Quote:
Originally Posted by blueash
I have seen many posts saying that the restaurant cannot ask whether the dog is a service dog. That is not correct. From the ADA requirements:
Revised ADA Requirements: Service Animals
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Service Animals Must Be Under Control
Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.
Inquiries, Exclusions, Charges, and Other Specific Rules Related to Service Animals
When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task."
So the restaurant can ask if the animal is a service dog related to a disability but cannot ask what the disability might be although it can ask what special skill the animal has acquired (that would seem to indirectly identify most disabilities) |
I haven't seen any posts saying a restaurant manager or employee cannot ask if a dog is a service animal and since I'm not inclined to read all 199 posts in this thread I'll leave that alone. I cannot imagine a situation where the restaurant owner or manager would not want to know if the dog in question is a service dog. That of course is one of the two questions which may be asked. I suspect that you believe that by asking what work or tasks a dog is trained to perform they can determine the handlers disability. That may be true in some cases but certainly not all, just as the disability of some handlers will be obvious but others are much more difficult to determine by observation.
What people seem to have a problem with is that the dog does not have to wear a tag or vest and the handler is not required to produce any documentation or certification for the dog. I think in most cases these would be moot points since often the handler would voluntarily show these documents.