Service Animal Fact Sheet Under Arizona’s service animal law and the federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may bring their service animal to all “public accommodations” including restaurants, schools, grocery stores, theaters, businesses, hotels, motels, and other lodging places, public transportation, entertainment and sporting venues, and social service centers such as senior centers, homeless shelters, and food banks.
WHAT IS A SERVICE ANIMAL
Under the ADA a service animal is defined as a dog that has been trained to do work or perform a task for an individual with a disability that is directly related to the person’s disability.
ANIMALS “IN TRAINING” TO BE A SERVICE ANIMAL
Any trainer or individual with a disability may take an animal being trained as a service animal to a public place for purposes of training it to the same extent as a service animal.
DOES THE SERVICE ANIMAL HAVE TO WEAR A VEST OR IDENTIFYING HARNESS?
No. Under the ADA service animals are not required to wear a vest, ID tag or harness.
DOES THE SERVICE ANIMAL HAVE TO BE LEASHED?
The animal has to be “Under the control of the service animal’s handler” which means the service animal has a harness, leash or other tether- unless either the handler is unable because of a disability to use a harness, leash or other tether or the use of the harness, leash or other teather would interfere with the service animal’s safe and effective performance of work or tasks, in which the case the service animal must be otherwise under the handler’s control by bice control, signals or other effective means.
WHAT QUESTIONS CAN YOU ASK TO DETERMINE?
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.
SERVICE ANIMALS ARE:
- Allowed to go anywhere their owner/handler goes – a store owner’s or customer’s claim that he or she is allergic to dogs is not an acceptable reason to exclude that person and their animal from the store.
- Service animals can be on deck but cannot be in the water.
- The ADA does not override public health rules that prohibit dogs in swimming pools. However, service animals must be allowed on the pool deck and in other areas where the public can go. https://addpc.az.gov/faq-around-service-animals
SERVICE ANIMALS ARE NOT:
- Pets. Do not no play with or pet a service animal unless its owner has previously given you permission.
- Required to wear jackets or vest identifying them as such.
- Required to have an identification card or other documentation.
- Required to be registered or certified.
HANDLERS MAY BE ASKED TO REMOVE THE SERVICE ANIMAL ONLY WHEN:
- The service animal is out of control and the handler does not or cannot take effective action to control it.
- The service animal is not housebroken.
- In all circumstances, staff must offer the person with disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal present.
Excluded
Persons with sore or inflamed eyes, colds, nasal or ear discharges, boils or other acute or obvious skin or body infections, or cuts shall be excluded from the pool. No person in or at a swimming pool shall commit, or be permitted to commit, any act prejudicial to the life or health of any other person using the pool. Animals shall be excluded from the pool enclosure, except for service animals. All animals shall be excluded from bathing in the pool.
REFERENCE:
https://addpc.az.gov/sites/default/files/Service%20Animal%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/11/01024.htm