Experts give their opinion on assistance animals

Posted on March 12, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

Photo By Takashi Hososhima via StockPholio.com

Just recently, the Supreme Court of the United States favored a girl diagnosed with cerebral palsy and her service dog.

Although service dogs have been popular since the 1920s, there is still a lot of speculation regarding their definition and specific roles. Several experts give their opinion on service dogs and assistance animals as a whole to address controversies.

According to Jessica Smidt, Healing Enhancement Therapy Coordinator at Mayo Clinic, real service animals are trained to perform tasks that their owners are unable to do for themselves regardless of their individual effort. Eichler also mentions that there are disabled people who are able to perform their activities of daily living better with an assistance animal around. A lof of individuals do not have overt signs of a disability and because of this, they can be regarded in a different way that disabled people who have obvious signs.

Donna A. Baker of Emory Rehabilitation Hospital agrees that service animals can make a big difference in how disabled people are able to live independently. That is because service animals can do a wide variety of tasks for their disabled owners such as opening a door, picking up dropped objects, and helping their owners stand up during a fall.

Article source: Medpage Today

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

How will businesses differentiate between real and fake service animals?

Posted on March 12, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

To date, there is no specific government-issued documentation that certifies service animals. Because of such ambiguity in the ADA, businesses are offering identifying items such as vests and collars to help owners of legitimate service animals access places where pets are normally not allowed.

In order for an establishment to know whether a dog is a service animal or not (and only posing as one), that establishment is only allowed to ask two questions to the animal owner:

Is this animal required because of a disability?
What task is this animal trained to perform?

Chris Kreiger president of WNY Heroes, a support group for veterans, mentions that while some people are taking advantage of paraphernalia to make a false claim that their pets are service animals when they’re really not, animal gear can still serve useful for real service animal owners.

However, remember that animal gear can help shortcut uncomfortable conversations with business owners but it does not give an animal its status. Kreiger states that he hopes that the government “tightens up” the law to eliminate fake service animals.

Article source: Wivb.com

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

Is a housing provider allowed to evict an assistance animal or refuse to accommodate it?

Posted on March 12, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

The answer is yes.

The housing provider can evict/eject the Assistance Animal if it causes an unreasonable nuisance or public safety hazard (for example, a barking habit, flea infestation, evidence of an actual disease, aggressive behavior, feces or urine contamination due to the owner/handler neglecting to clean up, etc.) Please note that these must be actual rather than merely potential issues.

He or she can refuse to accommodate the request for an Assistance Animal if it would cause an undue financial burden (for example, if the his/her insurance carrier would cancel the insurance policy if a certain breed of dog, such as a pit bull or chow breed, were kept on the premises, or if the accommodation would require extensive costs that would be considered objectively unreasonably high, such as physical alterations or construction).

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

Ontario family fights son’s rights to bring service dog in class

Posted on March 12, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

Kenner Fee and his service dog

According to the Fee family, their 8-year old boy named Kenner Fee was not allowed by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board to bring his black Labrador Ivy to class since the presence of the animal would only place “undue hardship” on the school staff.

Kenner Fee is diagnosed with autism. His father, Craig Fee, says that the service dog helps his son calm down especially during anxiety attacks. If only the dog was allowed in class, things would definitely be easier for Kenner’s classmates and teachers. Craig stated, “They’re going to get a lot more learning and work done if my kid’s not shrieking at the top of his lungs or bolting from the schoolyard.”

The school board had two arguments regarding having the service dog in class. They said that they had the right to dictate whether to allow the dog or not since the school building is private property. Secondly, Kenner cannot manage the dog himself since he lacks fine motor skills. The Fees have fought for their son’s right and has gone to the province’s human rights tribunal.

David Lepofsky, a lawyer and disability rights advocate, has been concerned about the matter. He said that the school board should provide evidence that the dog’s presence would actually place “undue hardship” on the school staff and that they should consider alternative accommodations first. According to Vice-President Laura Kirby-McIntosh, the province has to establish an accessibility standard for education. She hopes that the outcome of the case would bring clarity on the matter.

Article source: Flamboroughreview.com

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

Senate might approve service animal bill to establish clear rules

Posted on March 5, 2017 by SARC Editorial Staff

Here’s what’s happening nowadays: More and more people are using fake service animals for their own benefit. This incidence is negatively affecting people with real disabilities who happen to have service animals as well.

To address this situation, a bill has been created to create a misdemeanor offense for people using fake service animals. According to Representative James Byrd from House District 44, if someone is caught using a fake service animal, the animal won’t be allowed into public facilities and that the owner should be charged extra by hotels.

Not only does House Bill 114 prevent the misuse of service animals, it also upholds the right of disabled people by providing clear rules for disabled individuals who need them. The bill also states that establishments that do not accept real service animals would be fined. Moreover, people who would injure any service animal would spend half a year in prison, be fined, and are required to pay for a new service animal and its training.

Service animal owners are only allowed to define their service animals and the task/s they perform to business owners who ask about these animals. If business owners are suspicious about the answers of the animal owners, they are allowed to contact law enforcement about the matter.

Article source: Kcwy13.com

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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