"Comfort animals" are not service dogs. If they say that they are comfort animals, then you're within your rights to make them leave any place that doesn't allow pets because that designation is not protected under any law at all. If they say they are service dogs, there are two questions a business owner/staff are allowed to ask:
1: is that a service animal, required due to a disability?
2: what type of work or tasks has this animal been trained to do?
They can't ask about the person's disability, and they can't challenge the claim that it's a service animal. Guide dogs for the blind have special harnesses, but other than that, there's no special "official" clothing or vest for service animals.
Also, owners/businesses are still within their rights to require certain standards: if it's an allergy doctor, he can ABSOLUTELY forbid ANY furred animals in his office. Any. Even service animals. If it's a dog that grows fur, it can be barred from entry, because of the nature of the business. They can also demand that the animal be controlled at all times, and keep "4 on the floor." They are absolutely allowed to forbid ANY animal being in a shopping cart, or carried, or on a retractable leash, or no leash at all. They can absolutely kick out anyone with an animal, even a service dog, if the animal behaves aggressively to someone, or poops on the carpet, or tries eating food off a supermarket shelf, and so on and so forth.
So while yes, Fido might be just a pet and not really a service animal, and no, you can't challenge the owner even if you know that he knows that you know damned well it's just his pet, you can expect that dog to be walking, on a short non-retractable leash, well-heeled, well-behaved, from the moment he walks in til the moment he leaves again.
|