding out, what specific physical acts they are trained to do, or is it emotional comfort. Also, many patrons present animals as trained service dogs, that are an emotional or therapeutic day not service animals by law. Since the ADA was passed, policies have gone back and forth, with sometimes emotional and therapeutic dogs recommended, sometimes not, but every notice I have seen says that is policy, but the actual national law overriding in every state says service animals trained to perform specific physical acts for the disabled person. This does include seizure dogs. But not others for psychiatric or emotional comfort. If yours does perform a physical act etc. Point out to them that there are two categories of animals. One they must allow, or lose their business license for a time, and pay a fine, and be liable for suit in some cases. The others, they can use their discretion and require they be kenneled.

View Quoted Comment Caytlyn, I will if I must. I'm hoping if I educate then about the ADA concerning service animals, they will relent. If not, definitely a letter from my attorney.

View Quoted Comment Angela, it is illegal. Thank you for your comment. Obviously, people with disabilities obviously complied with their rules in the past, which are insane!! I asked specifically that they required a service dog to be kenneled, and she said yet. Its a requirement. I told her he's never been in a kennel as he can't help me. There is no refund. We lose it if we change venues. This may turn into them learning what the ADA is and that if they discriminate they can be fined and a host of other things.

View Quoted Comment Actually there is. It gray area. Any service dog. A emotional support dog can helps someone with PTSD or extreme anxiety and other conditions that can be disabling.

Sorry I guess emotional support dogs don’t get access that is sad to me. If the dog is professional trained he can stop a panic attack.

Print off the official ADA info about service animals and take it with you.

I'm sorry you are going through this. Honestly I would talk to the venue and see if you can further explain your situation.

I don't blame the venue. Emotional support dogs have been taken advantage of a lot recently and that is why policies are changing. You can understand them having this type of policy, but they should understand and accommodate if your dog is assigned to perform specific tasks to help with a disability (my understanding as one of the differences between service and emotional support)

Https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

Note that Fair Housing law may require some emotional care dogs, be allowed if you rent, and cannot prevent rental if you have at least 3 rooms. You can lose the privilege if you do not clean up pet waste or accidents. But this and the restatement that only Dogs are covered, has confused people. For all I have worked with the blind and handicapped for years, people with emotional care animals of all sorts have made problems for those with service animals. I was in a funded early intervention program for 3 year olds to 6 year olds. Some developmentally delayed, 2 totally blind, one deaf blind ( at that age they feel there way around.) others had high medical needs. 2 rooms of 15, more like day care with a couple of structured activity areas, others homey, and a small training area where kids helped prepare meals. Plus outside therapy rooms. In one with one seeing eye dog new to the 5 year old, and a physically handicapped 4 yr old, only one arm and deaf, who had a cocker spaniel that could fetch things, present her picture communication boards on request, even strip a bed and put sheets in a basket and pull to laundry, or help spread bedding from the other side of the bed. After a school board meeting said they agreed parents could also bring emotional support dogs, based on one 3 yr old autistic boy with a 7 lb Yorkie, the first day was pandemonium. A cockatoo, a miniature horse, and a small sheep dog. The blind and deaf blind, as well as 2 with impaired vision, trying to feel their way in a highly furnished classroom grabbed at cockatoo and got his beak through their small hands. One was kicked walking close behind the mini horse. And the Yorkie kept running up to the bird and horse and barking. It took 3 days, several to emergency rooms, followed by the program closure. Next week, just service animals . Plus the Yorkie on a training program, to stay in the dog bed area "coral" for longer and longer periods, as seeing eye and cocker spaniel retired there when not in use. The child always in sight of animal, but increasingly only had holding time about 15 min twice a day after a short walk, and nap hour after lunch. Parents who had allowed someone to charge them a fortune for 16" birds with lethal beaks, and 3.5 foot at shoulder min. Horse, told no, or pay for private school. The bird and mini horse were not house trained, such a mess. And young children crawl and feel around floor and any surface. So while I see value in emotional support animals, the choice of animal, level of training, whether house broken, does present a real problem to any business following health laws, and providing safe accommodation to all guests, including children and other handicapped patrons. The poor training and animal choice of some emotional support animals ruins things for all those with well trained , appropriate animals. Which is sad.

View Quoted Comment PTSD, in subsections, has sometimes service and sometimes emotional support categorizations. In working PT with the muscle damage to a mining engineer trapped in a cave in, for days, his schnauzer / sheep dog stood guard between him and others in loud and chaotic situations. But with rising agitation would take a big t shaped blanket from his chest pack. The guy had been taught to self restrain, wrap the blanket extensions round and round each hand and pull blanket over him. Then the dog would lay across his legs. So the man never would get up and lunge at and grab people when agitated. A service dog. Those PTSD vets who had essentially a pet dog that made them feel less alone, that might get agitated and bark when upset, frightening others and not helping, only got emotional support dog designation. Useful and allowable in some situations, like in therapy with no triggers around , holding on to the dog helped the vet talk out his problems with a therapist. So an important help in some settings for sure. Sometimes a tough call, sometimes pretty clear cut.

Good luck getting this straightened out. The latest version I posted is more clearly written than some past versions. Hope the venue is confused about service vs. Comfort, and backs off when shown the law. If you call the local police, they only come over, are a witness, and issue a written citation. But usually warn the place they can get closed down and their business suspended. And that they may not retaliate in any way. It helps to print 3 copies first, so the cop and business can be handed one on the spot. Because in truth, many cops k.ow seeing eye dogs for the totally blind. But are confused if someone has tunnel vision with some clear vision, while cannot see more than a pie slice of what is in front of and beside them. And will question people wit MS who sometimes look fine, then lose muscle control and vision in one or both eyes. So a clear definition helps a poorly trained cop work with you. And the business cannot ask your diagnosis or for certification. But can ask you to say, what acts does your dog do for you that help with your disability. The citation they write will be much clears, to you and if you need a court injunction quickly, you have a witness cop and a citation. Awful to have to go through, but you are well spoken and capable, a head start.

So are health alart dogs considered service dogs. I would think so but then I thought a properly trained emotional support dog would be also.