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It's a brave new world. We are now being forced to accommodate a great many things. Dogs and restaurants aren't the best mix naturally. No doubt it can present many problems including possible lawsuits. I find putting up with the dogs around food a lot easier than many other things being forced upon us in recent years.
This is true. Lol I just won't purchase bulk items at Wegmans from the bottom bins!
Also, movie-goers may soon have to accommodate open-captioning at the theaters. An inconvenience or distraction pales in comparison to people having been unable to easily access the things the rest of us take for granted.
The world is getting smaller, if people fail to understand or tolerate others than we are in for big trouble. It’s called freedom, liberty and rights and as the world changes we too need to evolve and change ourselves.
"A different world cannot
be built by indifferent people."
Maybe the fact that people who have need for their service dog can and should be able to use restaurants and other public places without being looked at as if there’s something wrong with them or that they shouldn’t be a part of society, they are just as welcomed as the next person. Our society is evolving and changing, it wasn’t too many years ago that some people were not allowed inside businesses because they were different. Women have been told they couldn’t breast feed their infant and had been asked to leave or not feed their baby. People have been told they couldn’t come into the restaurant without a coat and tie, they needed to dress appropriately. The entire thought of discrimination any number of issues is being reduced over the years. More and more people coming together with fewer issues than in the past, seems to be the norm for most parts of the country and the rest of the world. Tolerance and acceptance of others is important.
Service dog - no problem. However, those other fur-slinging, leg-hiking, lickers of their "south end" should be left in the back yard with a bowl of food and some water.
I was at a NICE restaurant with a buddy and I looked up and saw a lady with a lap dog at the bar. I could not believe it. I told my buddy, had we been sitting over there i would have had an issue with that.
People seem to think dogs are humans. This lady had the dog up in her lap at the bar as if it were a child.
Please, don't try to justify this. I know some of you will.
For many dogs owners, their dogs are like babies. People bring babies to restaurants, so they think, they should be allowed to bring their dogs too ...
For many dogs owners, their dogs are like babies. People bring babies to restaurants, so they think, they should be allowed to bring their dogs too ...
Well... There's a bit of difference. I never caught my child eating feces in the back yard.
For many years the FDA has forbidden animals from being in restaurants or establishments that prepare or serve food. It's federal law, and it is backed up by state and local Health Department regulations. It's the law everywhere in this country.
The only exception is for bona fide service animals, as defined in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. These are dogs which have been trained to perform specific acts in service of a disabled person.
Notice, the person must be disabled. Not nervous, not tense, not depressed, but actually disabled, in the legal and medical sense of the word. And the dog (and in certain cases, miniature horses, but no other animals) must be individually trained to perform specific acts in service to that disabled person. For example, a guide dog for the blind is trained to guide its owner through pedestrian traffic, determining when traffic signals allow crossing the street. So called "comfort" dogs, therapy dogs and other animals that are not in service to a disabled person, or which are not specifically trained to perform specific tasks are not service animals as legally defined by the FDA and the ADA, and are not allowed in restaurants and grocery stores.
Managers of such business are not only allowed to challenge people with animals they feel do not comply with the law, but are actually subject to fine and health department penalties if they fail to prevent bogus service animals into their place of business.
They are allowed to ask "Is this animal trained to perform specific tasks in support of a person with a disability?" and "What tasks has this animal been trained to perform?"
And then, it is their sole determination whether or not they can serve this person without causing a health risk to other customers, and to refuse service if the answer is no... and this is the part many people miss... even if the animal is a bona fide ADA service animal. They simply have to give the person alternate accommodation, such as... "Return without the animal and we'll be happy to serve you," or "If you would like to be seated on our outside patio we''l be happy to serve you."
For many years the FDA has forbidden animals from being in restaurants or establishments that prepare or serve food. It's federal law, and it is backed up by state and local Health Department regulations. It's the law everywhere in this country.
The only exception is for bona fide service animals, as defined in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. These are dogs which have been trained to perform specific acts in service of a disabled person.
Notice, the person must be disabled. Not nervous, not tense, not depressed, but actually disabled, in the legal and medical sense of the word. And the dog (and in certain cases, miniature horses, but no other animals) must be individually trained to perform specific acts in service to that disabled person. For example, a guide dog for the blind is trained to guide its owner through pedestrian traffic, determining when traffic signals allow crossing the street. So called "comfort" dogs, therapy dogs and other animals that are not in service to a disabled person, or which are not specifically trained to perform specific tasks are not service animals as legally defined by the FDA and the ADA, and are not allowed in restaurants and grocery stores.
Managers of such business are not only allowed to challenge people with animals they feel do not comply with the law, but are actually subject to fine and health department penalties if they fail to prevent bogus service animals into their place of business.
They are allowed to ask "Is this animal trained to perform specific tasks in support of a person with a disability?" and "What tasks has this animal been trained to perform?"
And then, it is their sole determination whether or not they can serve this person without causing a health risk to other customers, and to refuse service if the answer is no... and this is the part many people miss... even if the animal is a bona fide ADA service animal. They simply have to give the person alternate accommodation, such as... "Return without the animal and we'll be happy to serve you," or "If you would like to be seated on our outside patio we''l be happy to serve you."
How convenient that you left out some parts from the ADA link you provided.
"A service animal is 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. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered service animals."
and
" Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to:
assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks
alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds
providing non-violent protection or rescue work
pulling a wheelchair
assisting an individual during a seizure alerting individuals to the presence of allergens
retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone
providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities
helping individuals with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors"
The article then goes on to discuss Miniature Horses and additional specifics.
Now, tell me, how is the average individual going to determine just by observation if one of the above criteria is being met when determining whether the presence of a dog is allowed or not. True, in some cases it may be obvious, but not always.
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