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

[Chuck S]

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

I think what people were saying is that the front desk would likely have been informed, upon arrival of the guest, that they were traveling with a service animal. Most people using service animals just naturally let the hotel know when they check-in.

If the hotel was unaware that there was an animal in the room, the hotel/resort should at least contact the guest and ask if it is indeed a service animal. The guest may not be truthful, but the hotel then would have fulfilled their obligation to the other guests/owners to trying to enforce the no pet policy, and determine if a special cleaning procedure should be followed before the next guest checks into that room.

 

[Chase'n'Ciera]

We stayed at AKV this Feburary and had a "service dog" next to us. Apparently the dog wasnt needed when they went out to 2 in the morning. The dog wasnt happy about it either since it barked the whole time. The front desk said it was a service dog and couldnt get a hold of the owners. You could hear it up and down the hall.. Luckily they left the next day.


Not fun with a 3 and 5 year old

 

[Chuck S]

We stayed at AKV this Feburary and had a "service dog" next to us. Apparently the dog wasnt needed when they went out to 2 in the morning. The dog wasnt happy about it either since it barked the whole time. The front desk said it was a service dog and couldnt get a hold of the owners. You could hear it up and down the hall.. Luckily they left the next day.


Not fun with a 3 and 5 year old

As DVCConvert posted, the resort can (and should) ask if it is a service dog. But once the guest replies that it is a service animal, the resort's hands are tied. This is but one of the ways that the ADA works both for and against those with disabilities. Along without requiring any documentation that a mobility device is needed.

These laws, intended to protect the privacy rights of disabled individuals by not requiring documentation, while seemingly helping the disabled, also open a loophole for those less than honest people that do not want to follow rules. It also adds to general resentment of disabled people by the general public, brought on by those obvious rule breakers.

 

[Dean]

We stayed at AKV this Feburary and had a "service dog" next to us. Apparently the dog wasnt needed when they went out to 2 in the morning. The dog wasnt happy about it either since it barked the whole time. The front desk said it was a service dog and couldnt get a hold of the owners. You could hear it up and down the hall.. Luckily they left the next day.


Not fun with a 3 and 5 year old

It has become somewhat common for people with pets to claim they are service animals, sounds like that's what happened here.

 

[cc1075]

Last year at OKW a family came with a "service puppy" and three children. I have a close friend that raises "service dogs". For two years the host family raises and trains the puppy for service work. Well, this family checked in to our building with the "service puppy". The behavior was suspect...but it all came to a head when they brought the puppy to the pool and took it swimming. Needless to say we did call the front desk. You would never allow a "service dog" to think that swimming in a pubic pool was acceptable behavior. I have always believed this family was just bringing their new puppy to WDW - not a "service puppy". Never, ever have heard of such a thing.

 

[dclfun]

My service dog is always with me, and although I have rights under the ADA, I also have responsibilities to my fellow guests. I *always* let MS know I am travelling with Skye and of course she is seen when I check in. I never know if someone with allergies will check in after me and have a problem if I don't tell. Of course, since I need her with me, she is always with me and never left alone in the room. She does get on the bed- as she assists me there sometimes, but I ask for a sheet to put over the bed coverings and assume that my room will also receive new linens after we have checked out. I would report a dog in the room in a heartbeat- only because I have seen way too many instances of pets being misrepresented as SD's. These are the "service dogs" who are barking, growling, and who lunge at and try to bite my dog, and yes, this has happened in Disney parks. What if such a dog tried to bite a child? Who would be sued? I feel I am trying to protect Disney and my DVC investment by speaking up and as has been mentioned, if it is a service dog, no harm done. I would not be offended if someone reported me as the motive would be one of concern for people and property, not to be "mean". As to a guest lying, there ARE questions that can legally be asked. A dog must be trained to do a task to mitigate a person's disability, AND the person must be disabled as defined by the ADA ( "are you disabled?" can be asked if the disability is not visible). I once saw a woman with two small dogs in Hearing Dog vests. They were not puppies in training and I wondered why she needed two dogs- one for each ear? ( I'm kidding). These dogs went into one of the restrooms with their owner as did I with my SD. The dogs got so excited to see mine that they entangled themselves around this woman's legs, then started barking and leaping. Um....service dogs? I doubt it as SD's must exhibit exemplary behavior. The woman would not make eye contact with me as I feel she knew *I* knew better. I am continually disgusted at people with entitlement mentalities who feel the rules don't apply to them. As this particular problem is seeming to escalate, I foresee major issues in the future for safety of guests and legitimate SD's.---Kathy( and Skye)

 

[franandaj]

Thanks for all the insight...by the time most of these replies had come in I had already gone to bed and I also couldn't honestly remember the room number, my DP convinced me to just let it go. We checked out this morning, but if it ever happens to me again I will definitely head right down to the front desk and report it. I was leaning that way, but needed to hear it from others to know I was right.

It was on the 5th floor somewhere in the 506-510s and one other interesting thing, everyone assumed that I was at WDW! So the person who offered to call the Front Desk for me, you can call up the Grand Californian and let them know if you like.

Thanks for all the input. For the record I have traveled with my cat, who loves traveling and visiting new places, but we always stayed at Pet Friendly hotels, we paid the extra $75 or what ever the fee was, but it was worth it to have our sweet little girl. Now that we have found out her disease is not terminal it's not so crucial to us to bring her along, but it's nice to have a companion in your room! (when it is allowed!)

 

[skelooch]

If in fact this particular animal was a service animal and the front desk was aware of it, I would think from a liabiliy standpoint they would be obligated to provide additional cleaning and advise the next guests at least that the room did have an animal in it.
I'm not allergic to animals but I would request I be given another room, I'm sure others would also.

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

hope i am not barking up the wrong tree, but my wife used to
work @ mt. carmel hospital & they did the training. they were
very strict and did not want others to interact with the dogs or
handlers. [ every morning they take off on their training routes.]

their dedication was awesome.

anyhoo, sure hate to have the same room after those who broke
this rule. what if there's an out break of fleas? was this @ blt?
[ could explained why the rooms are looking so worn & "chewed"
up. he,he, haw. anyhoo,

i have no idea how disney deals with this type of situation, but
i would think there should be a heavy fine , due to the medical
implications alone. [ especially the next family have an infant or
young children. or even allergies that can cause respiratory distress.]

does anyone knows for sure?


as for dogs, our like members of the family . currently, we
have 2 brussel garfons , one silkie, & one jack russell. we lost our
shelitie due to old age. but we would never think sneaking them
to disney. except..maybe if we had this breed,



& not to pick a bone but does anyone else thinks nj~dvc~members
"signature pic", has a dad that has the "disney_look" down pat?
almost good enough for a hidden the closest we
ever gotten..we named 2 of our dogs mickey & minnie. does that
count?

psst, @ the hospital i work, there's a lady who grandparents were
close friends with walt & they vacationed together. very interested
stories, in~deeds!

 

[melk]

I've never encountered a dog at a Disney resort, service or otherwise. However at one stay at VWL I noticed that one of the bathroom doors at the bottom corner was all scratched and gnawed, like an animal had been put in there and had tried to get out.

 

[dianeschlicht]

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.

Don't worry, we do NOT travel with dogs left in our van over the hot summer months. IF you read carefully, you would have seen that I qualified that statement with a nod to weather. I would NEVER do dog shows in a place like Florida in summer....WAY TOO HOT!

 

[LaurenT]

Not all service animals wear jackets. There are very small dogs that can sense an oncoming seizure and get the owner to a safe place...
But, even if I knew it wasn't a service animal (and there is absolutely no way you could know outside of the owner telling you so), I'd keep it to myself. Dogs sit quietly at the feet of their owners in restaurants in Paris...crying babies however are looked at with scorn..what parent would bring a crying baby into a restaurant?
If the dog were obviously doing something sestructive or dangerous, I would feel I had to say something - but otherwise I wouldn't tell a soul!

 

[dianeschlicht]

My service dog is always with me, and although I have rights under the ADA, I also have responsibilities to my fellow guests. I *always* let MS know I am travelling with Skye and of course she is seen when I check in. I never know if someone with allergies will check in after me and have a problem if I don't tell. Of course, since I need her with me, she is always with me and never left alone in the room. She does get on the bed- as she assists me there sometimes, but I ask for a sheet to put over the bed coverings and assume that my room will also receive new linens after we have checked out. I would report a dog in the room in a heartbeat- only because I have seen way too many instances of pets being misrepresented as SD's. These are the "service dogs" who are barking, growling, and who lunge at and try to bite my dog, and yes, this has happened in Disney parks. What if such a dog tried to bite a child? Who would be sued? I feel I am trying to protect Disney and my DVC investment by speaking up and as has been mentioned, if it is a service dog, no harm done. I would not be offended if someone reported me as the motive would be one of concern for people and property, not to be "mean". As to a guest lying, there ARE questions that can legally be asked. A dog must be trained to do a task to mitigate a person's disability, AND the person must be disabled as defined by the ADA ( "are you disabled?" can be asked if the disability is not visible). I once saw a woman with two small dogs in Hearing Dog vests. They were not puppies in training and I wondered why she needed two dogs- one for each ear? ( I'm kidding). These dogs went into one of the restrooms with their owner as did I with my SD. The dogs got so excited to see mine that they entangled themselves around this woman's legs, then started barking and leaping. Um....service dogs? I doubt it as SD's must exhibit exemplary behavior. The woman would not make eye contact with me as I feel she knew *I* knew better. I am continually disgusted at people with entitlement mentalities who feel the rules don't apply to them. As this particular problem is seeming to escalate, I foresee major issues in the future for safety of guests and legitimate SD's.---Kathy( and Skye)

Excellent post! I do understand that not all service dogs wear identification jackets, but for my mind, I think it would be advantageous for them to do so at all times. I have Airedales, and they are not usually thought of as service animals, but we have one in our area who is a service dog for a young woman who has narcolepsy. He wears a jacket all the time in public, and he also carries her meds and supplies for her. He MUST be with her in a hotel, because she can't wake up without him. He is even required to be in her vehicle if she drives. She is not allowed to drive without him there.

I relay this story only to point out that while some service dogs have different tasks that might not be obvious, it is always a good idea for them to wear their service jackets when in public. It helps others to know that this is a dog at work, and as such, should not be treated like a pet.

OH, and a pox on those who "pretend" to have "service" dogs who are nothing more than spoiled pets.

 

[dzorn]

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.

I do not think that is correct.

Denise in MI

 

[nunzia]

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.

I'm glad you posted this..although, like everything else, the majority of animals that are called service animals usually are, there are, as always, those that abuse the law. My DH is a Vet tech..vets pretty much feel forced to classify animals as service animals when their owners insist..Like anything else, no one wants to get sued because they didn't judge a service animal as legitimate. There is a lady in our town who has a 'service bird' that goes everywhere with her perched on her shoulder. Naturally poop occurs, and heaven forbid you lokk the bird in the eye as he will fluff and bat his wings and terrify children..BUT...the woman will loudly declare that no one can do 'nothin' because the bird is a 'service animal'.
Again..there are always those who think that whatever they want must be OK..becasue yes, they are the cneter of the universe. And again..99.9% are legit and cherished and useful, but there are always those .1 % out there.

 

[daisygirl902]

I love animals but would report this in a heartbeat - as the PP have said, if it's a service dog then GREAT - I have no problem with that...but many of us pay good money to have our animals boarded while we travel - and I do NOT want to pay inflated dues because rooms need to be refurbed due to pet odors/allergies/damage for pet owners who are simply selfish and want their pets to be with them on their DVC vacations...Just my 2 cents!

 

[keishashadow]

if owner of (non service animal) can't bear to leave pet @ home or in a kennel, then they have the choice to select accommodations that welcome 'pets'. (A great alternative in Orlando is Loews, who welcomes & pampers pets in special section of their hotels;)). If they sneak in an animal because they feel entitled (their fur-baby is special, etc.) then they should slapped with cleaning fee and banned from the property imo. Too many people with allergies, not fair to make them suffer as they would without a deep cleaning of the unit imo.

 

[fishermouse]

If you knew that someone had a dog in one of the rooms (ie you saw it while walking by the room), what would you do?

Service dogs come in many sizes and for many reason, many organizations are using dogs rescued from pounds. Great news for us dog lovers. The black lab leading a blind person around is no longer the majority. Not to affend anyone but I would mind my own bussiness unless the dog was causing a problem, tell tale sign it is not a service dog. Lives can be saved by a small dog that can detect a siezure or other ailement, they alert deaf people when someone comes to the door or God forbid a fire alarm sounds. Just because no one informed you of thier situation does mean they are breaking the rules. Glad I'm not neighbors with a lot of the responders, house keeping will alert Managment if there are any problems.

 

[lagunn]

I love animals but would report this in a heartbeat - as the PP have said, if it's a service dog then GREAT - I have no problem with that...but many of us pay good money to have our animals boarded while we travel - and I do NOT want to pay inflated dues because rooms need to be refurbed due to pet odors/allergies/damage for pet owners who are simply selfish and want their pets to be with them on their DVC vacations...Just my 2 cents!

I agree...

 

[Snurk71]

If we learned nothing else from High School Musical, we should have taken away that "We're all in this together" - we're all owners paying for the place. So the issue/question shouldn't be whether service dogs wear jackets or come in all shapes and sizes. The main point is that as a general rule animals aren't allowed, and we'll all end up paying for potential/possible damage caused by a rule breaker. If it's a service animal - there's no rule breaking. But as owners I think we all owe it to each other to report potential damaging behavior.

What's the worst thing that can happen - the front desk says there is a service animal on register?