Re: Service Animal Tasks - Landlord Forum thread

Re: Service Animal Tasks by Anonymous on March 14, 2012 @16:05

Interesting article.

"While a dog’s companionship may offer emotional support, comfort or a sense of security, this in and of itself does NOT qualify as a “trained task” or “work” under the ADA, thus it does not give a disabled person the legal right to take that dog out in public as a legitimate service dog. "

This is so true!

So many people with psychiatric disorders or social anxiety disorders etc think that calling their pet a "service" dog makes it okay.

It is NOT okay, as their pet is not trained appropriately.

If a LL accepts a companion animal and the individual insists the pet is a service animal--but in reality the pet is a pet who calms the individual--what do you get? You get an untrained pet in the house. Problems can include destruction of property from scratching and urinating and defecating to a biting reflex if they feel threatened.

IF the animal or pet IS a medical necessity for whatever reason (physical disability, mental or emotional disability), that pet will be trained and certified as legal and appropriate.

For myself, as a LL, I would not want to rent to a person who had a capuchin monkey as a service animal, or a Shetland pony as a service animal.

I always wondered, if a LL has a no pets policy, but rents to a person who has a service animal (dog, monkey, pony), is an increased SD legal? I'd think that there would be potty accidents, AND that as the service animal ages, there would be more potty accidents!

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Re: Service Animal Tasks by MrDan (Georgia) on March 15, 2012 @11:48	[ Reply ]

"IF the animal or pet IS a medical necessity for whatever reason (physical disability, mental or emotional disability), that pet will be trained and certified as legal and appropriate." (Although the landlord is entitled to ask for supporting materials which document the need for an emotional support animal, federal law does not require the tenant to provide proof of training or certification of the animal.) "I always wondered, if a LL has a no pets policy, but rents to a person who has a service animal (dog, monkey, pony), is an increased SD legal?"(Service animals that assist persons with disabilities are considered to be auxiliary aids and are exempt from the pet policy and from the pet deposit. Examples include guide dogs for persons with vision impairments, hearing dogs for people with hearing impairments, and emotional assistance animals for persons with chronic mental illness.)