Let my service or companion dog inside!
Where ADA laws start, and local and state laws get involved
Stir-craziness is an understatement for some socially isolated people. From retail stores to beauty salons and barbershops, entrepreneurs and corporations are ready to get back to some normalcy after immediate COVID-19 shutdowns since March. Many businesses are inching their way to reopening and encouraging consumers to return. But while they’re making plans to re-open their doors, the same laws still apply for allowing service animals inside — coronavirus outbreak or not.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability (ex. notify diabetic person when blood sugar is low, notify a person diagnosed with depression to take medicine, notify a person with epilepsy that a seizure is detected).
Recommended Read: “When the building dumpster is in everyone’s way ~ Understanding ADA needs, parking needs and sanitation needs”
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month 2025, each new post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site to verify that Amazon Black-owned logo.) I am (slowly) doing this with older, popular posts too. If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
And while emotional support or companion animals do not fall under the same umbrella as service dogs, depending on the state or local government, these therapy dogs can trot alongside them, too. There is a gray area though. For example, according to ADA, a dog who can sense an anxiety attack would qualify as a service animal. However, the dog’s presence to provide comfort and decrease the risk of an anxiety attack wouldn’t.
Either way it goes, for essential and nonessential businesses, these pets still have their rights to enter, too. And the last thing retail stores and other open-to-the-public businesses need is to get a complaint about pet discrimination.