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Service Dog Rules for Staying in Hotels

There are a number of people that require the assistance of a service dog. These specialized and highly trained canines provide the person with a disability the right most of us take for granted; to freely participate in all of the activities of life without judgment or discrimination.

However, there are still some establishments, like hotels, that are falling behind on the rights of these individuals. If you or someone you know is disabled and requires the aid of a service dog, the following information is important for you to know.

Can Hotels Charge for a Service Dog?

Under the ADA laws, the hotel cannot charge an extra fee for the service animal as they would another client with a pet. This also means you and your dog will be allowed in the public areas of the hotel, as well as having the right to a floor and room that are not normally designated for people traveling with pets.

What to Expect With Hotels and Service Dogs

When traveling with a service animal, according to the ADA, the hotel staff only has the right to ask you two questions;

  • Is your dog a service dog?
  • What task(s) does your service dog provide?

If the task is apparent (seeing eye dog, wheelchair-related) the staff has no right to inquire about either the service dog or your disability. When dealing with ignorant hotel staff members, presenting your service dog certification and identification card can help alleviate tension. Remember, the staff members are only employees and may not be properly trained in dealing with service animals in the hotel.

In addition, the hotel staff still has to act according to the rules of conduct the general public should adhere to concerning a service dog. These include;

  • Not petting the dog
  • Speaking to or teasing the dog
  • No feeding the dog

The staff is also not required to help you perform any of the tasks related to the service dog such as taking it out to relieve itself, feeding, handling etc.

Service dog card registration

Following the Rules of the Hotel 

Under the ADA, persons with a disability do have a number of rights. However, you will still be expected to follow the rules of the hotel as they are set forth for all their visiting clients.

Your service dog must be under your control at all times, whether this is by the means of a leash, hand gestures or voice control, your dog cannot become unruly. In addition, if your service dog were to damage anything in the hotel room, you are still liable for the cost of those damages.

Hotel Stays with Your Service Dog

Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you should be stripped of your rights to stay in a hotel with your service dog. Under the ADA, hotels cannot refuse you and your service canine accommodations and they cannot ask you personal questions about your condition or your dog’s certification. If an improperly trained hotel staff member makes any of these mistakes, don’t hesitate to ask for the manager.

Staying at an AirBNB with Your Service Dog

As AirBNB becomes more popular with travelers, people have asked us if service dogs are allowed in AirBNB rentals. AirBNB hosts in the United States must allow service animals if they are renting out the entire home or apartment to an AirBNB guest. AirBNB’s nondiscrimination policy requires hosts to allow all service animals into their home unless local laws restrict access for service animals. Please research your intentional destination before booking an AirBNB with your service dog.

dog in a home

Service Dogs Defined Under the ADA

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was established in 1990 and was put into place as a way to prevent establishments from discriminating against those people with a physical or mental disability, which also includes any companion they may have along for help and support. However, those “companions” began moving away from humans to the animal world and many people used this policy to treat their exotic pets such as reptiles, ferrets, pigs and parrots as “service animals.”

To stop people from taking advantage of the true nature of the ADA, amendments have been made to their policies. These changes state only dogs would be considered a service animal and on March 15th, 2011 those changes became official.

However, under the ADA definition, even the service dog will be scrutinized. Their policies state the dog must be there to directly help the person with a disability. This means the canine aids in areas such as pulling a wheelchair, guiding the person safely, alerting to seizures or medications and other services that are needed for the person’s health and well-being.

Although, under the ADA policy, they also ask that establishments make reasonable modifications to also allow the use of miniature horses as a service animal, as these are becoming more popular over time.

Service dog registration kit

275 comments

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  1. Shelli says: September 28, 2021

    I happen to work.the front desk of a hotel and thankfully for testing most part people stating they have service animal have been legit. However my roommate had a guest whom he refused to accommodate with their “service animal” due to the fact that one was a 7&1/2 ft boa constrictor and the other a Gila monster(kimono Dragon) When I stopped being speechless and laughing hysterical I really wanted to know if he’d asked what services do the two quite unique choices of service animal do? I’ve been in industry long enough to be lucky enough to enjoy the service animal we have had along with the pets. I do try to ensure that every new front desk agent is fully aware of the laws pertaining to service animal and I don’t know what I’m going to do if ever have a service pony as a guest but I look forward to figuring it out.

    Reply
  2. Dave M Crockwell says: September 25, 2021

    Why is the Hotel/Motel owner NOT allowed to ask for ‘certification’ of the guest’s dog? We have been fooled by several young people who have a ‘Service Dog’ coat on and find out later that the animal is NOT a service animal. Therefore we are being cheated for not charging for the animal AND the repairs necessary to clean up after the animal and guest have left the premises. This is NOT fair to the Hotel/Motel owner. We have always honored our guests with their needs … but to be cheated is not acceptable. What does the ADA have to say about this?

    Reply
    • SDC says: September 26, 2021

      Hotel and motel owners are allowed to verify that someone has a service dog just like other third parties can – you can ask whether they need the service dog because of a disability and what work or task the dog has been trained to perform. The reason hotel and motel owners don’t have the right to ask for a “certification” is because certifications are not necessary to prove that you have a valid service animal.

      Reply
  3. Maggie Myer says: September 12, 2021

    Service dogs are a necessity for the people that need them. These people should not think about the cleanliness of the room. Yes, we wash the linens but…
    Why would they be so rude as to put a little black, dark colored dog on the bed, white duvet and light colored blanket? These people might carry a blanket with them for the dog so as not to soil the bedding so badly that it needs to be discarded?

    It has to be with them at all times???? but they are not!

    Reply
  4. gianna artrip says: June 12, 2021

    I have two dogs that registered and the woodspring suits extended stay in lakeworth is kick me out of the hotel one anxiety and the is for seizures and woodspring suits extended stay 10th Ave n lakeworth fl

    Reply
  5. Gianna artrip says: June 9, 2021

    I have two service dog one for seizures and another is anxiety one register emotional support the other is service dog well the woodspring suits and extended stay in 10 Avenue north is discrimination about my disability telling me leave due barking when it supposed to be pet friendly

    Reply
  6. Kristin says: May 14, 2021

    These websites should be ashamed of themselves! There is no such thing as a service dog certification, certification certificate or card! The service dog would have gone through a process to be a service dog (ex: trained for jobs related to the diagnosed conditions). The only paper a true service dog would have is a prescription from a provider that connects what tasks the dogs does connected to the disability/diagnosis! By law people are not supposed to even ask for that, however I understand the frustrations everyone is expressing with all the Fake service dogs people are shamefully using and not understanding there is a difference between emotional support animal versus service animal.

    Reply
    • Miss Laura says: May 29, 2021

      Sorry but you are mistaken! I was diagnosed 3 years ago as being in the Terminal Stage of my Illness. So I had to get a SDRA Certified Service Dog.
      My Service Dog is trained for 3 of the 10 Actual SDRA Disabilities requiring a Service Dog;
      1) Guide Dog
      2) Mobility Assistance Dog
      3) Seizure alert Dog
      YES people only get a “Service” Dog by Medical Doctors submitting papers of Authorization (request) Which yes people need to know nothing remotely similar as an “Emotional Support” Dogs completely different!
      BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW… With my Service Dog did come…
      1) Actual Legal CERTIFICATE
      2) And an ID CARD with
      A: his picture
      B: his Disability Catagory(s) that he’s trained in to assist my disability(s)
      C: his Identification ID# which allows Law Enforcement to obtain all my Personal Information in case I am unresponsive.
      *So this article was nothing to be stripped of being an informative read for those who are unaware!

      Reply
      • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

        Also, thank you to Miss Laura for clarifying for the first commenter. My service dog also has certification and an I.D. card with her pretty picture on it. She’s great, we’re informed…. And I keep tabs open on ALL of my device listing ALL ADA rules about service dogs, so they are available to me at ALL times, with the obligatory screenshots and e-mails to back it up, for the uniformed. An ADA service dog card is available… It helps when…ACAB.

        Reply
      • Angeline says: June 13, 2021

        I’m sorry but what is the mistaken information? She’s correct in that there’s no governing entity that regulates this. Anyone can get any dog “certified” by simply paying money. It’s a big scam made available by most people not being educated on e matter. You will/can NOT be treated differently based on having an animal or it being certified. Sorry. I understand it must be frustrating to actually need a service animal and be worried about your rights because some people are feigning needing one. You should get in contact with Congress and try to get this changed. Good luck!

        Reply
    • Steve Washer says: June 5, 2021

      You are a good person for defending a man like me that has a real service dog

      Reply
      • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

        Also, a dog serving for, say, PTSD can be both or either/or a service dog, or an emotional support animal. Maybe a multifunctional animal confuses people… But if a person can habe more than one job, so can a dog.

        Reply
    • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

      Actually, service dogs can be trained by their owners, to perform the necessary tasks their owner needs. Your example is wrong, and ignorance at best, which makes your entire diatribe… A “Mutt” point.

      Reply
  7. Bonnie says: May 3, 2021

    I’m a hotel operator and I am tired of people falsely saying that they have a service animal. It’s like every pet owner knows, we can not ask personal questions or as for paperwork. As soon as you ask, what service does the animal provide, the automatic answer is, for “epilepsy”. I’ve had people check in with Pit Bulls, Chihuahuas, German Sheppard. Are all breeds trained to be service animals? Oh wait never mind the fact that I can’t ask for paperwork, I can’t even ask for the breed.

    How can I get past all the phony service animals?

    Reply
    • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

      I’m currently staying at a hotel that’s costing me $150 bucks a night…. Their dog waste station is a strip of gravel 2 feet long and 6 inches wide, littered with broken glass and rusted metal everywhere within a 6 foot radius. Please,complain about the disabled person s service animal a little more. Yes, a Chihuahua, a Pit Bull, and a German shepherd can ALL be service animals. Sounds like you’re a dog hating, ignorant jerk

      Reply
  8. Vicky says: April 30, 2021

    I think the hotel should ask the certificate of the service dog, otherwise how can we know it is service dog,some people don’t look like have any disableabity. People can take advantage of the law bring a pet to the hotel,but tell the hotel staff it is service dog.that were happened many times.

    Reply
    • Troy says: July 3, 2021

      What does a person with a disability look like? What does PTSD look like?

      Reply
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