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I've been working in public safety for a little over two decades and there are a lot of misconceptions out there
in particular my new assignment has me dealing with a lot of service animal politics and one of the more pertinent issues my new Young supervisor is obsessed with is service dog access
as everyone well knows quite often a privileged character will try to pass off their little chihuahua as a service animal and insist they have the right to use your facility widlst holding their dog in their arms like a fashionable accessory
this can be very frustrating for people charged with maintaining the rules of the facility
My new Young supervisor believes the service animal must be walking on a 6-foot non-retractable leash to be allowed into the park however I advised him that the service dog may be carried, pushed in a stroller or conveyed in any way the patron feels fit as long as they are under control and have a 6-foot non-retractable leash attached to them at all times
I don't think he has a bad intention against the disabled I think he's just young and foolish and hasn't learned the law that well yet
In synopsis a service animal does not have to be walking on a leash... they can be carried in arms/ in a carrier or pushed in a stroller as long as you have a 6' non-retractable leash attached to them at all times
This young privileged supervisor is simply mistaken...
He doesn't have a negative attitude about the disabled but he is confusing my co-workers and my supervisors with his mistaken belief that a service dog is not allowed to be carried or pushed in a stroller
Here's the Walt Disney company's policy in writing:
"Our much-loved animals also have their own policies which must be adhered to.* Whether inside or outside the stroller, all service animals should remain on a leash and under your control at all times"
It does NOT have to be a 6' retractable leash. Some of those service dogs have to pick up items for the disabled person, and they are allowed to have a longer leash. Or, as someone else mentioned, people with PTSD may have a service dog OFF leash to look for "threats" before the person enters the area.
At all times a service animal MUST be under the control of the person, but that does not mean 'always on a 6' retractable leash'. It means that they are under control with hand signals, voice commands, and/or a leash, or, yes, they can be carried.
I've never heard of a service dog being pushed in a stroller, however. If I saw that, I'd be leery that someone isn't trying to pass off their "emotional support animal" as a service animal, which is not even close to the same thing.
The ADA continues not to push for licensing, but I wish that they would. It would end this nonsense of people claiming that their dog is a service animal. I also wish that they would license those that are considered "emotional support animals", (not ADA, but the psychologist who actually deemed the pet an emotional support animal), because too many people are taking advantage of the fact that no license is required for either situation.
The only way that anyone has to prove anything is when they try to get an apartment that either doesn't allow dogs, or has a pet deposit and/or monthly fee - that letter from the psychologist allows the dog to be in apartments that have a no pet policy, they don't have to pay the deposit, nor any monthly fees.
Emotional support animals are hardly ever under control, however - just like most dogs are not under their owner's control despite the owner believing that they have control over their dog. I know, very well, how many people have no control over their dogs because way too many would come up to my boy, who is afraid of other dogs, growling and snarling, trying to start something while their stupid owner ran behind them repeating their name over and over again.
Anyway, you're both wrong.
Read this, and give it to all of your co-workers, as well:
It does NOT have to be a 6' retractable leash. Some of those service dogs have to pick up items for the disabled person, and they are allowed to have a longer leash. Or, as someone else mentioned, people with PTSD may have a service dog OFF leash to look for "threats" before the person enters the area.
At all times a service animal MUST be under the control of the person, but that does not mean 'always on a 6' retractable leash'. It means that they are under control with hand signals, voice commands, and/or a leash, or, yes, they can be carried.
I've never heard of a service dog being pushed in a stroller, however. If I saw that, I'd be leery that someone isn't trying to pass off their "emotional support animal" as a service animal, which is not even close to the same thing.
The ADA continues not to push for licensing, but I wish that they would. It would end this nonsense of people claiming that their dog is a service animal. I also wish that they would license those that are considered "emotional support animals", (not ADA, but the psychologist who actually deemed the pet an emotional support animal), because too many people are taking advantage of the fact that no license is required for either situation.
The only way that anyone has to prove anything is when they try to get an apartment that either doesn't allow dogs, or has a pet deposit and/or monthly fee - that letter from the psychologist allows the dog to be in apartments that have a no pet policy, they don't have to pay the deposit, nor any monthly fees.
Emotional support animals are hardly ever under control, however - just like most dogs are not under their owner's control despite the owner believing that they have control over their dog. I know, very well, how many people have no control over their dogs because way too many would come up to my boy, who is afraid of other dogs, growling and snarling, trying to start something while their stupid owner ran behind them repeating their name over and over again.
Anyway, you're both wrong.
Read this, and give it to all of your co-workers, as well:
I said they had to be on a 6' NON-retractable leash while in public
Not tetherd by it
That means its attached to the animal but not necessarily held by the individual
the animal may be allowed to "search for threats" as long as it has the leash attached so someone can control the animal in a crisis
The animals should always be controlled by a 6' non retractable leach but occasionally may drag the lead to move independently
You can unclip the animal if it has a control harness as that now functions as a "control device"
Retractable leashes are allowed only while the animal is "performing it duty" not durring general transit
And no leash attached is allowed in certain circumstances however the person must have one in their possession for crisis management
From your link:
"The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair may use a long, retractable leash to allow her service animal to pick up or retrieve items"
The part I find hilarious is anyone who gains emotional support from such an unhinged, neurotic creature as a chihuahua needs to be institutionalized, not wandering around among us.
1) You should probably follow your own advice regarding salacious detail of people trying to pass off pets and ESAs as service animals if you are going to expect it of others.
2) You did not pose a question in your OP so how can anyone focus on your question?
3) You seem to be obsessed with your “new Young supervisor”.
4) This thread might get more responses in one of the other forums such as Employment or Pets.
5) I concur that there are no stipulations that a service dog cannot be carried by the owner. Here’s a link to the ADA service animal requirements. I’m surprised you didn’t bother to include it in your OP.
1 if I didn't Resteer This Thread off the salacious detail that's where it would stay forever and I had to be the first to acknowledge that little "Elephant" or else the Divergence would be even worse
2 By relating the details of a debate and giving my position plus an opposing position I inherently invited the reading audience to pick a side...thats posing a question in a descriptive strategy
3 a salacious suggestion (on your part) to say I'm "obsessed" with my young inexperienced supervisor but I am quite concerned since the days of One Touch social media retweet BBQ Becky cluster bombs go off every hour in this country and I don't want to be an innocent accused in the course of just doing by job because I have to function in a broken system that believes you're not allowed to carry or push a stroller containing your service dog
4 This Thread is exactly where it belongs because this is a political question not a question about pets or jobs
.... I think a lot of the wording is complicated and open to interpretation. However the logistics of enforcement are my primary concern because that is my real world scenario
I knew everybody and their mom would be linking AdA so I didn't bother
I said they had to be on a 6' NON-retractable leash while in public
Not tetherd by it
That means its attached to the animal but not necessarily held by the individual
the animal may be allowed to "search for threats" as long as it has the leash attached so someone can control the animal in a crisis
The animals should always be controlled by a 6' non retractable leach but occasionally may drag the lead to move independently
You can unclip the animal if it has a control harness as that now functions as a "control device"
Retractable leashes are allowed only while the animal is "performing it duty" not durring general transit
And no leash attached is allowed in certain circumstances however the person must have one in their possession for crisis management
From your link:
"The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair may use a long, retractable leash to allow her service animal to pick up or retrieve items"
I did read "closely" and you're still wrong. There is absolutely NO length limit to the leash, and NOWHERE does it say it has to be "retractable".
How about you "look closely" at the link I provided, straight from the ADA. Notice the words "for example". That doesn't mean 'this is the rule set in stone'.
Let's try to back away from the salacious detail of people trying to pass off pets and emotional support as service animals and focus on the question posed in the thread
A properly licensed and certified service animal is allowed to be carried in arms or a carrier, pushed in a stroller or walked on a 6-foot non retractable leash
They are not required to be on the leash at all times in certain cases but they most certainly can be carried or pushed in a stroller
The part I find hilarious is anyone who gains emotional support from such an unhinged, neurotic creature as a chihuahua needs to be institutionalized, not wandering around among us.
Whoever owns the property should make the rules. Same as you all do with your own homes.
What if it's a public place like a courthouse, public park or city street?
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