standard poodle, Doberman, or Cane Corso

[mrs1885]

Foxy, look into ADA law. I had NO CLUE how strict they were until we had a couple stay at the hotel I worked at. They brought in a little dog and didn't tell us. Set up a crate in their room, locked the dog in it and left to go out on the town. The people in neighboring rooms called to complain there was a dog barking - we were a non-pet friendly hote (ironic huh?) - so we sent housekeeping up to check. Found the dog, charged them the cleaning fee and left a note for them to contact the front desk when they returned.

They came to the front desk and said he was a service dog. The front desk asked if they had any paperwork to document that, as he was left alone and not with the person he was supposed to be helping. The front desk staff called me and asked for advice. I'd never been faced with that problem so I called the HR Director. She said according to ADA law there is no proof of any kind needed that anyone has a service dog, other than them telling you that's what it is.

In the meantime the guy contacted his attorney who sent over a letter to us saying they'd file a lawsuit if we didn't immediately stop harassing the disabled lady, blah blah blah. They also included a copy of the ADA Laws and I did confirm that what is in there is what the HR Director said. So it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks where you go. Keep a copy of the ADA law with you and if anyone gives you a hard time hand them that and the business card of a local attorney (you don't even need to know them, just go in and ask if you can have a couple cards in case you need to make an appointment about something) to anyone that bothers you.

Sadly it excludes psych only service dogs, which is why I couldn't do anything about Diva. For me it just means I can't force uneducated people to be in the same area as my well socialized and well trained pitbull and hope that I can change their mind by them seeing how good she is. But what blows is that it means our soldiers coming back from overseas with combat related PTS disorders and who rely on their banned breed dogs to comfort them are basically being told by our government 'thanks for serving and giving all you did and having psychological problems re-adjusting to society but we could care less now get rid of that dog'.

[foxywench]

mrs, im prety certain that while emotional SUPPORT dogs arnt supported psych service dogs are covered under the ada as long as, like ALL service dogs, they are trained to perform tasks related to the disability.

for example, for those with an anxiety related disorder a dog can be trained to "find an exit" essentially pulling the handler out of a crowd to a "safe" place...
or remind to take meds, ect...
those would be trained tasks that assist with the disability and would class the dog as a service dog...

simply "being there" kisses, hugs, petting ect is not considered a trained task even if its for comfort and helps, but as long as the dog is properly task trained psych dogs are covered...

but there is definatly a difference between psych service dog and "emotional support" animal.

this has been a realy good resource for me
Psychiatric Service Dog Society

in the case you posted though, id be VERY suprised if that dog was a service dog...generally while sometimes its nice to have a dog free night out...most people wouldnt leave their service dog alone in a hotel room...crated or not.

[mrs1885]

This is what I'd found and was referring to. It does say physical and psychologically trained service dogs are covered, but apparently some dogs that help those with PTS disorder are not covered. They're hoping to change that.

As an end note, the section following “Breed Restrictions” in the Final Rule addresses the issue of “emotional support animals.” Service animals, including animals for physical and psychological disabilities, have to be specifically trained to assist their disabled handlers with their particular needs. This means that dogs that benefit people in other ways without specific training, such as therapy dogs and emotional support dogs are not covered under the ADA. I think it is important to make this distinction because service animals are special and serve a good purpose after going through rigorous training. Not just any dog can be a service animal.

However, in the emerging study of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, I hope more programs can be developed to specifically train “emotional support animals” so they can be covered under the ADA. We have an ever-growing understanding of the benefits of the human-canine bond. We also have a growing understanding of just how heavy the toll of combat can be on our soldiers and how deeply other traumatic events can affect us in everyday life. I hope, for the sake of our returning veterans and for survivors of abuse and violence, the benefits of the human-canine bond that are less tangible and more difficult to quantify can be better understood and more widely recognized.

DOJ Rejects Local BSL in ADA Enforcement - Dog Laws & Legislation Forum

[foxywench]

i agree, that needs to be fixed...
mabe it would be good to get some ptsd patients together and try to develop a list of possible tasks that would help with the disorder. ive never delt with ptsd, but id think tasks like interupting (tapping with a nose or paw if the patient becomes stuck or repeating behaviours, this is a common task for ocd patients too) or "escape" ect...hmmm...

[dee 42]

Standard poodles are smart, smart smart !