Tip: Highlight text to annotate itX
The Americans with Disabilities Act (more commonly known as the ADA) allows for dogs
that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability
to accompany their owner in any facility or place where the general public is permitted
to go. Some of these tasks or work may include, but are not limited to guiding people who
were blind, alerting people with auditory impairments, pulling a wheelchair, alerting
and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person to take their meds, or,
calming a person with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack.
The service animals are working animals, just like horses, not pets. The work or task the
dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person's disability. When inquiring
into whether the service dog is a legitimate service animal under the ADA, there are only
two legitimate inquiries. First, people may ask if the dog is a service dog required by
the disability, and second, what work or task the dog has been trained to perform. Finally,
one should not approach or in any way interact with the service animal without their owner�s
express permission as it can interfere with their training, and their ability to perform
their duties may be impaired.
