What to do about a dog in a room...

[CandyMandy]

Yes, the dog may or may not be legit - but the issue isn't just whether it belongs in the villa. If it isn't and gets out, do people potentially want to have to face this in a resort hallway?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Call security and report it. If its a service dog that can be explained.

And no, DVC does not need an area that is pet friendly. Disney has a portion of their resort that is pet friendly - out at the Wilderness campgrounds. DVC is a timeshare. Not a hotel.

Have a spoiled dog myself. And a spoiled cat.

Good answer. I'd go with what crisi says.

 

[MaumeeMom]

Personally I wouldn't call it in, just not my style to tattle on someone else unless that person is posing a danger to other people or being a real annoyance to others (I have called out people smoking where they shouldn't be for example). It's pretty hard to hide a dog, I'm sure they'll be found out soon enough and disney can deal with it.
A bit OT - but I saw they are building a Best Friends pet resort at WDW over by Port Orleans. SUCH a better alternative than the WDW kennels IMHO!

As some have already stated, there are people who are highly allergic to animal dander and if the hotel doesn't know to thoroughly clean the room after the pet has been there, the hair and dander remaining in the carpets, on the bedspread, etc., could trigger a severe allergic reaction. So, yes, having a dog in the room illicitly could pose a danger to others.

I would call the front desk.

 

[dcamdad]

Absolutly call, I did last May while at OKW. On our first mornining our "neighbor" let their purse dog out to do his business right in front of our door. I knew exactly which villa he came from, after he finished his business he was barking at the door to be let back in while his owners were on the deck smoking up a storm. I actually knocked on there door for several minutes before someone answered with cig in hand, when I informed him that pets and his smoking were not allowed in the villas he promptly informed me where I could put my opinion and slammed the door in my face. After a quick call to the front desk a CM and security guard arrived within 5 minutes. Not sure if it was their checkout day but they were no longer our "neighbor" and an outside cleaning firm was in the villa the next day.

 

[toocherie]

I have friends that raise service dogs and I know that they get perturbed when others "cheat" and say their dog is a service animal when it is not.

Report it.

 

[dis-happy]

Many Residence Inns do as well.

The ones that do also charge a $75. additional fee, even for one night.


I'd absolutely report a questionable dog to the front desk.

 

[spiceycat]

I have friends that raise service dogs and I know that they get perturbed when others "cheat" and say their dog is a service animal when it is not.

Report it.

got told that you could teach your own dog - because the service dogs are so expensive.

wonder if I could have gotten Spicey declared a service cat. He would certainly have passed the tests... miss him still. he could and did calm me down like nothing else.

so that depends upon your state - but if it is a service dog then think all states require a license.

 

[NewJerseyDVCMembers]

Send me the room number I'll call it in from home!!!

This just goes to show how many people are willing to just look the other way and decide which rules they are willing to participate in and those they wish to ignore, or feel they are above. It is similar to what is happening in society overall, people pick and chose what laws they need to adhere to and which ones they want to ignore.

The law is the law, the rules are the rules. If their is something about either you don't like than attempt to change it, show up at the annual metings and demand pet accomodations, write letters, do something not just think that you are above everyone else.

If this is a service animal the front desk will most definitely be aware of it and they will appreciate the call.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

hey own at Westgate and was told it was NOT pet friendly.

I also own at Westgate... some are pet friendly (Smoky Mountains, for instance) and others are not (Orlando, for instance). It depends on which resort you visit.

As for the information by another poster that they keep their dogs in their van when they travel to dog shows... in Florida, it is against the law to leave an animal in any vehicle unattended. That would not be an option at WDW, regardless of whether your vehicle had appropriate ventilation and cooling systems. Frankly, I wish that was the law in every state. It always saddens me when I read stories about show dogs who have lost their lives due to overheating in vehicles... there was an awful case of a trainer of Aussies that left many dogs in their kennels in a trailer (unattended) and the cooling system failed. They all succumbed to heat stroke and died. Very tragic... and I cannot imagine the grief and anger felt by the owners who had entrusted their dogs to this trainer's care.

We would never leave our Aussie unattended, but she does travel to WDW with us. When on the road, we stay at LaQuinta, as they are chain-wide pet friendly now. Our Aussie just adores Amy at the kennel and it's easy to drop by and visit for morning and evening walks.

 

[dbs1228]

I had a situation where we offered to pay for a cabin in FT Wilderness for the weekend so our Fla friends could come and enjoy the weekend with us instead of a day. They asked if they could bring their dog, the answer without even giving it a second thought was NO! I did suggest the kennel that was at Ft. Wilderness and they could go see the dog anytime they wanted. They just could not bring themselves to kennel the dog. They thought it was no big deal bringing the dog and just using "do not disturb sign on the door". I would not budge, not the place for animals period. They choose to come for the day, which is their choice and we had a good time.

I have 2 dogs, I cringe at the thought of kenneling them (my issue) so I have found a reliable person that I pay to come to my house several times a day to care for the dogs while we are away.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

I had a situation where we offered to pay for a cabin in FT Wilderness for the weekend so our Fla friends could come and enjoy the weekend with us instead of a day. They asked if they could bring their dog, the answer without even giving it a second thought was NO! I did suggest the kennel that was at Ft. Wilderness and they could go see the dog anytime they wanted. They just could not bring themselves to kennel the dog. They thought it was no big deal bringing the dog and just using "do not disturb sign on the door". I would not budge, not the place for animals period. They choose to come for the day, which is their choice and we had a good time.

There actually are some "pet loops" at Fort Wilderness in the camping section. We've stayed in them before. The catch is that you cannot leave your pets unattended at the campsite, so you would need to take your pet to the kennel for "day care" during the daytime when you will be away from your campsite. It's actually very convenient... the kennel is located right there, between the checkin area and the Trading Post. You just need to make reservations ahead of time for the day care during the dates of your visit. This way, your pet can still stay with you at nighttime and has minimal time away from you.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

got told that you could teach your own dog - because the service dogs are so expensive.

wonder if I could have gotten Spicey declared a service cat. He would certainly have passed the tests... miss him still. he could and did calm me down like nothing else.

so that depends upon your state - but if it is a service dog then think all states require a license.

There is an additional category of assistance animals known as emotional support animals. Many require no specialized training at all. Emotional support animals are allowed on airplanes, for exampe, but are not allowed in housing facilities, including hotels, unless all similar animals are allowed. -- Suzanne

 

[bumbershoot]

The dog didn't have a little jacket on, and I can't imagine a dog that size as a service animal.

Absolutely no law that says service animals have to be identified as such at all. No certification, nothing. And size matters not.

I did indeed report those to the resort, because I doubt a service dog would need to be carried anywhere (even a small one).

In one case, I said something to the offender, and he KNEW he was breaking the rules. Oh, and I said something to him because he didn't pick up after the little guy.

Sounds like the guy wasn't being truthful.

However, there are animals that can alert people to problems about to happen with their conditions, and those animals can be ANY size. There are dogs that can sense blood sugar changes before the person can, and dogs that can sense an oncoming epileptic seizure. In both cases, that can be life-saving, to help the person get to a safe place.

Don't let a dog's size confuse you as to whether they are a service animal or not.

... do people potentially want to have to face this in a resort hallway?

I don't even want to see that face on a message board...

 

[LIFERBABE]

I was under the misconception that "little dogs" were not service animals because I never saw one before. We were at DTD and this lady had a ****z-zu with a service jacket on at the AMC theaters.

We kennel our ****z zu at WDW when we are there 2 weeks over Christmas Holiday. He had a traumatic experience at out kennel at home, so now we take him with us and Best Friends kennel has been awesome!

 

[Chuck S]

When we had dogs, the neighbor looked after them while we were on a trip. Now that we have cats, we board them with the vet.

I would report it, and let the hotel wade through the logistics. If it is a service animal, the people would have no problem stating so, and the hotel would likely already be aware of it.

 

[kent285]

The catch is that you cannot leave your pets unattended at the campsite, so you would need to take your pet to the kennel for "day care" during the daytime when you will be away from your campsite.

Pets can stay in your motorhome during the day, just not a tent or pop-up.

 

[javamom]

Sorry, I'm a meany that would call. Simple fact is that there are some folks that are highly allergic to pet dander. I'm not, but I know that it would annoy me if I checked into a room that caused me a breathing problem.

If the animal is there legitimately, the front desk will/should know.

 

[dbs1228]

There actually are some "pet loops" at Fort Wilderness in the camping section. We've stayed in them before. The catch is that you cannot leave your pets unattended at the campsite, so you would need to take your pet to the kennel for "day care" during the daytime when you will be away from your campsite. It's actually very convenient... the kennel is located right there, between the checkin area and the Trading Post. You just need to make reservations ahead of time for the day care during the dates of your visit. This way, your pet can still stay with you at nighttime and has minimal time away from you.

We were in the CABINS as far as I know the campsites allow pets not the cabins since the cabins are "guest rooms" I was trying to encourage them to put the dog in the kennel, they wanted the dog in the cabin with them. There loss.

 

[DVCconvert]

Interesting Read - kind of blows a hole in the theroy that the "front desk will know".....


Americans with Disabilities Act


ADA Business BRIEF: Service Animals


Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.



Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, taxis and shuttles, grocery and department stores, hospitals and medical offices, theaters, health clubs, parks, and zoos.


Caption: Businesses that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to enter with their service animal.


Businesses may ask if an animal is a service animal or ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform, but cannot require special ID cards for the animal or ask about the person's disability.


People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be charged extra fees, isolated from other patrons, or treated less favorably than other patrons. However, if a business such as a hotel normally charges guests for damage that they cause, a customer with a disability may be charged for damage caused by his or her service animal.


A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the animal is out of control and the animal's owner does not take effective action to control it (for example, a dog that barks repeatedly during a movie) or (2) the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.


In these cases, the business should give the person with the disability the option to obtain goods and services without having the animal on the premises.

Businesses that sell or prepare food must allow service animals in public areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.


A business is not required to provide care or food for a service animal or provide a special location for it to relieve itself.

Allergies and fear of animals are generally not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people with service animals.


Violators of the ADA can be required to pay money damages and penalties.


Caption: Service animals are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities.


If you have additional questions concerning the ADA and service animals, please call the Department's ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) or visit the ADA Business Connection at ada.gov.

 

[smjj]

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