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You've likely seen a sweet-looking guide dog leading its handler around streets and stores before and you may have wondered, "Can I pet that dog?" In short, the answer is no. If you see a dog wearing a harness, vest, or cape, assume it's working. Service dogs provide mobility, guidance...

Fact Sheet: Service Animals in Business and Public Spaces Jan 1, 2023 #F114.01 Introduction Title II of the ADA (42 U.S.C. Sections 12131-12165) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by "public entities." Title III (42 U.S.C. Sections 12181-12189) prohibits disability...

by Linden Gue There are many challenges when owner-training a service dog: learning to train obedience and public access skills, training appropriate work or tasks to mitigate your disability, learning to deal with the public and with access challenges. This is a lot to handle, but the most...

By Keith Anderson and Anne Yuengert Law360 (March 10, 2023, 4:25 PM EST) -- Title I — the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act — requires employers and places of public accommodation to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities. We have all seen wheelchair...

Did You Know... In Florida, It is a legal violation to intentionally interfere with the training of a service animal by a person authorized to train the service animal. Louisiana exempts service dogs from any state or local license fee. In Kentucky the definition of a service animals...

There are a few different reasons someone in the US might ask for a "service dog letter" from their healthcare provider—a letter supporting their (planned) use of service dog. Each reason has different requirements for what's in the letter. We'll cover the requirements for a general letter, a...

While I have had a wonderful life-changing experience since training and getting Dougal up and running as a service dog. It has not been a walk in the park, to say the least. Time sacrifices, the planning on how to include him without ruffling too many feathers going on trips, and things like...

Dogs are versatile, varying from the tiniest Pekinese to the leggy Afghan or massive Newfoundland. Dogs have been bred to hunt rats, run deer, tend sheep, rescue sailors, or sit calmly on the laps of the aristocracy. They herd our cattle and play with our kids. Dogs are uniquely trainable, and...

SDiT, or Service Dog in Training, is a common term used within the service dog community to help describe their dog as ready to start public access, but not a "fully trained" service dog. Trainers. Owner trainers, and Handlers like being able to use this term in public with their dog(s)...

Overview of Service Dog Training Costs Service dogs are specially trained to provide assistance to people with disabilities or medical conditions. They can perform a variety of tasks such as retrieving items, providing balance support, and alerting their handler to the presence of certain sounds...

Introduction Service dogs provide invaluable assistance to people with physical, emotional, or psychological disabilities. These dogs are specially trained to perform specific tasks that their owners can't do on their own. While it may seem like a difficult process, training your dog to be a...

What is a service animal? Under Title II and Title III of the ADA, a service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability...

What are some common misconceptions about service animals? A service animal must wear a vest. Some individuals with a disability with service animals may have their animals wear vests as a way of communication with the public, but it isn't required. In fact, there is no requirement for service...

Introduction Because more people are using service animals, employers are receiving more requests from employees who want to use their service animals in the workplace. The following are some of the issues these employers face and practical guidance to address the issues. This guidance is based...

After having a little argument with the mods of another social media site about this subject I thought it was time to put virtual pen to paper. In short, Government agencies are not subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, they do follow the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section...

Introduction How do I go about getting a service dog? I see this question all the time, so I am going to attempt to answer it best as I can. This is based on what I have experienced and learned through my adventure getting my service dog and many years of experience. Research Not only is this...

I really cannot believe how often I hear service dog handlers say that they do not need a letter from their medical provider. Most of the time this is based on the handler's frame of mind when saying so. So, I am going to try to put this subject in perspective as the answer can be seen from...

This is one of those subjects that comes up over and over in all service dog areas and is a real source of confrontation between handers. As before I am going to put my disclaimer here. Personally, I am against any training for a service dog that might lead to an accident while out in a public...

What law about services animals applies to my business? Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits private businesses, regardless of size, who provide goods or services from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. These private businesses include...

What laws cover housing and service animals? There are three disability rights laws that affect housing for individuals with a disability. These laws apply in most private housing, state and local government housing, public housing and any other federally-assisted housing programs and...