Definitions
“Support animal” means an animal 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. The work done or task performed must be directly related to the individual's disability and may include, but not be limited to:(i) Guiding individuals who are visually impaired or blind;
(ii) Alerting individuals who are hearing impaired or deaf to an intruder or sounds;
(iii) Providing minimal protection or rescue work;
(iv) Pulling a wheelchair;
(v) Fetching dropped items;
(vi) Detecting the onset of a seizure, and alerting and protecting individuals having a seizure;
(vii) Retrieving objects;
(viii) Alerting an individual to the presence of allergens;
(ix) Providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to an individual with a mobility disability;
(x) Helping an individual with a psychiatric or neurological disability by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors;
(xi) Reminding an individual with mental illness to take prescribed medication;
(xii) Calming an individual with post traumatic stress disorder during an anxiety attack; or
(xiii) Doing other specific work or performing other special tasks.
The term “support animal” includes service animals, guide animals, seeing-eye animals, hearing-ear animals, therapeutic animals, comfort animals and facility animals. However, the term “support animal” does not mean an animal considered a pet, and is limited to a dog or miniature horse.
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-6-153
SDIT Covered?
Yes. Support animal trainers shall have the same rights of accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges with support animals-in-training as those provided to blind persons, mobility impaired persons, hearing impaired persons or veterans diagnosed with PTSD with support animals under this section.Miss. Code Ann. § 43-6-155
“Support animal trainer” means a person who trains or raises support animals for individuals with disabilities, whether the person is a professional trainer, or serving as a volunteer with a professional trainer.
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-6-153
Accommodation Law
Under Chapter 6 - Rights and Liabilities of Blind and Other Handicapped Persons:Every totally or partially blind person and every deaf person shall have the right to be accompanied by a guide dog or hearing ear dog on a blaze orange leash, especially trained for the purpose.
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-6-7
Violation of act results in fine not exceeding $100.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding 60 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-6-11
Under Mississippi Support Animal Act:
Any blind person, mobility impaired person, armed services veteran diagnosed with PTSD or hearing impaired person who uses a support animal specifically trained as a guide, leader, listener or for any other necessary assistance in day-to-day activities shall be entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of all public conveyances, hotels, lodging places, businesses open to the public for the sale of any goods or services and all places of public accommodation, amusement, or resort and other places to which the general public is invited, and may take the support animal into conveyances and places, subject only to the conditions and limitations applicable to all persons not so accompanied . . .
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-6-155
Harassment of/Interference with Service Dogs
An individual shall not do either of the following to a dog that he or she knows or has reason to believe is a guide or leader dog for a blind individual, a hearing dog for a deaf or audibly impaired individual, a service dog for a physically limited individual, or a support dog for a mobility impaired person:- Willfully and maliciously assault, beat, harass, injure, or attempt to assault, beat, harass or injure
- Willfully and maliciously impede or interfere with, or attempt to impede or interfere with, duties performed
Miss. Code Ann. § 97-41-21
Driving Law
Whenever a pedestrian is crossing or attempting to cross a public street or highway, at or near an intersection or crosswalk, guided by a guide dog . . . the driver of every vehicle approaching in said intersection or crosswalk shall take such precautions as may be necessary to avoid injuring or endangering such pedestrian, and if injury or danger to such pedestrian can be avoided only by bringing his vehicle to a full stop, he shall bring his said vehicle to a full stop.Violation incurs a fine of not more than $25.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 10 days.
Miss. Code Ann. § 63-3-1111
