Service Animals

[AppleSister1]

Hi! I'm booking a trip for friends and one woman has a service animal. She doesn't need him for sight or hearing issues. She's wondering if she can leave him alone in the hotel room? (We are looking a Disney Resorts.) Does Disney provide any kind of crate? I'm clueless here so any recommendations (even who to call) will be welcome!

 

[lanejudy]

No, the service animal must be supervised on property and cannot be left alone. If the guest does not wish to bring the service animal into the parks or wherever, she is welcome to make arrangements for boarding. I believe Best Friends Pet Care is on property.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[aaarcher86]

How can it provide a service in the room? Is it an emotional support animal?

 

[Pamlur]

I need a lot more emotional support in the parks than I do in my room.

 

[AppleSister1]

My understanding is it's an emotional support thing, and mostly about the flying. Just spoke to Disney and to Best Friends (the Kennel onsite.) lanejudy is exactly right…dog can't be left alone and we need to supply our own crate. Thanks for helping, peeps! Something new to learn about Disney every day!

 

[SueM in MN]

My understanding is it's an emotional support thing, and mostly about the flying. Just spoke to Disney and to Best Friends (the Kennel onsite.) lanejudy is exactly right…dog can't be left alone and we need to supply our own crate. Thanks for helping, peeps! Something new to learn about Disney every day!

Legally, emotional support dogs do not meet the definition of Service Dog under the ADA. Most emotional support dogs have not been trained to do anything specific and are there for the person to pet, touch or hold.
There is no requirement that people be allowed to bring emotional support dogs with them into businesses, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, etc.
The difference between an emotional support animal and a Service Dog is that the a Service Dog has been individually trained to do specific tasks or services for the person who is using the dog. Just sitting on the person's lap or sitting to be petted is not a service under the ADA - every dog will do that with no training at all.
So for the person you are asking about, that will be the difference between whether she has a Service Dog or an emotional support dog.

Airlines have a different set of rules regarding emotional support animals; they are under the Air Carrier Act and not the ADA.
Emotional support dogs ARE allowed on airplanes, but there are guidelines they must follow, including the information from this website quoted below:
http://www.southwestada.org/html/topical/aircarrier/aircarrier_serviceanimals.html

(e) If a passenger seeks to travel with an animal that is used as an emotional support or psychiatric service animal, you are not required to accept the animal for transportation in the cabin unless the passenger provides you current documentation (i.e., no older than one year from the date of the passengers scheduled initial flight) on the letterhead of a licensed mental health professional including a medical doctor specifically treating the passenger’s mental or emotional disability (e.g., psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker) stating the following:

(1) The passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM IV);

(2) The passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger’s destination;

(3) The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional, and the passenger is under his or her professional care; and

(4) The date and type of the mental health professional’s license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Are emotional support dogs allowed to stay in the hotel? I thought only service animals were allowed in the Disney hotel room?

 

[SueM in MN]

Are emotional support dogs allowed to stay in the hotel? I thought only service animals were allowed in the Disney hotel room?

no.
Other than air travel and housing (both with appropriate documentation), they are considered pets.

 

[aaarcher86]

Board the dog. It's not a service dog nor allowed in the resorts.

Maybe they can look into driving or she can get some medication from her doctor instead of bringing it. Best Friends is nice and we've used it, but she'll have additional leg work to do getting it to the kennel from the airport, etc.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Emotional support animals are NOT service dogs, but untrained pets prescribed to people who have mental disabilities. They cannot go into public places where pets are not allowed (including Disney resorts and parks, no-pets hotels, no-pets transportation, restaurants, etc.). With her doctor's letter, she can have her dog in no-pets housing and in the cabin of airplanes (there are certain requirements she must follow for that). Service dogs go through up to two years of training so they can do tasks that help the disabled person that are directly related to the disability and to properly behave (be invisible) and be able to work in public.

She has three options:

1. Board her pet at the kennel on Disney property (she can visit him during the day there). I don't know what pet-friendly transportation options there are between Disney's kennel and the airport, but the kennel may be able to tell her. The dog is not allowed on Disney transportation.

2. Stay off-property at a pet-friendly hotel, though most hotels do not allow pets to be left alone in hotel rooms, so she would still need to board the dog while out in the parks. This option would give her the opportunity to have her dog with her at night. Again, she would need to find pet-friendly transportation between the airport, hotel, and kennel.

3. Leave her dog home while she is on the trip. If you're all flying together or at least one other friend is flying with her, you can help her with her mental disability on the planes just as you will in the parks.

 

[Elevationist]

4th Option: Rent an RV and stay at the Ft. Wilderness campground. There are a limited number of full-hook-up campsites that are pet-friendly. (This is the route my parents take, as my Mom refuses to board their dog because she won't do the kennel cough vaccine).

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Good idea, Elevationist! I forgot some of the campgrounds are pet-friendly. That's a good option. And I agree with your mother about not giving that vaccine, as like the human flu vaccine, it only covers a few strains, so isn't completely effective. If you have to give it, make sure you give the intranasal one instead of the shot.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Disney can permit emotional support animals to stay in its hotels if it wishes to, but isn't required to do so by law. Apparently they don't wish to; Disney notes that the only animals it will permit are service animals. There are separate regulations covering the access of emotional support animals to housing and airlines, but those don't apply to Disney resorts, parks or transportation.

If your friend needs to bring an emotional support animal (per the description this animal is not a service animal under ADA; a service animal must be trained to perform specific tasks to assist with a disability), they will need to board the animal or stay in a hotel that permits pets.

 

[tinkerpea]

I was also wondering how long the dog would be expected to be crated in a hotel room for?
If the dog is not used to being crated this will cause the animal distress!
Also you could have no idea how long you could be due to crowds on transport etc and ride lines.the dog could be alone for way longer then intended, not ideal or fair at all.
I would get your friend to look into boarding or driving so the dog does not need to travel, which can be stressful if they are not a trained service animal.I hope your friend finds a solution.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

She's wondering if she can leave him alone in the hotel room?
. . . no
. . . WDW rooms are not pet-friendly, except for true Service Animals, of which this is not
. . . by ADA Law, emotional animals are poets, not Service Animals
. . . additionally, the maids will not service the room, as they cannot determine if the pet is vicious/dangerous

Does Disney provide any kind of crate?
. . . no
. . . since pets can't be kept in rooms, crates/pens are not necessary
. . . they do have these at certain rides/attractions for Service Animals while the owner in on the ride

I'm clueless here so any recommendations (even who to call) will be welcome
. . . if you take a pet, board them at the Pet Care Center


NOTE1: If a pet (non-Service-Animal) is found in the room, the hotel has the right to evict you - paid or not paid (FSA 509.141). And, you must vacate immediately, or the Sherriff can come and evict you without further notice. Florida laws, due to the high amount of tourism business, are written to highly favor hotels and motels. Hotels pretty much get any kind of legislation they want. Per The Florida Statutes: A hotel just needs to give a verbal demand to vacate. Or, slide a notice under the door. Then, they can call the sheriff to evict the guest immediately.

NOTE2: I can remember working at SSR, when a guest complained of barking in the next room. We investigated immediately. The guests of the rooms with the barking dog (not an ADA qualified Service Animal) were gone before dinner. Rules-are-Rules.