Service Dog Rules for Staying in Hotels
Service dogs have hotel rights as part of the public access rights given to service dogs and their handlers under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means they cannot be treated as pets and can accompany their handlers at no additional cost. Unfortunately, hotel staff members are sometimes unaware of these rights and don’t know how to treat a guest with a service dog. The following information is an overview of the main points to know about service dogs and hotels.
Can hotels charge for a service dog?
No. Under the ADA, hotels cannot charge an extra fee for a service dog as they would a guest with a pet. Your service dog is also allowed in areas like the pool area, gym, and restaurants without charge. The hotel also cannot charge an additional deposit at check-in just because you have a service dog. Cleaning fees due to the service dog are also not allowed unless the dog causes a mess or property damage beyond normal wear and tear (normally shedding, for example, is fine).
What verification questions are hotels allowed to ask about service dogs?
Hotel staff are allowed to ask a guest with a service dog two verification questions under the ADA:
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
If the task is apparent (seeing-eye dog, wheelchair-related), the staff has no right to inquire about the service dog or your disability. When dealing with hotel staff members, presenting your service dog certification and identification card can help alleviate tension. Keep in mind, however, that under the ADA, hotel staff cannot insist on seeing documents as a condition of entry. If the hotel staff asks for things beyond the two questions, try to stay calm and remember that the staff members are only employees and might not be properly trained to deal with service animals in the hotel.
If the hotel staff continues to insist on seeing documents or ask prohibited questions, try pointing them directly to the ADA’s FAQ document, which clearly states what is allowed when verifying a service dog. You can try saying the following:
- “Under the ADA, you can’t ask for a certificate, ID card, or proof of registration. Here is a copy of their rules.”
- “I have a service dog, and you’re permitted to ask me only two questions: 1. Is my dog a service dog required for a disability? and 2. What work or task has my dog been trained to perform? I can refuse to answer any other questions.”
- “I have answered the two questions allowed under the ADA, and you are not permitted to ask further questions or ask me for documents. If you cannot accommodate my service dog, I’d like to see a supervisor or someone who manages ADA accommodations for your facility.”
Share this image on your site
In addition, the hotel staff still has to act according to the rules of conduct the general public should follow concerning a service dog. These include:
- No petting the dog
- No speaking to, teasing, or distracting the dog
- No feeding the dog or interfering with its work
Keep in mind that staff is not required to help you perform any tasks related to the service dog, such as taking it out to relieve itself, feeding it, handling it, etc.
Following the Rules of the Hotel
Under the ADA, persons with disabilities in hotels have the right to bring a service dog into the room and common areas without being charged additional pet fees. However, you will still be expected to follow other hotel rules that pertain to guests and animals.
Here are some general hotel rules to follow:
- Your service dog must be under your control at all times, whether this is by means of a leash, hand gestures, or voice control
- Your dog cannot disturb other guests
- Your service dog cannot cause a continual noise disturbance
- If your service dog damages anything in the hotel room, you are still responsible for the cost of those damages
Staying at an Airbnb With Your Service Dog
You can stay at an Airbnb with your service dog free of charge, even at properties that are listed as not allowed to have pets. Airbnb hosts in the United States must allow service animals if they rent out the entire home or apartment to an Airbnb guest. It’s a good idea to let your host know ahead of time that you will be bringing a service dog with you so that there are no misunderstandings when you check-in.
Hotel Violations of ADA Service Dog Rules
Hotels, motels, and AirBNBs that don’t comply with ADA rules can face legal repercussions, including lawsuits and fines. In one case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reached a settlement with the Comfort Inn in Guilford, Connecticut, to address violations of the ADA after an individual with disabilities filed a complaint about being denied accommodation due to his service animal. As part of the settlement, the hotel implemented a new policy that prohibited staff from requiring documentation for service animals and improved accessibility features, including designated accessible parking and modifications to guest rooms. Additionally, the Comfort Inn trained its staff on these new policies and ensured that service animals were permitted in all areas of the hotel accessible to guests.
In two other cases, the Justice Department announced settlement agreements to protect veterans with service dogs under the ADA. The agreements, with Deerfield Inn & Suites in Alabama and the Landmark Hotel Group in Virginia, require these businesses to adopt service dog policies and provide training to ensure equal access for veterans. Both hotels had previously refused service to veterans with service dogs, leading to these settlements, which also included compensation for the veterans involved.
These cases demonstrate how important it is for hotel operators to understand their obligations under the ADA when it comes to service dog owners. Mistreating a service dog handler can lead to costly fines and legal proceedings. Are you looking for a dog-friendly hotel? Check out our guide on the most dog-friendly hotel chains.
Order your Service Dog ID
Service Dog ID Card
$39
Distinguish your Service Dog from a Pet
Many hotels have policies against pets, but service dogs are not pets. An ID can help distinguish your service dog from a pet, ensuring you get access to your room and other hotel facilities without hassle.
Under the ADA, hotels can’t require documentation for service dogs, but having an ID card can simplify interactions with hotel staff who may not be familiar with service dog laws.
Remember, while ID cards, certificates and other documents can be helpful, they do not convey any rights under the ADA.
There was a problem with your submission. Please review the fields above.
About the Author: The writing team at Service Dog Certifications is made up of folks who really know their stuff when it comes to disability laws and assistance animals. Many of our writers and editors have service dogs themselves and share insights from their own experiences. All of us have a passion for disability rights and animals.
400 comments
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Latest Posts
Dangerous Materials Hiding in Your Dog Products
Jake’s German Shepherd began developing strange rashes around his collar. Three vet visits later, they figured out the leather was treated with chromium — a chemical that irritates sensitive skin. Jake had no idea his dog’s collar contained industrial chemicals. Most dog owners don’t know what goes into the products they buy. Many companies use […]
Read More
Can You Bring a Service Dog to a Basketball Game?
Yes, you absolutely can bring your service dog to basketball games. Whether you’re heading to your local high school tournament, a packed college rivalry game, or splurging on NBA tickets, the Americans with Disabilities Act protects your right to be accompanied by your service dog anywhere the public can go. When you arrive, venue employees […]
Read More
Best Pet Health Insurance Providers
If you own a pet, you know how important — and expensive — vet care can be. One way to offset those costs is to purchase pet health insurance. Like typical health insurance, pet insurance is available at many price points, and can cover all, most, or only some of your vet-related costs. It can […]
Read More
I think businesses like hotels, restaurants, Etc. should be allowed to ask owners who claim to have ada service animals for their animal identification card. If not why give them one in the first place. If you’re not allowed to ask for any animal identification card by law. What’s to stop someone from claiming their animal is a service dog when it really isn’t.
I work for a hotel and get customers and all the time claiming to have service animals. Since I can’t ask for there i.d. without threats of being sued. There’s no real way of knowing if the dog this is legit or not. I’m sure only about 5% of Our Guest who claimed they have service animals are really real ada service animals. I mean I understand that you shouldn’t be allowed to ask for medical paperwork or having the dog perform a task to show that it is one. I was told by a guest that her service animal have the same rights as a human. And if that is true. it’s not illegal to ask a human for their identification when they are purchasing cigarettes, alcohol for operating a vehicle to verify who they say they are. If we didn’t have identification cards that had to be shown anyone cuz they there anybody or any age.
My husband has a service dog, but I agree there needs to be a way for businesses to ask for proof. We have a certificate and a photo ID for our diabetic alert dog and would not be offended if we were asked to show proof. I’ve seen too many fake service animals cause chaos and injury.
I have two certified service dogs and one in training was charged for each of my service dogs in order for them to be in the room with me.the hotel is called AMERICA BEST VALUE INN. IN LIBERAL KANSAS. HE EVEN ACCUSED ME OF FRAUD IN MY MED STATIS. ONE IS TRAINED FOR CESURES AND OTHER IS TRAINED FOR MY HEARING LOSS. I FEEL HE NEEDS A VISIT BY THE ADA AND PROPERLY EDUCATED. MY HEARING IMPARED DOG IS 20 YEARS OLD AND THATS WHY I HAVE NEW ONE IN TRAINING.
That’s a lie, Melissa. You have not “seen too many fake service animals cause chaos and injury”. In fact, I would go as far as to say you’ve never even witnessed ONE incident like you claim. You are simply one of those people that don’t want to see others allotted the same privileges as you and your husband.
Jess, I guess your one of those people who claims to have a service pet instead of going through the legal steps. May I add that having a service pet is not a privilege, its necessary and detrimental to someone living with a disability to live a normal lifestyle. It’s that kind of ignorance and people like you taking advantage of the system, that make it harder for the people who do require a service pet. If you have a disability and need a service pet you are allotted the SAME privileges, but you obviously do not.
Yes I have seen “service” pets growl, nip, bark, and jump up on people and other pets. These are not service animals, but travel companions and as such are not trained or certified.
I agree to the fact that, businesses particularly hotels should allow service animals . The problem is many animal owners will simply say my dog is a service animal. How does anybody know that unless you provide a certificate or registration. It seems like asking a documentation is a problem actually it should be solution, just show the papers and both parties are happy.
Now miniature horses are designated service animals how do we accommodate in the hotel ..dont know!
She is not lying people who claim to have a service dog that is really not one the dogs them self are crazy barking jumping up on people biting other dogs…a dog that has been trained does not do those things…so they need to change the laws so people have to show proof that the dog is trained…point blank
Well Jess you should have been at the hotel where I’m the Security Manager. A woman checking in claimed she had two (2) “service dogs” and that she had registration cards on each. We were forced to accept her despite observing that one of the dogs was highly aggressive and neither dog would obey any commands given by the owner. During her stay we noticed that the woman frequently left her room for extended periods of time without taking either “service dog” with her. Makes you wonder exactly what disability she had that only required periodic assistance. Three days later the woman with her “service dogs” had left her door ajar. As another guest passed the room the larger dog (a German Shepard) lunged from the room and attacked the guest. An ambulance needed to be called to transport the guest to the hospital for treatment of the bites. During this incident we made an observation of the condition inside the “service dog” room. The floor was covered in dog feces. The sheriff’s deputy who responded to the incident said the “registration certificate” for these dogs appeared to have been self-made by the guest. Because the guest had paid cash (and we are also prohibited from requiring a damage deposit for these animals) and she fled shortly after the deputy departed, we were unable to collect for the damages. The guest who was bitten stated she would be suing the dog owner and I wish her luck. I’m all for the legitimate use of trained and registered service dogs but hotels need to have some verifiable proof that the animals are in fact trained and registered. I also agree that making an extra charge for a service dog is not warranted, however the law also prevents us from requiring a refundable damage deposit. My suggestion is to amend the ADA laws to provide a recognized agency as the sole issuer of registrations/certifications and that those documents include a photo of both the dog(s) and owner. Too many people who want to travel with their pets are wise to claiming them as “service animals” and the law prohibits hotels from even asking for proof. We had a guest who had adopted a “retired service dog”, and claimed the exception. This guest had no physical disability, by her own freely given admission, but felt entitled to bring the dog with her because she had a copy of the dog’s certification. We have had so many problems with guest pets that we instituted a ‘no-pet’ policy about a year ago, but we are continually forced to accept “service dogs” simply because the dog owner claims it to be one.
Whole heartedly agree. As a hotel owner myself 95% of all our guests who claim to have a service animal – you NEVER see the animal with their person. The person is at the pool, at breakfast – no service animal??? And when people claim to have 2 service animals – we know that is a lie. We ask our guests for ID, why would there not be ID for service animals.
Jess , can i show you what a ‘service dog’ has done to one of my rooms///literally trashed it!! I refuse to take any service dog…. unless the owner pays a $250 cash deposit and rooms allocated for dogs is vacant… I will NOT entertain a dog in any room as there are children with allergies that also have rights and it cost me $200 to decontaminate a room after a dog has been in there…!
Lol. Silly goose. It’s gonna cost you more than $200 when you get slapped with a discrimination lawsuit…
I’m a General Manager of a hotel and we had a service dog attack a 2 year old child in the lobby of the hotel. This attack required an extensive hospital stay and surgery. We try to accommodate all service animals. However there needs to be identification we can ask for.
I’m asked so often about my service dog and if I train them or did I go about getting one, because my dog is so well trained
The truth is .. I trained him myself, I had no formal training or classes . He is registered not to show people who ask but for his protection ! By that I mean if someone gets aggressive with me over lf he a real service dog or not I can simply just show them and not increase my chance of setting off my disability. It’s their ignorance not mine. It’s my responsibility to educate though it just works for everyone.
Thank You.
The main problem here is that these people don’t know what an ESA is or provide for any, why do they choose travel and careers that expose them to FEDERAL ESA LAW COMPLIANCE THEN?? I would say they’d do better working in a correctional facility or a lockdown mental hospital where animals are never allowed instead of a hotel where their suspicious nature and tendency to not believe others will serve them instead of be a detriment. They belong on THE OTHER SIDE of the ‘hospitality and services’ industry let’s put it that way.
I have three conditions, one of them is diplopia with migraines presenting insomnia and anxiety which causes me to have double or triple vision or vertigo. Hotels all have undercover security who treat us like criminals and it doesn’t help those of us with pain, anxiety and vision issues to go on a hunt for our paperwork to please the ‘I know she or he is lying’ types. Truth is my dogs are trained to bring me things, help keep me alert, help me find things or remember, and aid me when I see triple vision during a migraine or vertigo. Since it comes and goes, I cannot just pick and choose when and where to have my dogs, and I also prefer to be chaperoned by a human most of the time for this reason as well. It is upsetting when my dogs pick up on someone who talks about them as they know they have a duty and a right to be here and also to keep me protected. Its unbelievable how many people think my ESA is supposed to behave like a group therapy dog. That is NOT the case, I have social anxiety and OCD and yes, they are trained to keep overly interested people away as they can feel my fear and anxiety and will alert if I don’t want an interaction. Too many people literally go out of their way even during the COVID 19 pandemic to violate social distancing and come try to meet me and my dogs. Just leave us all be! Yes they have ID, and if I have to show it you’re going to get a nice hefty fine. I can’t always find their ESA tags and papers on your time. I will also mention if I can afford to stay at the Hilton why would I want to go to disgusting Motel 6?
well this or training for employees i have a good friend that trains service dogs also i know how to identify one many people don’t know that only two types of animals can be service animals that is a dog of mini horse i also work for a hotel and people come in all the time Trying to say they have a service cat there is no such thing you can have a esa cat but not service and esa is not under the same rights as service also if the dog or mini horse is actually a service animal then your going to be able to tell if the animal walks in calm that is a good sign if the animal nis upset and barking or shaking prob not a service animal service animals go through very extensive training in the field theses are just a few tips
We checked into a hotel today where we had made reservations , and we informed the hotel staff that I had a registered, certified service day, and we offered to show them his full portfolio of certification papers. I also have attached to my handbag a copy of his certification with both his picture and mine on it, which I showed to them. They insisted that we would have to stay in one of their “pet friendly” rooms, instead of one of the inside corridor rooms that I had requested. The inside corridor rooms are much quieter, and since my service dog is very protective of me, he does not get agitated by the outdoor noise that comes from the pet-friendly rooms.
Legally, can hotels force service dog owners to stay in their “pet-friendly” rooms, or can we stay in regular rooms the same as other guests?
P.S. My diabetic service dog is a five pound, four oz. toy poodle, who is completely outdoor trained.
No, they are supposed to accommodate you the same way that they would anyone else that doesn’t have any pets. I would report them to the ADA and complain to their management because they shouldn’t have done that especially since you requested otherwise.
There is neither registration of service animals nor certification of service animals and certainly a badge with pictures on it that will identify you dog as a service animal. You can make them up for your own good but they are just that in case the dog is lost they have your name and address period. All of what you are talking about can be downloaded from the internet and is fake. A real service dog can stay in any room that the hotel has not just pet friendly rooms. Being diabetic is such a hard thing and yes a service dog and recognize low blood sugars. Please be informed that your identification is fake and someone charged you and they are a fraud. If you want identification that you want to show however you do not have to you can get your doctor to draft a letter on their stationery telling what you problem is and the medical code for it. Have them give the DEA number and also their phone number and you can encourage anyone that thinks you have a fake dog to call them. People do get fake letters off the internet however how many people would say its ok to call their doctors number that is on their stationery. Best of luck to you and please get rid of those fake papers and get a real letter. I know that you were just misinformed
I have and my family has allergies. So why do you think it’s ok for me to get sick if your dog has been in a room. The article says dogs are allowed in rooms not designed for people traveling with pets. How is that fair for young children and people like me ????
These are the comments that are upsetting to individuals who have service animals. What if I’m allergic to grass and there is grass outside of the hotel and someone brings it in on their shoes prior to my arrival?
Why is it fair for a 19 or 20 year old kid to get PTSD or PTAD? I was diagnosed with PTSD at 20 years old for things witnessed and done in a hot zone. I have lived the last 16 years in a borderline panic. Yes, I agree, before you say it, that I volunteered to be a soldier. Furthermore I agree that I chose the job I chose. But I didn’t choose to see what I saw. I didn’t agree to be told, no, ordered, keep ak’s, det cord, and old cell phones in my truck, so that justification could be proven when there was none. I didn’t choose that. And quite frankly sir, you have just shown how the uneducated group of people are. Your allergies trump my safety? Trump the safety of people in whatever hotel I choose to stay in? Have you ever been in a situation where you thought an innocent person was trying to kill you? Just because of the way they speak? I think my afflictions trump you and your sons. Because your allergies won’t trigger an episode that puts others in harms way. Look. If the hotel staff were doing their jobs right, there would be no issue as the rooms are supposed to be sterilized after each guest leaves. If your poor self has a runny nose? Take it up with staff. Not the one that has a life altering condition. You sir, are absolutely ignorant.
Sir, with all due respect… you should educate yourself on the affects of allergies. They can cause severe asthma attacks, lead to respiratory infections & respiratory distress which can all lead to fatalities. There are people with lung disease & comprised immune systems also who can be affected by animal dander / hair.
All lives, yours & ours… are important!
Yes, PTSD is real & it’s a sad, terrible thing & has led to the loss of many lives but the same goes for Respiratory issues.
God bless you & Thank you for your service🇺🇸.
Not trying to be uncaring or disrespectful, but hotels SHOULD clean the room & change the sheets AFTER a person checks out. With this in mind, how would you even know if a service dog had been in the room? As far as being near the animal when in another area that is open to the public, why can’t you(or whoever has the allergy to the dog) move away from it? I understand you don’t want you or your family to be sick because of an animal, but why should a person who NEEDS the service animal not have the same rights as anyone else? If you or someone in your family NEEDED a service animal, would you want them to be treated differently?
Fortunately we live in the USA where people have rights. Many have died for the rights of others. If you visit any place outside of your house you “might” come into contact where a dog has been. All hotels should follow strict infection control policies. The hotel room should be cleaned throughly with proper disinfectants. Everyone in life faces challenges in one way or another. Just ensure you stay at a quality hotel where environmental procedures are followed. We can all live as one in this big world.
There are many breeds of dogs that have hair, not fur..
Its the dander of the animal that most allergies are from. Fur only grows so long. Dogs with hair dont shed, dont have DANDER, that’s why people call them hypoallergenic.
John, if hotel staff are vacuuming, changing linens, and disinfecting surfaces as they should under the requirements of law, there should be no issue. Furthermore, it is impossible to ensure that any place is completely free of allergens. That is when your responsibility comes in. Obviously, if you have allergies, you take preventive measures to lessen the affect of the things you are allergic to. If one restaurant patron had an egg allergy, do you think they would rid the entire restaurant of eggs for one persons sake? No. They wouldn’t.
You are wrong…. Dander gets Everywhere!!! Deep into the couch cushions, into the mattress & pillows & carpet padding! I can tell within minutes if a dog or cat has been in room. No matter how clean it looks!
My daughter just last night was kicked out of her hotel room at 230 a.m. when she came in from a pet potty break. She has severe social anxiety; so when she was forced to leave she was in a full blown attack. She will cowl to confrontation. No refund no nothing. She was forced to “sleep” in her vehicle. I felt helpless.
Exactly…. your health matters as much as someone else.
As a public bus driver we are trained in these matters greatly. They hammer it home that we are allowed to only ask if the animal is a service pet, and what tasks it is trained to perform IF there is still a question. Animals do not need special markings, harnesses, or identification. You have to allow them access to anywhere the public has access to even if someone, including myself, has an allergy. By virtue of that you can’t corral them into a ‘pet friendly’ room if they don’t want to be in one (space permitting of course), or in my case make them sit in the front of the bus where it is wider.
thats what the cleanings are for at the end of every stay
You’d be surprised at how many motels, especially cheaper ones (more affordable for someone on disability), skimp on cleanings. Just look at reviews for them all across the country. There’s even been news crews doing secret checking on this. I’ve been in rooms that were so dirty upon my check-in, there’s no way it was cleaned. At all.
Come on Eric. People’s airways don’t close up from pet hair allergies, the dander is an irritant, not life threatening. Maybe the hotel isn’t laundering the linens and vacuuming/cleaning properly between guests if you’ve had something this extreme happen to you? The fact that you’ve said the word “mutt” so many times in your response leads me to believe that you don’t like or respect animals, and you’re one of those people that loves to make a big issue about things that are none of your business (along with the fact you need to expand your vocabulary words when hate writing). Maybe you had a bad experience with a dog and you’re subsequently afraid of them? No one is dying from dog dander, get real. You should go find a feed for people that don’t understand why other people own animals and comment there? People were writing here to gain relevant information about service and support animals being allowed in hotels, not to read your ignorant comments and small minded point of view. You don’t want to ride in an elevator with my dog unless I’ve paid the hotel, but you’re worried about life threatening allergic reactions..? Lol
John I know that it is not fair as you have a ligit medical allergy but the ADA is the law and what they say goes. I have a service dog and yes can and will be allowed to stay in any room that the hotel has. What about people like me that have a bad reaction to candles, smoke, lights, smells, perfume etc. No I do not nor should I never ask for special consideration because of it nor would my husband who has a severe allergy to bees that could be anywhere including in a room. It is the law that says that we can not be discriminated against. Maybe draft a letter asking for legislation to cover your families allergies. I feel for you
Why don’t you stay home then since you know hotels will all have dog hair?
This article is a bit aggressive to refer to us hoteliers as IGNORANT. We know the laws and enforce it.
Major hoteliers who have a reputation for dander free hotels should be exempt from this rule.
If my guest requires an allergen free room and there are pets on the premises then what have I achieved?
Exactly, John. Just as people with PTSD, blindness, and other conditions need to be accommodated, people with asthma and allergies also need to be accommodated. The ADA says that people with asthma and allergies, even if they aren’t considered disabled, can actually be considered to have those as a disability as it related to entering a bus or a building where they can be exposed to something that will set them off. The only answer I can see is have half rooms where no pets are ever allowed and half rooms where pets can be allowed. If someone wants to rent a room with a service animal, and all the pet rooms are in use, then maybe just tell them you have no rooms available, and then they just will have to look somewhere else.
I still say that is discrimination. Believe me we know when you give us the dirty room meant for the ‘disabled’ animal handling folk.
Then my advice is to get out of the hotel business, as there are many industries such as running a halfway house that would suit your type.
I work at a hotel where we accept dogs and dogs alone. We LOVE our guests dogs and we respect service dogs enough to not distract them when they stay. We currently have a guest who has a “service” dog who is in the room alone all day long (he is very well behaved, has the service dog vest, but he has very little manners around people…he goes people crazy, and he likes to “destroy” the room when the owner is not there… which is often. We can not question the validity of his service dog status, and once they leave we will have to eat the cost of any damages by this service dog.
As I mentioned we allow dogs, specifically no cats. Owner’s preference. We informed a guest of this policy and they told front desk that it was “illegal to deny her emotional support cat”. That she had since decided to stay at our hotel long term (a few months) making it illegal under FHA for us to deny her ESA cat. FD told her that she, her husband, and their service dog (uh huh) were welcome to stay but that our policy stated no cats and that ESA animals were NOT protected by ADA. We recently received a letter from the FHA accusing us of denying her reasonable accommodations due to a disability.
This has gotten out of control. My staff are very much aware of the ADA laws, and are expected to follow our owners pet policies or risk the possibility of losing their job. This person is the perfect example of why hoteliers may not trust someone claiming to have a service dog. This is not fair to anyone who needs their service dog, as they shouldn’t feel the need to “prove” anything to anyone. There is an obvious difference between someone who is trying to pull off a fast one and an actual service dog, and we notice…. we just aren’t legally allowed to say anything.
We need to educate people on the difference between ESA and Service Dogs while at the same time educate people that hotels CAN turn away ESA animals without penalty or fear of being sued. I have a cat, I LOVE my cat, I would never try and bully someone into breaking a policy by stating he was ESA (though I could buy all the certifications needed online).
Rant over. Service dogs and their people are MORE than welcome at my hotel. I will ooh and ahh at how cute your puppy (they are all puppies, I don’t care how old they are) is from a safe distance so I am not a distraction. We will treat not only you, but your dog with respect. Changes need to be made to make policies and laws balance out for both hoteliers and those who travel with an actual service dog.
I think your hotel guest was confused by the laws. If it were a long-term, residential style hotel, then, legally they do have to be accommodated. However, temporary stays do not qualify that way. I have had an emotional support cat with a letter from my psychiatrist for the past 10 years and they educated me about the federal housing laws where, for permanent, and or long term (30 days or more) housing, an Emotional Support Animal is considered a reasonable accommodation that they must accommodate, even if your specific animal is one they do not normally allow. This is because they are not considered a pet, but an emotional service animal, with specific rights. I have never had problems with it, once I show the manager the letter. The letter even has a phone number on it they can ask questions of to my psychiatrist, if needed, such as if the letter is legit to that person, etc. Perhaps you could clarify the difference next time a person tries to stay only temporarily in your hotel, that temporary guests just do not have that same right, although in the future, maybe that could change.
You sound absolutely miserable, and I urge you, I just urge you to switch into another industry where ESA or service animals won’t be nearly as prevalent. It sounds like your work is severely affecting your mental health, for our sake and yours, for the love of all that is Good resign please!
Really naive and ignorant comment. Hope you speak dog so you can ask the dog for id. Sad also for the hotel that hired you either because they did not gave proper training or because you did not pay attention.
There is no official animal identification card. Legitimate service animals may not have one……
Do you know if a service animal is allowed to be left alone in a motel room while they go to work? I am confused about the whole issue of a service animal. I manage a small motel and was told its illegal for me to deny them to be left alone in the room. Pets are not allowed to be left unattended in a room, so i don’t know why a service animal should? I have tried to find the answer to this, but have not.
You really showed your ignorance and the reason why they don’t let hotel staff question people on their disabilities. Since your positive only 5% of your guests truly have service animals. And where did you get your qualifications from. I truly love when hotel, store, and other service clerks put on a show and act like they own the business or are going to get some life changing bonus for humiliating the consumer. As the Rock says your role know it your mouth shut it.
We don’t want to be the asshole and humiliate a disabled guest. We do not want conflict. We do not want to deal with the fallout of your mutt sending our guests to the hospital because they have an allergy attack. There in fact should be a proper way to determine whether or not a guest has a legitimate service animal. Those service vests can be bought anywhere online and a lot of people by them so they can use it as validation.
There is literally no reason not to have legitimate id’s for service animals. So what if you feel ashamed for presenting the Id for whatever reason. Go to a pet friendly hotel if you are to embarrassed by the thought (for whatever reason) you need a service animal.
If you are not obviously blind; deaf; mute or paralyzed, we should be able to ask for identification just like an officer has the right to ask for an driver’s license. You are coming to an establishment that guests who don’t want to have to worry about pets, come to stay, therefore a service animal owner should be required to have proof that there animal is qualified otherwise we will look at your animal as a walking biohazard, because it in fact is to those who are allergic!
I accept people who have REAL service animals with open arms. But most of the time people go out of their way to pass off a mutt as a service animal knowing full well that it is not, but we can’t deny them without fear of being sued, and those people have a special place in hell waiting for them.
to be honest its you who need to shut your mouth, my dad has a service dog as well, and I am a GM at a hotel and I see way to many people claiming that they have service dog, and I know its not. okay I know that I am not allowed to ask to dogs paper or ID, but if you truly have a service dog, the dog should always be on a leas, and wearing its vest at all time. and I have people trying to bring comfort animals claiming to be a service pet, now the hotel has every right to refuse a comfort animal. and his right only about 5% of people truly have a service dog, rest are just laying. so yea speak from a experience not just from your AAA
Its people like you that are the problem. I own a hotel and can tell you that in the past four years EXACTLY one of our customers that claimed to have an ADA service dog actually had an properly trained and certified dog. In more than one case other customers have confronted people that claim to have an ADA service dog (misbehaving) and the fraudster has removed the animal from the building. On top of this, we have had an avalanche of “comfort anamals” where the customer claims that the dog provides emotional support but is obviously not trained in the most basic behavioral skills. My in-laws train service dogs so I know what a great process it is and how well these animals perform their duties. It is a shame when people that are not in need abuse this law (break the law) for their own personal benefit and therefore make the entire very legitimate process for those in need even harder for all.
Yeah, Danny? Which hotel do you own, exactly?
Jo, why do you ask? Are you upset that the gentleman shared his input and want to grab a picket sign and go disrupt his business. Or maybe you are some loony who wants to go bomb the place or test drive your AR-15. The problem of people claiming pets as “service animals” is real. In fact, only DOGS now qualify for this exception. It’s none of your business which hotel the gentleman owns! Solution: When checking in just ask if the owner is named Danny. If the desk clerk says yes, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. That way everyone will be happy.
I have an ESA DOG and I stayed in a hotel and the charged me $10 per night..I have her I’d card with her picture… I’m outraged that they can do that..and she is protected by the ADA.. what can I do it say to being charged?
ESAs aren’t service animals and have no protections in a hotel. You have to pay the fee.
ESA animals do not fall under the ADA guidelines and are therefore not protected. Hotels may charge you for ESA animals. Just read through the ADA guidelines and that will clear up any questions you may have!
ESA are only protected in long-term housing (30 days or more). A brief stay in a motel, they don’t have to accommodate that.
Comfort animals have no right to hotel rooms.
Per the Department of Justice:
(https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html)
Q3. Are emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals considered service animals under the ADA?
A. No. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. However, some State or local governments have laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into public places. You may check with your State and local government agencies to find out about these laws.
This is only true if their stay is less than 30 days. Once it becomes 30 days, it is considered a form of housing (permanent), and by law, they have to allow it. There are quite a few hotels where I live that accept both short term and long term guests. I believe if that once they pay for the monthly rate, they must be accommodated as long they have the legitamate letter from their psychiatrist with his or her phone number attached. At least, that’s how it has worked for me for the past 10 years or so.
Well I would like you to know I have two and as of right now they are classified as ESA however I also have diplopia which is migraine related. Go research that, and you’ll know why my animals pull me around because sometimes I see double or triple for days while people like you joke about how I must be drunk and take cam phone videos making fun of me because I bump into things or trip.
People like you are vile and belong in the back end where you never have customer or public contact.
” why they don’t let hotel staff question people on their disabilities.”
Seriously thank you. As many people with an ESA or service pet will have an episode or require hospitalization or spend hours or days recovering from said incident after they are interrogated, mobbed, filmed, bullied, and harrassed by people who specifically aren’t allowed to for our health, it is bad enough we were born with this disability to begin with without the ‘public and social’ humiliation and defamation that accompanies many of these ’employees’ habits as well as the cell phones they carry to document us.
I fully agree with this. The majority of hotel staff and owners do not hate service animals and would happily accept them. What we do hate is dealing with the bullshit that is a guest who claims they have a service animal, only to find out it is not, and the room has to be sterilized because the mutt was not even house trained.
Non pet friendly establishments are sought after by people who have allergies to animals. We do not want to deal with the fallout of guests who are allergic to dogs.
There is no reason why there should not be a license stating a animal is a service animal and their qualifications! And that license should be mandatory in case the animal is not obviously a service animal!
Too many people abuse the “service animal” right with none service animals. We shouldn’t have to be worried about getting sued when calling out those abusers on their bullshit.
I have my service dogs ID badge on his vest. I’m not ashamed of him and I shows me as his handler. However when I’m staying at a hotel with him and my husband is with me he will take him out to potty for me. I have problems breathing and if it’s hot outside it makes it difficult for me to breathe. That is the only time he is not in my control
I agree! It is unfair to those guest who have allergies to pet dander – where are their rights? Most guest who come to our hotel with their poochie bow in the hair dogs are not service dogs – they are pets and owners are dishonest – I think service dogs should be charged like guest with regular pets – it will cut back on the people who get their service dog jacket and laminated card over the internet – it’s the ones who are ready to shove the laminated card in your face that are not real service dogs – sorry but this is true – so unfair to hotels who don’t take pets and advertise no pets for the many many people who are allergic to pet dander and I guarantee there are more of those people than true disabled guests
Today, a Comfort Suites in Alexandria, La charged me $125 extra for having my service animal. My dog was quiet the entire time and caused no damage at all to the room. I showed them her identification card and the general manager Chris Patel refused to make a copy stating that my dog was an emotional support animal. No sir she is not, she alerts when when someone is at the door ( hearing loss ), when I need to sit down and take my medication, so I don’t pass out/fall and hurt myself. I wasn’t aware that this GM was certified to make that assertion. I even informed the extremely rude eye rolling front desk staff that even though I didn’t have to I would show her my medical papers from the VA. Needless to say a case has been opened with their corporate office, now I have to wait a see how this will be resolved. I suggested that their staff be trained of ADA laws/policies.
Maybe it’s not too late to file a complaint with the Department of Justice.
ADA WEBSITE
https://www.ADA.gov
ADA INFORMATION LINE
800-514-0301 (Voice) and 800-514-0383 (TTY)
M-W, F 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. , Th 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) to speak with an ADA Specialist. Calls are confidential.
For me the main offenders are Hampton Inn by Hilton and also the Best Western Plus. Both have undercover security that dress like bums and deliberately harass you or try to pet the dogs and socialize with you to ‘check’ you without asking. So far I have had to file two fraud cases with Priceline.
I don’t want to stay at a disgusting two star roach coach that allows pets and houses druggies.
You can ask them the go to questions:
1. Is it a service dog?
2. What service do they provide?
If their dog is actually registered then they will know exactly how to answer those questions
Today I had three employees show up, not wearing masks, not social distancing on New Years Eve and during a stay home order (I am between residences and my spouse is an essential worker locally) and one of them has been harrassing, stalking, and following me for days – or maybe he is a guest either way he’s wearing three hospital/jail bracelets either to blend in or because they’re all real buddy buddy, and then the third question came WHAT IS YOUR CONDITION and so I slammed the door I will be reporting them for COVID violations so they get fined just to return the favor. I asked them to toss the guy out and they just let him come look right into my room while the fat lady claiming to be a manager filmed me with her camera. Believe me I doubt they even work here. If they do I will be reporting them to corporate as well as to the Center for Disease Control for not social distancing, as hospital guy even tried to grab at me after following me to my room in a close hallway and pet my dogs as I was going to allow them to potty. Today he was there again, staring and I just know he set me up to try and accuse me of being a fraud.
People like that have truly ruined my life and reputation. Before cell phones I was treated like everybody else, now I am some sort of pariah.
Because not all people who have service dogs have certificates and certainly don’t travel with them (speaking as a trained front desk agent at a hotel) and not all trained service animals have certifications to begin with. Nothing wrong with having the paper if it makes your life easier but no one should be asking in the first place. Not hotels. Not airlines. Nobody.
I agree as a hotel manager I see this abused daily. I see people tell us that they have a service dog to avoid the pet fee we charge than the dog barks all the time, or pulls on the leash where the dog is out of control and yet we can’t ask questions. I think it is a shame as I have a service dog for my daughter and at anytime I bring her paperwork, shot record and it is obvious that my dog is doing a job when they are together. I think hotels and other establishments should be allowed to ask for proof and shot records as well as what service this dog provides.
There is no need for certification as stated by the ADA. However, I do agree that if state agencies were the facilitators for registration that it would help alleviate a rising problem.
You should read then rewrite your comment so that it makes sense. You’ve left out important parts in your sentences. Parts imperative to make it complete and make it make sense.
Also, you are making too big of a deal out of it. Does it really matter? Why are you such a stickler about it? Do you really give that much consideration to the hotel you work at? And if so, do you give that much consideration for everything and every rule that the hotel has about everything or just this? Does it affect you directly in a negative way? Or anyone else? (And don’t use allergies as your lame excuse) Didn’t think so. Sounds to me like you have power issues and/or you’re just being a jerk about it. It’s ignorant people like you that the article mentions (i.e. ignorant or uninformed / misinformed hotel employees) and that make things in life harder than they should be. Find something better to do hon. AND FIX YOUR COMMENT or do everyone a favor and just delete it!
Why does that bother you so much, Jay? It is a good thing that people don’t have to be harassed and embarrassed by ignorant employees by requiring them to show ID.
I also work at a hotel. I have printed off from the ADA website, where it states Q”are emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals considered service animals under the ADA?” A.” No. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Because they have NOT been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do NOT qualify as service animals under the ADA.” When a guest tells me they have a service dog, I ask the above. If it is one of the above, I tell them as per the ADA…. and they still have to pay the pet fee. Most people tell us it is a service dog to avoid the pet fee. The ones that try to avoid the pet fee, don’t have the dog with them when they check in. A service dog must be with the handler at all times and it has to be under the handlers control, not jumping on other guests. Next time you walk into a walmart, look on their door. They have a sign that states the above about emotional support. Read up on hotels and service animals, it will help you a lot. I have guests trying to check in with up to 5 service dogs. Read up on that as well. People can have more than 1 ESA. the website ada.gov is very helpful. It also tells you what questions you can ask. It is really sad that so many people have ruined it for others who have a actual service dog. Anyone can go into petsmart and buy their animal a vest. Also, on the ADA website it clearly states a service animal is defined as a DOG, however I believe a mini horse is also one. I have had someone trying to check in with a monkey, a cat, 5 birds and 1 snake, all trying to tell me they are their service animals. On that website it also tells you what questions we are allowed to ask. I hope something here was useful.
No hotel or airline can charge a pet fee for a certified service animal. I checked this with my lawyer today as we are planning to travel with to ACTUAL service dogs. Hotels also cannot restrict you to certain rooms. You CAN ask if it is a service animal and what task it performs and nothing else! You cannot charge for the animal period
You are correct. Any animal can serve as a support animal. This can include snakes, pigs, other farm animals, and of course dogs and cats.
Yes, they can servce as a support animal but not as a service animal. These are two different things and this is where so much confusion comes from. Only dogs and mini horses can be actual services animals. Any animal pretty much can be a support animal (not same as a service animal). However, emotional support animals are not given the same rights as service animals. Only if your stay is long terim (30 days or more.)
I think you make a good point
We recently stayed in Kissimmee Florida with our 2 dogs
I am a 100% disabled veteran with many disibilities. My dog is listed as a P.T.S.D. in training. He is certified and licensed My daughter is severely autisic and her dog is registered and licensed for that.
The motel told us neither could be excepted due to neither P.T.S.D. or Autism were life threatening
I filed a complaint but haven’t heard a word.
We have no problem showing anyone our dogs certification or shot records. We get this 90% of the time.
Jay. I’m there with you. I’m a hotel Manager and in fact, I was reading about this today because this bitchy guest did not want to pay the CLEANING FEE. It’s not a pet fee, but a pet cleaning fee. People with animals don’t really think how much time takes to clean a room after their lovely pets leave behind. there are many people including me with pet allergies and I cant tell right away when I pet was in a room and wasn’t properly cleaned as I start sneezing and or coughing. But sure all they care is about their pets and not also what those furry things can cause a person with asthma or other allergies. The dog this lady had with her was a tiny animal which I don’t think should qualify as a SERVICE animal because what that little tinny thing will do in case that she gets sick or needs assistance. I think this STUPID law is just a way to make money for stupid people that think they have a service animal and in fact, they don’t have any health issues!
No hotel or airline can charge a pet fee for a certified service animal. I checked this with my lawyer today as we are planning to travel with to ACTUAL service dogs. Hotels also cannot restrict you to certain rooms. You CAN ask if it is a service animal and what task it performs and nothing else! You cannot charge for the animal period. You may only charge if there is damage to the room
Did you know that some service dogs can detect changes in blood sugar levels (by smell) and alert their handlers that they need to take medication to prevent a diabetic coma, thus saving their lives? The size of the dog does not matter and some disabled people do not “look disabled.” There are many more invisible disabilities that service dogs can be trained to help with. Maybe you should re-think your some of your assumptions?
I am glad to see that someone else understands about Allergies!
How many years have people gone without taking their dogs with them? And now they need them to survive! Some cases, I understand, like being blind but just because you’re a diabetic & cant temper to check your insulin or take your meds…. nope… you can set an alarm on your phone or watch for that!
Then go to a support group for people with pet allergies. This board isn’t for YOU.
Actually, I think you need to learn about some of the tasks dogs can do, yes even very small dogs! They can alert you if another seizure is coming on, if your tachycardia (abnormal fast heartbeat) is about to act up, tell you if someone is at the door if you are hearing impaired, tell you if your blood sugar is about to become an issue, tell you if the hallucinations you are having is real or not, and on and on. Yes, there are many people who do fake having service dogs, that never underestimate the role a small dog can have. Dogs have strong senses that we just do not have and I believe they were put on earth to help certain people out that with conditions where they need them. It’s not fair that non-disabled persons try to take advantage of this. It also doesn’t help either, that the disabled person is not required to reveal what condition they have. I wish I knew what the answer was to all this.
What about our rights? It seems everyone else is happily accommodated. If people care about the rights of others who have illnesses, then what about the rights of a particular group who is being treated as second-class, in regards to respect for the seriousness of their illness? There is an illness that can kill some people. However, most others never think about it; and maybe wouldn’t care even if they did realize it. What about those who have life-threatening allergies to animals? What about our rights? We’re met with unsympathetic “sorry. It’s the law. We *have to* accept service animals.”(Same with tree-nut and peanut allergies! Try to find a restaurant – any – that can accommodate customers with allergies.) It’s very hard to find hotels that do not accept pets. Same issue with apartments, houses, and now even with businesses. I was told once I shouldn’t come in to a doctor’s office, because the doctor brought his pet in every day as a support animal for his patients. Those of us with animal allergies are running out of options. Please check & see for yourself how difficult it is, if you doubt this. Thank You!
You do have a good point. That is entirely understandable. I get sick from (actually sick; not just coughing or sneezing) being around cigarette smoke and people wearing strong colognes, but it is hard to go anywhere where there is not someone wearing strong cologne or hasn’t been smoking. I don’t seem to be allergic to any animals, but I can imagine it is hard for people who are, considering how many people own pets. If 3rd hand smoke bothers people ( I know it does me), I can imagine how hard even 3rd hand pet dander could be (being in a room where a pet has recently been; even though it was cleaned).
WHY ARE YOU ON A BOARD FOR SERVICE DOG OWNERS??? Go find your support group and leave ours be.
I agree with you 💯!
Even Hotel staff are taught about HIPPA & just as in, let’s say a Dr Office or Hospital, they are to abide by that. They should be allowed to ask for the Service Animal ID Card & allowed to ask any other pertinent questions… all while keeping it confidential!!! And… then… make judgement call whether to allow it to stay or not!
And as for Discriminating against people with Disabilities…. Physical or Mental…. what about Discriminating against people with Respiratory issues or Allergies?!? Animal Dander or Hair can lead to Severe Asthma Attacks, Respiratory Distress, Respiratory Infections & even Death!!!
How…. are these people Less Important than others?!?!
At the very least…. Hotels should be made to Designate Specific Rooms & Floors to people with Service Animals & ONLY Allow them to stay if they have an Official Service Animal ID!!!
What makes one life more important than another???!!!???
This has gotten way out of control people are going everywhere carrying dogs now and saying they are service animals because they don’t have to have any proof and it is not right to other people who are sick & can be made even sicker because of been exposed to those animals!!!
Someone…. needs to look at & Revise this ACT!!!
Agreed.
I walk everywhere, day and night, and our town is becoming more dangerous. I would like to have my dog registered as a service dog for security and safety reasons.
A service dog’s primary purpose is to assist handlers with physical or psychological disabilities. Security work may be an additional task, but alone it does not qualify for a service dog. You can talk to your doctor or therapist and find out if you have a condition that may benefit from a service dog’s assistance. You may find this article on the definition of a service dog interesting https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/what-is-the-definition-of-a-service-dog/
I love animals. I love love love my baby girl Pearl. A rare silver white miniature schnauzer that I adore with my life. She’s part of the family.
Having said that it’s just absolutely truly sad that some PET owners – just like drivers with disabled placard on their cars that lets the TRULY disabled person park close in & gives them the space they need to drive & park their cars – are so selfish. These PET OWNERS blatantly show an immense amount of disrespect to those fellow citizens who truly are disabled and in need various tools & laws to protect themselves from true discrimination. I’m legally disabled. I have one of those placards. I’m a loving pet owner.
But I could not – as a RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS – claim my Pearl is a service animal when I know she is not. I couldn’t for the same reason I absolutely disdain those Cheating Lying Disrespectful Dishonest & Selfish drivers who use other’s ADA Placards to park in the very few spaces I really really need some days.
As the the disabled airlines, trains, buses & hotels don’t owe us anything except to be treated fairly & with respect under the law. Cheaters Liers and Cons like some PET OWNERS who use and abuse and break the ADA Laws by claiming their pets are service animals make it harder for those truly disabled (like me to and those disabled that need a service animal) to recieve that justice the ADA Laws were supposed institute.
I work at a hotel as well and have serious doubt the dogs are service animals. It makes me mad people use the “He’s my service animal” but yet allows everyone to touch and hug on the dog. It’s not fair to hotels because the rooms have to be deep cleaned because of animal dander. During a hurricane 3 years ago numerous guest came from Florida one of which supposedly had a service dog that was infested with fleas. It took 3 weeks to completely rid the room of the fleas. The guest and dog were here for close to a week. Service animals should not have fleas right?
I completely agree. People abuse this rule, damage the hotel, then we have to incur the loss. It’s not right. I wish that law would change just a bit.
The state issues human ID cards, drivers licenses, etc. No organization issues state or federally recognized service animal IDs. Because it isn’t required and doesn’t exist. There’s no certification, there’s no training process. It’s the honor system. Unless the dog barks at people, is unruly, is aggressive. Then you can ask them to leave. Pretty simple. Not hard to tell if a dog is behaved. If it’s not, you don’t have to accommodate.
I have had a service dog for ten years and have had a couple of problems but nothing serious. I want to say that I have seen many people who have so-called service dogs but those who ride in grocery carts, bark at people or other dogs and are not under the control of their handler are not service dogs. I agree with Jay, I don’t think that it is a big deal or a business to ask for an ID, that is unless they are not an actual service dog. I carry an ID at all times and often have one attached to my dog’s service vest. I also carry proof of my disability, and I have no problem showing any of them. Why would anyone have a problem with that unless their dog is not a service dog?
Hang in there Jay I have your back!
I completely agree with your entire post
You can always ask what task the service animal performs. Additionally I carry my letter from my psychologist that states that I have a disability that my Dog provides a service for.
You are absolutely right. I am hotel owner and this is real frustrating that hotel only has to rely on guest’s verbal confirmation with out producing any I’d or documentation or proof for any special traing given to the service animal. At the hotel/motel staff at the desk, if the guest’s has visible disability then it is obviously no questions can be asked but when some mental / emotional disability is hardly recognised by the hotel staff, what is wrong in asking for the proof of service animal being trained and is really giving assistance to the guest’s for his disability. ? All human is required to show his I’d to prove that they are eligible to enter the place of visit, then why it is not for service animal to prove its identiry.??
An AirBnB host recently quoted a service fee to us for my husband’s service dog in violation of THEIR own policies. So it looks like even those who are AirBnB hosts don’t know their own rules and regulations. We have not decided whether to report this to AirBnB or not but the email exchange took place via AirBnB so either this person doesn’t care or he doesn’t know or he figured my husband was trying to get over on him with a fake service dog. Unfortunately, that has become all too common with people wanting to have their dog with them all the time and getting fake ids and jackets for their untrained dog. It is quite obvious when a dog is not a trained service dog. We have had to educate many restaurant staff who want to sit us only in outdoor seating and hotels who try to put us in a pet room not knowing my husband’s service dog is an extension of him and performs a very important function for him.
I am the number one rated Airbnb host in the world. 4,500 groups and counting. I do not charge a cleaning fee. EVERYONE ELSE DOES!! i do not.. i am not pet friendly because my brother DIES if he comes in contact with dog hair or dander in closed spaces. Recently i had a guest bring a CLEARLY not service dog into my condo and DESTROY IT! peed everywhere. shed over everything. DIsaster! AIRBNB wont even let me charge this person a cleaning fee!! i had to pay $140 to clean a condo i rented for $90. Im sorry your husband has a ligitimate need for a service dog. But you are one in 100 people who actually have a certified one! these pricks abuse this so much and its not fair to me or to any Airbnb host.. be curtious. a dog is a dog is a dog.. your service dog will still make my brothers airway close up and he will still die.. i dont care if you have a need for a dog.. i appreciate that.. but my brother life is more important. dont bring you service dogs to Airbnb listings that say no pets WITHOUT PERMISSION! some of us have very legitimate reasons! my brother cant breath around dogs or even dog hair.. so ALWAYS TELL YOUR HOST and if they want to charge you more.. PAY IT!! it takes us 3 times as long to clean up after a dog. Rant over..
Why are you in a business that could kill your own brother, listing him as an employee? Better yet why doesn’t he have his own life and job?? Surely you have to know running an unregistered hotel or hostel because an app told you it was okay in an industry where you are REQUIRED to sometimes come into contact with service animals BY LAW as well as their disabled owners is absolutely criminal, and that you’d have better Karma working as a Monk or Fundamentalist Cleric where animals are forbidden by ‘religious’ law?
I work at a hotel and we have people to come here and stay. They bring dogs here and they say they are service dogs but I know they’re not how can we get around this so we won’t have dogs stay in here that are not service dogs.
You state “you know they are not”, how do you “know” this? I’ve a balance issue, from a brain injury, looking at me, you would think there is absolutely nothing wrong with me, but the reality is, I have a dibilitating condition, I feel as if I’m spinning, all the time, and I have prism glasses to help with this disorder, but you wouldn’t know that either, but just looking at me. I hold my husbands arm, or hand when walking, but I now have a service dog to help me with my balance issues… I can walk by myself, for a very short distance, but it is absolutely debilitating, and literally hurts my brain… So these people, and their service dogs, that you say “you KNOW are not”, may have a disability that is not visibable, so please do NOT be so judgmental…
We know this because service dogs are trained not to bark at people, urinate on the floor, ect. It’s not based on observations of the person with the disability, but of the dog itself. It’s very obvious most of the time. Sorry, but if somebody is lying to take advantage of ADA, I’m going to be super judgmental. It makes things harder for people with legitimate service animals.
They are not “trained not to bark” some are trained to bark in certain situations. I do agree using bathroom on the hotel floor is not allowed
I just had a guest check into the hotel I work at. She brought 3 animals (2 dogs, 1 cat) Both dogs were being rambunctious and one of them pooped in the lobby and they both peed in front of the elevator. She claimed one of them was a service animal but it definitely did not behave as such. I think we should be able to ask for the ADA ID. People tend to take advantage of the whole service dog thing. There are people who genuinely need them. Its not different than some parking in a handicap parking spot when they don’t have a placard
You are allowed to kick legitimate service dogs off the premises if they are barking and the handler does nothing to control it. Same with urination and dedication. Obviously dogs get sick, and that can lead to accidents. If the service dog handler tries to fix the problem, don’t kick them out. If the dog helps when someone steps on it’s tail, that doesn’t count either. But if a dog is routinely barking or relieving indoors, staff are within the ADA law to have them removed.
Exactly. Legimatate service animals NEVER disrupt or soil.
You might also consider these animals are in training. Ours took almost 2 years to train them on peeing on foreign ground. As far as barking lot of dogs bark when your to close to their owner
I just got a very small service dog that I am training to help with my PTSD. No, I never served in the arms forces however my 2 year old son was murdered by a family member and my daughter who is now 9 suffers from her sexual and emotional and physical abuse, that none of my family was aware of until it was too late.
I definitely do not look like I would need a service dog nor is it physical.
This dog helps me to get back to reality during a flashback and once older, will help me get my medicine during a panic attack. I have to be so careful with my anxiety because it isn’t just anxiety attacks; I have hypertension so when I go into a panic attack my blood pressure rises above normal numbers (210/120). It’s a shame because it isn’t hurting anyone! And someone with allergies, maybe take some medicine? I mean we are all hear to help other people and not think solely on ourselves. Maybe we wouldn’t need service animals if humans were more compassionate and not trying to DISPROVE service animals more than HELP those 🤜🏻🎤👇🏻
I am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful son. May God Bless You and Your Son’s beautiful soul.
I also work in a hotel, she did not say that she can tell they aren’t service animals because of how the person looks. So do NOT be so rude as to assume that’s what she means. Service animals have a certain personality as to how they behave around other people and in new places. I agree it is harder when we can’t ask them to identify the service animal, but as this website states they are still responsible for any damages so I don’t think it is that big a deal. And most of the people who come in to the hotel I work at offer the service animal ID right away.
Thank you Stephanie you are so right, I have PTSD, Anxiety and Panic attacks yet I do not look disabled. But there is no such thing as a service animal id but I do believe that there should be one. I can see the fake people get around that too. I do not know what management can do I am sorry
I too have a service animal. I’ve had a slight stroke, but to look at me you could never tell it. My service animal assist me if I get aggravated or upset because I start to stutter and that makes it worse. I also have Vertigo and she alerts me when I’m about to have an attack, so I don’t fall.
If I’m no mistaken you are now allowed to ask for cards or paper work showing that the animals are service animals. We have finally received them and makes it much easier for everyone. I do have respect for people around us so I still try to stay at pet friendly hotels. Only had 1 problem when they said all there pet rooms were taken and I couldn’t stay …. that’s when it became illegal
I went to my timeshare in Mexico and was denied my service dog. I have all her paperwork. They said 3 months ago that they were no longer letting service dogs stay there. I went in March of this year. They made me leave my dog at a boarding house not even close to me. Is this legal. Hope someone can answer this for me.
Service dog or not, all should have to pay a fee if there is a fee to have you dog at a hotel. It’s more a matter of cleaning up after the dog has left. Sure the owner is responsible for the pet but they’re usually long gone before anyone has noticed there is any mess or damage done. I don’t mind paying a pet fee for my animal. But just because your dog is a service dog doesn’t mean you should be exempt from the fee also. At least that is my opinion. And if they don’t have to pay the fee for their service animal then they should show documentation because then everyone will say they have a service dog to avoid a fee. Which isn’t fair to the establishments.
My service dog is medical equipment. Would you ask someone in a wheelchair to pay to use their medical equipment. I agree that there is a fake service dog problem, and steps need to be taken, but don’t discriminate because you have a problem with the fakers
If someone needs a wheel chair should they have to pay a fee. Our dogs are lifesaving medical equipment. They are not Pets
I don’t agree with that. If I pay for a room and I make a mess it’s there job to clean up. Now if I damage anything of course I’m gonna be charged!
Now having said that, I travel 295 days out of the year and I carry a vacuum with me. More people should just be more respectful!
And if your service animal is 100% non shedding? There is nothing to clean up then.
Ranae, that would be a violation of ADA law. Good thing you aren’t in charge of making laws for the disabled. Requiring guests with disabilities and legit service animals to pay more is like charging a fee for using a wheelchair ramp or paying to park in a handicapped spot. You can’t make the disabled pay for their legal access rights. Perhaps you should read up on ADA law.
Some people with service dogs cant always afford to pay a fee.
I agree. If the animal makes a mess pay to clean it up. Or do as we do ours. Ours are in their cages or in a pen. I don’t mind paying extra I just don’t like to be turned down for having them
Ada doesn’t cover Mexico … it’s only for the United States.
mexico is a 3rd world country and ada doesn’t apply. In the US just call a cop
Reba – This service dog regulation is not international law. American’s with Disability Act (ADA) is law
in the US, but better check ahead when traveling abroad.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is only applicable in the US, as it is a Federal law. Wouldn’t be applicable in a different country….
You went to Mexico. Check the laws (or lack thereof) before you travel outside of the US or Canada.
Mexico is not part of the USA…here you can provide fake papers to get free dog boarding, mexico does not need to adhere to ridiculous laws
I agree with providing documentation. What’s the harm of asking for a certificate? It doesn’t have to state your condition. I agree that people lie about their pets as service animals. I have seen so called service animals misbehaving and even grabbing food from other guests plates at breakfast at our hotel. Humans have been lying since the dawn of mankind, so why would that change in current times? Even famous actors are being caught for lying about having service animals on airplanes. Just today I had to argue with someone who was complaining that animal hair could cause her to go to the hospital for asthma problems. As stated by others, we provide documentation to prove our age, our nationality, our membership, etc, etc,. Why not provide documentation for your service animal? We are not against service animals, just the false claims that people use to get away with allowing their pets in where they are not welcome.
Service dog handlers do not have documentation. None is recognized by the government as being legitimate. If there was, unfortunately, people would just fake that too. People have fake IDs to get into bars and create counterfeit currency all the time. It’s a real problem for everyone.
This truly shouldn’t be an issue. Those of us who have legitimate service animals have NO problems showing their credentials. Likewise, we, their owners should be aware that there are only two questions anyone may ask regarding the animal; is it a service animal & what service does the animal perform. As a legitimate service dog owner I don’t have an issue, either, if uninformed people ask what my dog does for me because I recognize that they’re simply curious. Hopefully me taking the time to answer their questions will educate & enlighten them in the future.
Regarding the comment from the person about their service animal in Mexico…I took my dog with me to Cancun about a year ago & while still under US guidelines airlines are subject to ADA regulations so service animals fly free. The airline attendants asked their appropriate two questions in all instances. However, once out of the USA proper or provinces all bets are off & countries are free to follow their own guidelines. Mexico currently only recognizes “recognizable” services for animals. That being said, be prepared to pay whatever rates hotels in foreign countries require or to “board” your animal if your intended destination doesn’t allow animals on any kind (as is currently their right).
Now, to the person who stated that service animals should only be allowed in certain rooms…Where does one draw the line? People are allowed to perfumes so should hotels only allow persons who don’t wear perfume to stay in certain rooms? Infants sometimes urinate outside of their diapers; as do toddlers who are being potty trained. So should hotels designate certain rooms for those people traveling with small children?
While it’s true that some people push the system to its limits & claim to have service animals who aren’t, the key is still education. As stated earlier, ALL legitimate service animal owners are more than happy to answer those TWO required questions ( most are happy to expound on those for educational purposes) & most carry identification that our animal is a service animal (although not an ADA requirement). Because it is not currently a requirement that the animal display “service animal” accoutrements or that the owner carry “service animal” documentation there are people who will take advantage of this situation & attempt to present their pets as service animals. Perhaps the greater fight for establishment owners should be with the ADA but that would involve the arena of stigmatization which is what precipitated the ADA’s initial decision not to require identification!
Guess common sense remains our only guideline; sad but true. If establishments doubt that an animal is service related, ASK, & know what you may ask. If you question the validity of an animal, challenge the individual. You may win & those of us who are legitimate service animal owners will welcome & not be threatened by the challenge.
I believe in fairness to everyone; Service dog owner should carry a certificate like an ID, to make it easy on everyone. with that hotel and other public places shall allow guest with disability and service dogs. Similar to what we have as designated parking spot and the person must have a decal on their vehicle.
I so agree but we need an agency to regulate this for it to be valid and this is a very slippery slope
See post above. ADA does does require this due to the stigma associated with “labeling”.
Why not just a tattoo on their forehead everyone doesn’t have a car….
All these comments and opinions are very interesting. I think that one should not have to show proof of legitimacy, but if their service animal acts out in any way, then the management of the establishment should be allowed to ask for an ID. I have a service dog who helps me medically and another one who is a medical service dog for my asthma and a second psychiatric service dog who helps with my ptsd and anxiety. I look very normal and my dogs are very happy and seem normal as well. I don’t have any vests; just a patch on each of their collars, so they look like pets. I’m about to go on my first vacation with them and stay at a hotel. I notified the hotel but it’ll still be interesting to see how this goes since I have two.
How did it go? I’m going on vacation with my friend and her 1yr old german shepherd. She has doctor paperwork saying he is a service dog. She couldn’t afford a grown one already trained, so she bought a puppy once she finally got disability retro pay. Where did you get yours and how did you handle the cost?
Yes you can have several service dogs however one will usually take care of all the things you have wrong if it is trained properly. Three is a bit too much and any doctor would also say that
My service dog will only bark at people who talk to her while she’s working. We have tried to train it out of her but the only thing we can think about it is that she knows they aren’t supposed to acknowledge her so she barks to get them to leave her alone. If they ignore her as they are supposed to, she ignores them.
I can’t keep mine from greeting people, she just absolutely loves people, I have not been able to break her from it, but she brings souch joy to others and it doesn’t interfere with her job.
Missy it does interfere with her job if she is not 100 attentive to you and she cant be if she is socializing
My service animal was taken out of my hotel room by hotel staff and animal control. I have never met such ignorance by any hotel staff. This was at Ramada inn Reno Nevada. When I returned they kicked. Me out of room. My animal is ADA certified and I was checkedand with my service animal by my side on a leash with a service vest on the hotel staff then told me that they didn’t have it as a service animal in the room okay even though I checked in and told him it was a service animal and I was not charged for the animal this is the most horror v critic night I’ve ever endured I can’t believe this hotel did this to me I feel like I under law I had the right to sue I will be contacting an attorney to further address the situation they still have not returned my service dog to me and I’m having very very emotional problems with this whole situation the service animal has been used for seizures also heart attacks he alerts he’s such a good dog and I just want my family back
“When I returned”…does this mean you left your ADA certified dog in the room by himself? This is actually against ADA rules as you are supposed to have your Service animal with you AT ALL TIMES. We have charged people for their “service dogs” after they have left the dogs in the room alone all day while they go out and play, and told them they will not be allowed back in the future.
I can’t believe they took your dog away,and didn’t give him back,ok I’d sue them right away , don’t wait,ok if a lawyer says no,keep trying different lawyers,until one says he will take your case,ok and go to where there keeping your dog,and try to visit him,ok it’s like they took your dog and put him in doggie jail,ok I’d sue that hotel for a million dollars,ok then after a year or two ,they will probably settle for 100,ooo dollars,well good luck,ok god bless you and your service dog,ok
The blatant disregard for common sense in the case of service animals requiring identification to go into places that pets are not allowed is idiotic. Anyone who gets upset or up in arms when asked for identification of their service animal is being irrationally difficult or is being deceitful.
Questions
1 why was your dog left alone in your room long enough to be removed they should be with you at all times. Only time I leave mine is to work on assignments from my counseling team for PTSD and I have another handler with her and my call phone on me in case I need my dog immediately and can’t get back to her.
Also there is no such thing as ADA CERTIFIED-sorry
YOU SHOULD TALK TO A LAWYER THAT IS HORRIBLE. i WILL MAKE SURE TO KEEP IN MIND THE RAMADA INN AND THE WAY THEY TREATED YOU NEXT TIME i AM BOOKING A HOTEL. YOU DESERVE AN APOLOGY , RESTITUTION FOR LOST $, AND MOST OF ALL YOUR DOG BACK.
I work Security for a large Hotel in Las Vegas and you would not believe the stories and incidents that I’ve had to deal with because the so-called service dog has been left unattended and is barking and had accidents all over the room while the owners were out having “fun”. We are a pet friendly hotel however our policy clearly states that the dog must be in a kennel and cannot be left unattended for more than four hours. We attempt to contact the guest and inform them of the incident …if they do not respond back to the hotel after four hours we reserve the right to have the animal removed by animal control to alleviate the complaints that we received about the dog . Our policy also dictates that if they are not an accredited service dog that a deposit will be paid upon arrival and refunded when they left if the room is not damaged . Service dogs are not subject to a deposit unless they caused damage to the room and then I guess will be charged . Emotional support animals are not service animals and therefore are subject to our animal deposit rules and regulations.
I’m speechless over what happened to you. This is every handler’s worst nightmare. Hopefully yours was over quickly. Was the Dept of Justice or attorney able to help fix the situation?
An ADA service animal is required to be at your side or it is not performing in a service animal capacity. If it was left in your room unattended by you or your designee, the hotel was within their right to have your animal removed!
David Lahman if your dog is a service animal then you should know you cannot leave her/him unattended. Why would you if it is performing a service for you? Service dogs are allowed anywhere so there is no excuse for leaving them unattended.
If a hotel staff went Into my room and took my Animal for no reason and i couldn’t get him back you can sue the fuck out of that hotel …. and just to let you ignorant fucks on here know some people consider those animals as family and they are more loyal more caring more valuable than most humans in my eyes so think of it as if someone took your child from you just walked into your house and took your child you’d want to kill that person …. same goes for the service animal owners take there family / dog then you better deal with having that person find you and take your life
I was told to leave my hotel cuz i would not pay the pet fee for my service animial. I even have the hotel boss recorded conversation stating that is the only reason we was asked to leave. The ADA says that they can not do that.. But they did. Then i filed a complaint with ADA for the hotels actions and i can not get anyone to help me.
If it is a legitimate service animal to detect seizures then it should be with you at all times, correct?
I can’t believe they took your dog away,and didn’t give him back,ok I’d sue them right away , don’t wait,ok if a lawyer says no,keep trying different lawyers,until one says he will take your case,ok and go to where there keeping your dog,and try to visit him,ok it’s like they took your dog and put him in doggie jail,ok I’d sue that hotel for a million dollars,ok then after a year or two ,they will probably settle for 100,ooo dollars,well good luck,ok god bless you and your service dog,ok
If hotels stop charging ridiculous pet fees, maybe it would be less of an issue. Most hotels offer up to 4 in a room with the same rate; the same should apply for those traveling with a pet. And the end of day, the room has a much lesser chance of damaging a room then misbehaved adults and lityle children.
As a hotel manager i can tell you you are allowed to as two questions.
They may ask if the dog is a service animal that is required due to a disability and what type of work or task the dog has been trained to do.
I understand that service animal documentation would be helpful. There are so many people deceitfully claiming they have a service animal. But I am curious, who determines when an animal has earned its service animal status? Our dog is a puppy and is in training right now. We researched service animal training, and it seemed most agreed that training an animal yourself creates a stronger bond. Anyone can go purchase documentation that states their animal is a trained service animal… aren’t we back to the original problem of people stating they have a service animal when don’t have one (documentation or not)?
I work at a motel and we have had guests tell us that they have a service dog to get out of being charged a pet fee, but they allow the dog to approach guests and employees, they only have a leash, no collar, on the dog, they let the dog run out of the room and down the hallway with no human in sight; or they will say they have a service dog, then, on camera, they are bringing in two or three dogs who are jumping all over and pulling on the leashs. I do ask to see the certificate to verify they do have a service dog. I do not ask guests who are in wheelchairs for a certificate. Guests who do have a service dog will offer their certificate without complaint, while other guests will tell me they left it at home or lost it. I also thought all service dogs are to wear a vest with service dog on it
I recently stayed at a pet friendly motel. Someone else there checked in with two “service” pit bulls, one for each adult.
They had three children and two rooms. The service card was not verified. The dogs were loose in the parking lot and one of them
attacked me. The owners loaded the children and dogs in the suv and left. They could not be located and the proof of
vaccination could not be verified by calling all the veterinarians within the two counties at there given address.
So I had to start the rabies vaccine program.
I was on the first 300 miles of a 2300 mile trip, I had to stop at hospitals along the way and wait out the triage, getting a shot is
not high on the list.
I feel pretty sure they were not real service dogs. They caused a lot of pain, aggravation, and huge delays in my trip. It was not a vacation trip
and the delays caused multiple problems.
So I have a service dog can a hotel refuse me
George I am so sorry that happened to you that is horrible. Pit bulls can be service dogs and yes two people in the same family can have their own service dogs but if there were loose in a parking lot yep they were not service dogs. Rabie shots are not at all nice I have had to get them.
This is for Carrie. Everything about your comment is itself ignorant. You are the one that abuses something good and spoils it for all those people that genuinely need a service animal. Leave your mutt at home and if you want to go to a hotel with it pay for the pet fee. Not everybody enjoys sharing an elevator with a dog, you know. You have more sympathy for a dog than for a human being with a genuine allergy for fur. When your mutt leaves its fur all over a room and the next guest after you wakes up all puffed up and gasping for air because your 4 legged friend left a hair that somehow floated its way down to the pillow, you would rather a human being die than anybody say something about your mutt. The hotel will refund the offended guests entire room cost and probably gets a poor review because you just couldn’t leave your mutt at home. Just like smokers are subjected to specific areas only because of their habit, guests who wish to bring their dogs along on vacations need to be assigned rooms in a corner somewhere far away from everybody else.
I absolutely agree. I run a hotel that is not pet friendly. Out of compassion for people, I didn’t previously question guests on the legitimacy of their service animals but it is a growing epidemic to get paperwork online and purchase a service animal vest. However, who protects the rights of all other guests? I have had some “service dogs” growling at other guests to find out later they purchased their vests and certificates online for their ESA. Who protects the child on vacation that has spent her fun filled week in a hospital because a severe dog allergy caused from a service dog previously rooming in what should have been a haven for all guests. I am all for protecting people’s rights, but it appears society is only protecting rights of some.
WELL SAID!!!
I agree that there is a epidemic of terrible people saying that their dog is a service animal. You can protect your guests by kicking out the growling dog unless the dog is alerting a person to something and it is not growling it would be a bark. A mother with a child with severe allergies protects her own child by carrying an EpiPen like my husband does for bee stings. I know that you can not guarantee that there is not bee in the room but you can not guarantee other guests that you have an allergy free room. Each person has to take precautions because of their allergies.
There’s some decent stuff up there. Seems like a li’l bit of everything. Some support, some hate, some ignorance. People need educating, but more people need to leave their “pet” at home. You make it much harder for those of us that, without a service dog, barely get outside. @lesnluna, my situation is similar; combat trauma aside, I suffer from narcolepsy with cataplexy. Hank alerts me to sleep episodes and keeps me from splittin’ my melon if go down during a cataplexy episode. However, to look at me, you’d never know that I have this disability.
People need to understand that service teams do not need to be “certified”. Even if we did, people would just doctor credentials. While Hank wears his ‘handsome jacket’ in most public spaces as an easy visual for employees and patrons, doggies don’t need vest, harness, collar, tag, or any other piece of apparel designating them as a service animal. If people wanna ask, ask: 1) Is that a service dog? 2) What tasks does your dog perform for you? That’s it, 2 questions. For all of you that KNOW what is and what isn’t a service dog, keep in mind, nothing is 100%, 100% of the time. Animals can get frightened, animals can get sick, animals can pick up on the poor energy of people it comes in contact with. If a service dog barks, continually, you can be asked to leave… doesn’t mean that dog doesn’t perform specific tasks for its handler. If a service dog goes potty, you can be asked to leave… doesn’t mean that dog doesn’t perform specific tasks for its handler. Things happen… to all of us; why would anyone expect an animal, even an extremely well trained animal, to not slip on occasion?
While the problem has worsened with ESAs, it’s, really, the loophole, judgmental society that we live in. Thanks to all of you for giving us ANOTHER challenge on top of our disabilities: having to explain ourselves to complete strangers in order to gain entry… then get eyeballed and scrutinized by other staff and patrons. Which brings me to the end of my li’l rant. I don’t like to put anyone on blast, but Mr. Lahman, honestly, consider what you shared with this group of people. Hank goes EVERYWHERE with me. You talk about your “service dog” being taken away from you. Seems if he was with you, doing his job, there wouldn’t have been a problem. From what you wrote at the end, good thing you didn’t have a seizure or heart attack.
For those who are buying the fake $25 service dog certificate ID cards and registrations with dogs photo and information online, you are making it extremely difficult for People with real service dogs difficult. We are being asked for these registrations and certificates now. My service dog trainer had no such thing. We spend so much money and time( years ) making sure our dogs pass the appropriate service dog tasks for our disabilities so they can be legal and save our lives. It is not easy!! Only service dog schools for blind or def usually have a certificate.
We’re sorry to hear about your troubles. We strongly condemn anyone that is faking their need for a service dog. We have written many articles addressing the fact that service dogs do NOT require IDs or registrations, and that under the ADA staff at a venue are not permitted to ask for documentation for a service dog. All of our products are intended for service dog owners who use accessories like IDs and vests to help signal to members of the public that their dog is on duty. It is both unethical and unfair for anyone to fake their need for a service dog and use these accessories to take advantage of unsuspecting people.
Scott and Hank you know your ADA rights and what is right and what is wrong. I can really see by your writing that you are a reliable and real owner plus like me you will go ahead and tell people what disability that you have. I thank you for that as I too have a hidden disability of PTSD, severe anxiety and panic attacks and I would be out of luck without my service dog. God bless you for your service. Combat trauma is horrible and narcolepsy with cataplexy is so disabling and dangerous for yourself. I hope that you are well and safe
I agree with this whole heartedly. I am a type 1 diabetic and have been for over 23 years and I am 30. When I go new places people I assume I am training my service dog and he is not actually mine because looking at me you would never know I have a condition. I don’t mind educating people but I can’t go a single day with out hearing a comment about how I’m must be training him or how someone else would love to just put a vest on their dog like I do so they could bring their pet in public. It is exhausting I have never felt more discriminated against until I got my service animal. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with this and it is emotionally draining.
I manage a Hotel and have been concerned about guests taking advantage of these A.D.A rights of service dogs. I believe all service dogs helping there owner should by A.D.A requirements ware a vest making aware to staff/management and customers of the hotel, that they are in fact a service dog working for a patient. Many customers have used these laws by A.D.A to avoid the pet fee required by non assist k9’s at many hotels. In fact service dogs need to be given the respect as trained to there patients needs. This law is left opened to people being allowed to claim there “pet” as a service dog to avoid fee’s made by hotels for the extra cleaning to avoid the allergies many have of pet dander. I hope this post is seen and action taken to stop everyday non disabled customers taking advantage of such rules classified under A.D.A laws.
Thank You Tim! As someone who has life-threatening allergies to animals, I appreciate your respect for those with serious allergies; and for your concern and understanding of this neglected illness. Same goes for those with serious nut allergies. Truly, not many seem to care. Thank You again; and I hope you always find compassion from others, for your own and your family’s concerns. Good Bless You!
How bout I just wear a jacket that says handicapped on it for you instead? To each his own but the ADA says I don’t have to put a service dog jacket on my dog and I don’t. Sorry it that offends you.
as someone who has a service animal, it is extremely frustrating seeing the system being abused. so i love your comment and completely understand your frustration. remember you can always ask the 2 questions (is it a service animal and what tasks and perform) but that you can’t ask for paperwork. hope this helps and best of luck!
meant what tasks does it perform
No…your just mad that you cant collect 150.00 per animal per room that is non refundable..
you people have broke the bank and the law so many times on this subject…
you are also very rude..condesending and FAKE AS HELL…
ABIDE BY THE LAW AND LAWS THAT GOVERN YOUR DAY TO DAY DUTIES AT YOUR HOTEL..MOST OF YOU SHOULD WEAR THEM AROUND YOUR NECK WITHOUT FAILURE..
Know that law well too…you cost your employers way too much money and your actions toward the disabled and thier service animals are attrotious!
Be KIND…please you wont ever win this battle.. your not trained in the law…or you would see your mistakes and you would change your little ways.
Most reliable real owners of service dogs will have a vest on their dog for their dogs protection so that people know that there is a no touch, no talk, no eye contact rule
Yes, I just had a woman show up to my lodging establishment and not inform me that she was bringing a dog. I got a complaint from another guest that her dog was barking non-stop and had to give a discount to avoid a bad review. What are my rights? This person is trying to book another stay and I told her that we are not pet-friendly and that she couldn’t bring her dog next time. Then she informed me it was a service animal and that I could not deny it staying there. I don’t want her bringing that dog back to disrupt my guests again, what are my rights as the owner of the business, I must have rights too.
https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
EXCLUSION OF SERVICE ANIMALS
Q25. When can service animals be excluded?
A. If a particular service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, or if it is not housebroken, that animal may be excluded
Bull shit!
you have to treat everyone the same..
if the dog messes in the room charge the card..
just like you would ANYONE ELSE…
remember!..people with service andimals are disabled ….thats why they have them…There are strickt federal laws that protect the INDIVIDUAL THAT IS DISABLED…. ALONG WITH THIER SERVICE ANIMALS…
PLEASE DONT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF TREATING THE DISABLED PERSON LIKE AN UNWANTED SERVICE ANIMAL AT YOUR HOTEL….YOU WILL BE FINED AND SUED. PEACE!
Next time the guest comes with a dog without prior notice, just tell her you are full and by error her room was double booked and you have no rooms as her designated room is already occupied !
Good riddance to fake freeloaders !
I agree with this. Why would you not tell them in advance that you have a service dog? That way you can be properly accommodated, and also, let any guests with allergies have a heads up that there will be a dog near by during their stay.
yes so on. The guest advises of the dog after check in, by that time that line does not work. When asked for a pet fee although you have a NO PET POLICY. Then the guest claims its a service animal and when asked for certification, as per guidelines establishment cannot ask for any certification. HOW can one prove it as a service animal or just a scam to get away saying its a service animal
My sister works at this establishment, Hidden Palms and planned a family reunion here. I brought my service animal, who never barks and is extremely well mannered and trained.
Still he is kicking me out because of the dog. What is my recourse? I dont even know where to begin.
Bad idea!..
Most reliable real owners of service dogs will have a vest on their dog for their dogs protection so that people know that there is a no touch, no talk, no eye contact rule. As far as telling a person that your establishment is full you are setting yourself up for a huge lawsuit
You have the right to consult your lawyer. Plus you have the right to kick the guest out for a barking dog that is disrupting other guests. See my other comments above
Why would they be embarrassed to show proper ID? I work for a hotel and most of the owners of service dogs show their IDs at check in. We never ask for proof from guests. We never ask Why they need a service animal. These guests show the IDs because they love their service dogs and are very proud of them. A lot of our guests do claim their dog is a service animal but it’s not hard to pick which ones are NOT the real deal.
I totally agree with you that no one should have to share their medical history as it is no ones business. However as you know a business may ask “is your animal a service dog” “what type of service does your dog preform for you” I will share my medical letter from my doctor (NOT a fake one from the internet) it also has my medical diagnosis the medical code for it as well as my doctors phone number that I will allow them to call if they would like. I have a psychiatric service dog who is not a comfort animal. Many people will not and do not have to share this information however I gladly will. I am not ashamed of my disability but I totally support people who under the law know that they do not have to disclose. These people are also probably are not ashamed of their disability either but are not obligated to discuss it. This is just something I do. My dog also has a badge that says Phyciatric Service Dog which is not the same as a comfort animal and also a badge that says Not All Disabilities Are Visible. Just today someone in the grocery store asked me if they could approach me with their dog to ask me where I got my harness as they liked it. No again I did not have to allow this person near me nor near my dog but we social distanced ourselves to chat while our dogs sat politely by our sides. You would not believe the people that I have met that seeing my badge have acknowledged that they too have my disability and ask how they could go about getting a service dog.
I work in a hotel. The majority of clients we have are people who just want to bring there dog along.
I think at the least people should show a service dog id.
It is not fair to the business to pay maids extra to clean up after pets. We should have rights too.
Seems a one sided. We should have rights too. Especially if we own the property.
anyone claiming to have a service dog should have the ID showing the picture of the dog and the handlers name as well as the dogs name
correct but by law you cant ask for it. just what the service animal is for.
You do have rights… it’s the responsibility of the owner to care for the service animal when in public places if not then they can be charged for the damages caused
It is easier said than done…..they will claim they have no money and you cant to do anything…..these days people can even block money leaving their credit cards, so even if you have a credit card on file its useless……what is a hotel operator suppose to do take them to court???? ….how much time will that take and how much money will be lost not to mention your own time……its not fair for the motel operators because more than half the people lie about their dog being a service dog and hotels loose revenue for the time the room was blocked and not to mention the cleaning costs and damages if any are made by people who lie about their dog being trained as a service dog. The problem is not the people who actually have a disability but the inhuman liars who take advantage of others disability just to get their untrained dog inside a hotel room and wreck it. I’m sorry to say but those two questions are not enough, need a better system to identify who actually has a service dog or not.
No an owner of a hotel does not have the right under the law to discriminate against people with Real service animals evn if they own the property. People who have a service dog id are fake. The id and a fake doctors letter can be obtained on the internet. I do think however that the ADA should have a real website where people have to send in their credentials, and that of the person’s doctor who will give a medical diagnosis which the ADA could look up and also call the doctors office to verify them.
Agreed … People should not have to share their personal medical history when coming to a service animal . Just because a individual looks healthy does not mean they are .
I totally agree with you that no one should have to share their medical history as it is no ones business. However as you know a business may ask “is your animal a service dog” “what type of service does your dog preform for you” I will share my medical letter from my doctor (NOT a fake one from the internet) it also has my medical diagnosis the medical code for it as well as my doctors phone number that I will allow them to call if they would like. I have a psychiatric service dog who is not a comfort animal. Many people will not and do not have to share this information however I gladly will. I am not ashamed of my disability but I totally support people who under the law know that they do not have to disclose. These people are also probably are not ashamed of their disability either but are not obligated to discuss it. This is just something I do. My dog also has a badge that says Phyciatric Service Dog which is not the same as a comfort animal and also a badge that says Not All Disabilities Are Visible. Just today someone in the grocery store asked me if they could approach me with their dog to ask me where I got my harness as they liked it. No again I did not have to allow this person near me nor near my dog but we social distanced ourselves to chat while our dogs sat politely by our sides. You would not believe the people that I have met that seeing my badge have acknowledged that they too have my disability and ask how they could go about getting a service dog.
it might be the law ,but it’s not right to put a service animal in any room. i run a motel, and i believe there should be designated rooms for animals, not to be unfair to anybody who has a service dog ,but to be fair to people who have alleges,also . they should have rights also \.
that’s kind of like saying they shouldn’t have a crying screaming baby in a room if they are disturbing guests. despite them maybe causing allergies and some minor issues, they are medical equipment. there is a reason why we need them. they are not for our own amusement. so next time when you think of causing an access issue and putting someone in distress, think about why they actually need it. they are life changing medical equipment covered by the law…
hey everyone, I work in a Hotel too, and I am having an issue with a guest, she check in and never told us that she had a dog, housekeeping entered her room for service and they saw the dog, we told her that there is a pets fee and now she claims that he is a service dog. we are pretty sure that she pick him up from the street. the room is a mess and the dog is always barking. what should we do in this case?
In that situation you can ask them to have their service animal under lawful regulations cause if not they will have to leave.
Ahhh!
second verse same as the first… ! you may only ask the 2 magic questions… outside of that you are bound by the law that governs the whole U.S A. It is the federal A.D.A. Law, I say Federal Law because it is universal and when it ever changes… you will be notified through the news. it is the Grandfather of all A.D.A LAWS …and Federal Law. allways “Trumps” any other little rule …state laws or any myth or rhyme that you want to add to your little hotel “law” journal…Allways Allways follow the A.D.A. stricktly…if you happen to privately own a hotel it still does not matter…EVERYBODY..PERSON…CORPORATION..CHAIN GANG…OR ANY OTHER OPERATING A HOTEL IN OUR BEAUTIFULL COUNTRY MUST FOLLOW IT. THERE IS NO GRAY AREA . YOU MAY NOT ADD YOUR UNHOLY TRANSGRESSIONARY LAWS TO IT ..PERIOD END…I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET TO KNOW IT WELL..Because.. .every time you want to dig your claws into a disabled persons back that happens to be using a support animal….think twice!
use disgression..on your part when clobbering.. disrespecting…being just downright rude….being.ignorent to your OWN detriment….speaking badly of.. ….shunning… chasing them around like a chicken for slauter.. telling that person that thier animal ISNT WHEN IT IS….being caustic…asking for a deposit anyway and taking thier money…..chasing them to thier car….yelling at them etc etc etc..!
because if your THE UNLUCKY FOOL WHO DOES ANY OF THAT OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT TO THEM…YOU friend will have won nothing but a real huge stinky LAW SUIT AND guess what…YOU WONT EVER WIN it..t
The support animal and thier individual don’t need an attorney because they are given one when they file thier COMPLAINT AGAINST YOU IN FEDERAL COURT …BUT YOU WILL NEED ONE AND YIU HAVE TO GET YOUR OWN mind you lawyers today are real expensive for people …So a word of caution…Be KIND! TO EVERYONE THAT COMES INTO YOUR ESTABLISHMENT..ASK THE 2 QUESTIONS TO THE INDIVIDUAL WITH THE ANIMAL THEY KNOW HOW TO ANSWER YOU THIER NOT DUMB….AND GO ABOUT YOUR DAMN BUSINESS! Besides that….you work at the front Desk for the love of backstabbing BITCHES…!! not the A.D.A.! you are not trained in disability business nor the training. of support animals for the disabled…! Word FRIGGIN UP!…do your job and leave everyone alone! or you will end up in federal court along with your hotel owner ..bad day for you!
Happy Tails you people hateing animal abusers….and just do your job…and for (blanks) sake …READ THE LAW…KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES…PEACE!
Myself and my dog is being kicked out in the morning because I can’t provide paper work showing she is a service an I tried showing them the law they didn’t care to read it we have no place to go or the money I paid for a week here
A barking service dog is a nuisance and may lawfully be evicted however a service dog may bark and sit at another person because the handler is down or needs assistance. Always follow that dog and they will show you the person. A good example is if someone has a service dog that alerts them before they have a seizure or one who stays with them when they have a seizure to keep them safe. But a lot of dogs are trained that when the handler is down to alert a nearby person to follow. Another case is someone with PTSD they may have their dog go in the door to somewhere that they are staying to check to make sure that no one else is in the room or their home. If there is the dog will bark to alert the handler of danger They will only alert the person and lead the person away from the danger. They will not bite or go after the intruder.
Actually Shari, most people are also allergic to the urine and saliva of dogs, which is what actually causes the allergies. That is why there is actually no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Please look it up.
I may be missing your point, but I will go on to say that I am a person with a certified service dog. He never barks or acts unruly, and I would go on to that poor behavior should be an easy tell-tale sign the dog is not really a service animal. My animal MUST be under my control at all times. Besides, when he is WORKING so he is only attentive to me and my needs. We have identification to say he is a certified service animal. This is required in NYC to travel on public transportation with a service animal. My doctor had to fill out forms and I sent with an application. It is not unlawful to ask to see this identification. You may not ask about my disability, but you can confirm my pet’s status by checking ID and asking what service he provides. That is within the law. You would check any guest’s ID for their stay, why not their pet? The problem is there are so many ways to get fake/generic credentials on internet.
Frankly, people who abuse the situation make it more difficult for people like me with a true necessity to have my animal accepted.
You are certified by having a condition
that requires animal support. Your dog
fulfills all the requirements and is certi-
fied. That is not what we experience
in most public places. It’s obvious
that most of the dogs we see in grocery
stores and especially…Walmarts are not
trained or certified.
* As far as hotels/motels:
I don’t want to stay in a smoking room
nor one that has had an animal… as a
resident… unless, CERTIFIED..!!!
The service animal should have its own
sleeping quarters as well. Those bed-
toppers are not changed out daily
and will retain dog hair and dander.
Not acceptable. The next resident could
have a chronic reaction.
Pet Owners are not equal…some take
good care of their pets…others not so
much.
So…the requirements should be strict
for all animals staying in a hote/motel
with designated rooms. I grew up on
a semi farm. We had lots of animals…
but, I did not sleep with them.
And I don’t want to sleep where they
may have resided on top of the bed
where the topper is not always re-
placed unless stained.
Was in a Walmart several months ago.
Saw a man who was at least 10 feet
ahead of his unmarked dog. The dog
decided to take a leak on the refriger-
ation unit. When I yelled at the owner
telling him what his had done…he
just laughed and continued to walk
well ahead of his dog. Looked more
like he had become an enabler for
his dog’s poor behavior.
The hotel I manage strips everything in the room after a doghas been in there. This means EVERYTHING gets washed and wiped down. In the 9 years I’ve been here we have not had a single problem with pet allergies from anyone. Guess it depends on the hotel.
You know what a service dog is but bone up on your ADA. There is no such thing as a certified nor registered service dog nor having a tag saying that they are one. Registration, tags and certification may be fakely bought on the internet. There is no application for that you need to send in for a fake application. Yes it is unlawful to ask to see identification however as a service dog owner I will gladly show my doctors letter on their stationary with their letterhead with their phone number and my diagnosis along with the medical coding for it. Businesses MAY legally ask “is that a service dog” and “what services does your dog preform for you” The only places that may ask for doctors letter and vet shots are the airlines and Amtrak. You may travel on public transportation such as cabs, ubers an busses without the things that the airlines and Amtrak are legally entitled to ask for. NY has to abide by the US laws and the ADA outlines. They can not have their own requirements.
Why don’t they just stay in pet friendly hotels? I mean, do these people do this just to annoy people who DON’T want to be around animals?? I have pets at home and that’s where they stay when I travel. If they NEED a service animal, have some consideration for those who choose NOT to stay in a pet friendly establishment. There are those with allergies as well. Does their condition not mean as much as the person traveling with their pet companion??? It’s ridiculous and a problem.
Because we don’t have too. I myself am tired of butt hurt whining liberals being offended by absolutely everything!
You’re the problem sorry not sorry ; we won’t stay in a nasty hotel just like y’all . It’s special cleaning that housekeeping does to remove the dandruff from the dogs that cause the allergies . 😂🙏🏽
so because I was blown up in Afghanistan and bring my dog with me I limited to not staying at certain hotels? If I have money and I am paying for a suite at the Marriott and I have a dog that assist with my daily routine why should I be restricted to pet friendly hotels.
Thank you for your service. God Bless you and your service dog. I am a mother who lost her son at 34 years old and 4 days before retiring as a Major in the United States Army. After his 5th deployment he was taking his 13 year old daughter to a movie when a man opened fire at him outside of a convenience store. He did what any father and soldier would do and protected his daughter. Because of his death I now have a service dog for two reasons, emotional support and I am deaf. After he died I found out he had made an appointment for me to get qualified for a cochlear implant. At first I would not go to the appt but my 3 other children told me that it was what Robert wanted for me. So I went and qualified. But I honestly did not want to have the operation that would take an opportunity away from someone younger than me and probably couldn’t get a job. I own a daycare. I have a job and am 63 years old. As a result I was encouraged to get a service dog. I call my service dog a gift from my son. My son also had an emotional support service dog. He got him after his last deployment. His service dog is with his fiance who is also in the Army and is a wonderful emotional support for her. I am so grateful you are alive and have a service dog to help you. Those who are negative on this site do not understand. Let’s pray they never need to. Again God Bless you!
You are a self involved idiot.
“Just stay in a pet-friendly hotel” is akin to telling the African-American community to just have lunch (breakfast or dinner) at the counter of some diner where the non-white folks are supposed to go. Do you get it now? POINT MADE
Best Western in Bakersfield had checked ne in one night following morning they told me I had to leave after booking a second night
It’s the people who abuse the rules that are causing the problem. I’m at a hotel right now with a man who has two dogs with him who are barking at the pool sniffing around walking 10 to 15 feet away from him from his chair he’s having other gas hold their leash one of them is a 17 week old puppy which can’t be a service dog it’s clearly a total bag of bullshit. Unfortunately these are the people that ruin it for people who actually need a service dog. And it’s been repeated reportedly to the hotel staff there’s been video sent of them barking and causing problems and being all over the walkways and nothings been done
Your a selfish shit bag to ask that a person in need of a SERVICE dog should stay at a hotel not of his/her choosing-
For people who don’t like kids should u ask that they stay at a kid friendly hotel? Don’t tell me it’s not the same thing u idiot- It’s not about canine verses human- But it is scout understanding that every one had individual needs and respecting that- Even the disabled- Your comments are typical examples of discrimination of the disabled .
And there’s office also the selfish shit bag at my hotel right now he’s had a dog two dogs actually at the pool barking every single day walking 20 feet from them on their leashes crossing and covering and blocking a pool pool path so if some elderly or child went by they would trip barking constantly at the pool and they were given rights over us complaining about the fucking dog dry jumping each other and lunging and barking at kids.
Absolutely not ada dogs. These are the a holes that ruin it for real ada folk. It’s a joke. I provided 10 videos to management and they still would not address it.
The man said The dog had to bark to warn him when he needs something but all the dogs did was bark at kids running kids at the edge of the pool and then he would come in for an hour without the dogs and then his wife a show with the dogs yeah right he needs to dogs with him that’s a bunch of bs. Omg ruined our vacation.
Westin mission hills major FAIL! To protect your guests.
Dont like it leave
KA- You my friend are a selfish idiot! Read the fucking article and the ADA rules clearly stated above. So when my dog alerts my wife I’m having a seizure in the middle of the night am I supposed to just leave him at home and die??? Cool story bro, it’s a service animal for a reason! I’m sure you also think people don’t have sex, smoke, use drugs, etc in the room you stay in? Stay home and step in dog shit and take a freaking allergy pill. Cameron D – THANK YOU for defending our country.
Me and my wife lost our son after a long battle, we need our dogs with us all the time, they make us forget a few thoughts, controlling anxiety and panic attacks. You have no idea how is live with a problem like that… so I went to a place cheap outside my city, I came to work, I need the place. The manager just asked to make sure I wont stay with my dogs on common areas, sure, I can do it, they don’t need my dog, I do… the manager saw my dog and said “this is bullshit, they are not service dogs”, we don’t need to say why we have a service dog, but to make sure he would understand how important that dog is to me I said a quick story about my son, he laughed again making a sign “whatever”. I called the owner and he agreed with his manager behavior.
Hotels with “pet friendly” sign are more expensive, and you need to have something in mind, “they and NOT pets, we really need them with us, my dogs came with me on our lap on the plane”
The simple solution would be to register your dog as a service animal. If your need for a service animal is a recognized disability under the ADA you should have no problem obtaining registration. Then you can simply show the ADA registration and legitimatize your exemption. Too often hotels encounter people who claim that their pet is a service animal in order to get around a ‘no pet’ policy. Trained service animals do not deficate on the floors, chew holes in furniture, bark at everyone who passes by the room, etc. The key is that your dog is TRAINED to perform a specific task or tasks to aid you. Simply declaring your dog to be a service animal does not make it one.
I cannot even deal with the kind of retard you are honestly. First of all if you voluntarily choose not to be around pet dogs you you are a horrible human being let’s start there. Then No Karen just because you want to annoy people does not mean we are going out of our way to be at another place. I am staying where ever I please because it is my money my time and not YOUR HOTEL. Then there are very low chances a service dog can give allergies my service dogs are hypoallergenic which in case you did not know let me color code it for you, means that even if you are sniffing his fur you won’t get allergies, and my service dog I bet is cleaner and more educated than you are. So service animals are not pets and all dogs are beautiful, they are trained and capable and have the right to be wherever their owner is and you can whine all you want the ADA protects this as a federal law you moron !
It is very hard to find pet friendly hotels when I travel. Hell its hard to find a hotel at all. So no “we people” don’t sleep in hotels to annoy you. We do it because we need sleep. If you have allergies to my SD then don’t come up to me or my SD that simple. Your pet can stay with a friend, a boarding agency, or family. My SD can not. I need him to live. Just as you said your animal is a pet/companion. My SD has been put through 2 years of training and 7 years of working. You pet has not. I could die if I let my SD stay at home. You need to check your entitlement.
You are tone deaf and need to work on YOU. Once upon a time, it was inconvenient to install ramps for those who were wheelchair bound and people likely thought “they” should just stay in accessible hotels. Obviously, that’s not acceptable. Service dogs go anywhere their human goes if they have the right documentation.
Umh that is an extremely rude thing to say, you seem to think I just bring my dog on vacation because I want to annoy people. I have a right to stay wherever I want and my dog is an attachment to our family so back off. Maybe you should just stay in tour hotel room if you feel like the few that choose to stay at better establishments means your vacation is ruined. That is a little much. My dog is for our family to stay safe and that medications are taken and that I stay healthy. So for you to Be rude and think we only care about ourselves, that is uncalled for.
Because we should have the same rights you do to in joy our vacation. Without pet dos barking at our service dogs or attacking them. Just the way I feel. Our service dog could save our life.
Go away….you ignoramus
Sounds like you don’t have a disability. Lucky you.
If you dont like being around animals, why have any? It sounds like you’re an angry person who probably doesn’t treat your a animals like a member of your family like they ought to be…just sayin.
Sorry that I highly take offense at your post. It is wrong and prejudicial. First of a real service dog is not a pet companion at all. They are servicing the person with a disability. A pet companion is a pet that could be a regular dog or what is called a comfort animal not a service dog. The ADA says that a person that has a REAL service animal is allowed to access ANY public place even if regular dogs are not allowed. People who have real service animals do not have them as pets they NEED them to live independently without fear. I do have consideration for other people however my disability yes takes preference over theirs including those with allergies, those afraid of dogs or those who do not like dogs. Those with real service animals should not be asked to stay in a pet friendly establishment.
Terrific article
I was recently charged 60.00 because I did not tell the desk I has a service animal. It had been my experience that many untrained hotel employees are exceedingly rude and will basically harass me when I tell them I have service dog. I ALWAYS have to tell them what the rules are. I guess what I’m saying is, is it legal for them to charge me for not a announcing “a pet” whichis what I was asked when I checked in. I dont have a pet, she’s a registered service dog and i cant tell you how many places have tried to charge me for having her. What’s the rule here? Can i be charged for not saying yes to the pets question?
So you dont want the people who own the business to even know you have a service animal, the issue is that often times people confuse service animals with emotion support and think they both have public access. My policy is, if you have a service animal the animal should stay with you at all times and should never be left unattended.
The issue is the power is all in the hands of whoever decides they have an service animal. I cant even expect you to tell my front desk at check in? My issue has always been that we have no way to protect our property from people who fill out a 5 min survey they find on a Google search and our hands our tied. I just wish there was legitimate paperwork that shows the dog is trained and is what the owner claims. I dont need to see your medical records or anything like that, all I’m asking is for a way to stop people from taking advantage of an obvious loop hole I would gladly rent a room to anyone with a legitimate service animal. Just sick of my house keepers getting attacked or my room being down for 2 days after you left because of the smell.
It’s illegal to charge for an ESA under the ADA laws. I have the proper paperwork and I’m being harassed by the property manager and Key West Florida stating that I have to pay for my animal for the night that I stay there next month.
The law is: A hotel cannot charge you for a service dog however a Service Dog must be at your side at all times. If you checked in without your Service Dog by your side then that gave the Front Desk clerk the idea that you were trying to hide your pet. This is why you were charged
Under the ADA law a place can NOT charge you even if you arrive and have not told them you have a service dog however an actual service dog will be with you 24/7 at your service so the dog will always be with you when you check in. The motel however can charge you if a service dog chews up something. Places have the right to ask, “Is that a service animal? and also “What services does dog preform for you” and you are obligated to answer them. There is NO SUCH THING as a registered service dog. The fake registration is obtained on the internet and is FAKE. A person who really has a service dog should know the ADA laws and should be able to recite them like I can. I bring my doctors letter on their letter head with the doctors phone number, address, place they work etc. and my diagnosis of why I need my service dog plus the medical code that also defines my condition. I gladly provide this letter to anyone who may give me trouble but not all people will define their disability like I will, I am NOT ashamed of why I need my service dog. Sadly people do not have to provide that letter and their is no real ADA certification to weed out the fakes.
First off you should never accept being harassed for having a service dog. As a hotel manager though it’s important to register your animal. The rooms have to be completely cleaned and stripped to avoid allergy issues with the next guest. We do charge double the fee for animals not registered at the desk. The terminology used isn’t the important thing here as many people refer to them as “pets” even if they are providing a service. Not registering them is being deceitful as there is still a pet policy to sign in reference to particular hotel policy regarding leashes, cleaning up after an animal, leaving dog in room alone, etc. Hope this helps.
i am setting up A web portal for my business. and i want to know the copyright guidelines, specifically the legality of copying other articles from other websites. in other words, is it ok to copy an article from another site and paste it in my site ( of course, i will be putting the reference source or link it in to my site)? need hard core data please. if possible a weblink. thanks..
I manage a hotel in a resort area, and this is unfortunately my experience as well. Out of 10 dogs that are claimed by the owners to be service animals, at least half are either left alone in rooms to bark and relieve themselves for hours, or snap at other guests in the hallway, or snatch food off tables in the breakfast area. I fervently wish that there was an actual REGISTRY for service animals, so we all can stop the fake claims of service animals for animals who clearly are not.
I have an entirely different perspective on the dogs in hotel rules. I believe that hotels should allow ALL WELL BEHAVED DOGS — and that dogs must pass a behavioral test, get a certification and that card must be presented at the front desk — it would solve a lot of problems — its not the well behaved dogs that are bothering anyone – its those dogs that are NOT! I am a psychotherapist and I do feel Emotional Support Dogs in many cases are just as important to some people as dogs that perform services – Mental health issues are also a form of disability. So I do not feel its about the type of need the person has — it really comes down to bringing dog to a hotel that is well behaved. I was at the Arizona Biltmore- and a woman was there with her two dogs (SMALL) and they were seated side by side in a little dog stroller – those pups did not make a peep the entire brunch. They were better than 90% of the kids there! Perhaps we have to revisit these ‘dog rules’ – and try again!
Any dog including a service dog that is a public nuisance can be evicted from a business or motel. Read up on the ADA American Disability Act laws concerning service dogs. Yes a dog left alone in a room to bark is most likely not a service dog as a service dog goes with you everywhere to serve you. A dog that takes food off tables is not a service dog and is also a public nuisance too and can be evicted. As a manager you may ask, “Is that a service dog” and “what services do your dog perform for you” but sadly you can not ask for documentation from a doctor etc. I gladly provide doctors letter for my self trained service dog as it helps me show that my dog is actually that, what kind of disability I have and what medical code that is used to diagnose my disability “Panic attacks, Anxiety and PTSD”. People with those conditions may or may not need a service dog and could be helped with what they call comfort animals. A comfort animal is just that. They provide you comfort however do not preform an actual service such as protecting you from yourself when you have an attack or telling you that an attack is coming on or rendering help for you. Those who just carry a card or a badge for their dogs may be fake also. You can buy the card and badges on the internet. There is no such thing as a registered service dog, those who have a paper saying so have bought that off the internet. Service dogs have no registration at all. Those who say that their dog is registered are most definitely fake. Dogs can be either trained by a trainer or by the person themselves. Hope this helps you with your experiences in dealing with the public fraud. I do agree that the ADA should have an actual registry that would require the person to provide a doctors letter outlining that they need the service dog.
I wholeheartedly agree!! Also, I believe that when they are certain breeds of dogs that are considered, in general, dangerous the hotel should have the right to refuse those breeds due to the potential for liability. The ADA has guidelines that are far too loose and undefined.
Yes, I work at the hotel too and this is big problems for us as well. ADA needs to have some kind of registry of name and training of their dogs so hotel and other establishments can double check before renting. This is why airlines are getting very strict on service animals now.
I’m having a problem with a hotel trying to charge me for an ESA. It’s illegal
No it’s not. ESA’s are NOT covered by the ADA. Though I 100% think they should be.
Source: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
I’m in Dallas Texas on the Texas storm snow storm we just had here started on February 11th and on Saturday the 19th of February I was forced out of my apartment due to the busted pipes leaking water everywhere and me and my dog and a service dog I went to days inn on military and scyene and that girl behind the counter told me that my dog was sounding loud and I said he’s at I showed her the registration and his card that he was my service dog named emotional support dog and after she took my money she’s table I got to call the manager you can’t bring him in and they denied him to go inside I had no choice they wouldn’t refund my money what can I do
I have bi-polar & always require my small quiet well behaved dog with me. If he is not with me I can’t leave the house because of severe anxiety which then transforms into debilitating depression. I am house bound without him. Can you explain how I can register him as a Mental Health Companion Dog?
If you need your dog with you at all times, and he is trained to fulfill specific tasks to assist you, then you’re all set. You may find this article on how to make a dog become a service dog interesting https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-make-my-dog-a-service-dog/
I’m glad I can leave a comment a very good friend of mine was checking into a hotel room with her service dog that has to be everywhere with her she is trained to take care of her for her epileptic seizures the dog was dog hotel managed hotel new the dog was with her acknowledge the dog twice while she was in the shower beat it on her door open the door while she was in a towel forced her to leave did not refund her money. And while this was going on all the people that were staying in the motel as well we’re outside watching all this while this woman is in her towel with shampoo still in her hair forced to leave they called the cops and also charged her $100 fee for not allowed to have pets it’s not even in their policy it is nowhere in their policy stating that there are no pets allowed let alone service animals. Can you direct me on who I can contact to take care of this matter she’s traumatized over this dog
I think that hotel owners should be allowed to make certain rooms designated for service animals just like certain rooms are designated for handicaps. Ie; bathrooms and room space is bigger with less objects that may cause mobility or other problems. Hard floors vs carpeted floors, size and type of bedding and furniture. Room for a kennel or wheel chair. I think it’s unfair to hotel owners to let dogs go anywhere in any room, not unfair to the guest. The guest isn’t cleaning the room after they check out and housekeepers don’t get special wages for cleaning after dogs. There is fur to remove completely due to the next guest that may or could have severe allergies to dog hair. And nobody likes to clean up pee and poop which some of these people with disabilities think that hotel house keepers are obligated to do, for the same amount of pay. Now THAT IS BEING DISCRIMINATORY. Many hotels are eggshell walkers being threatened and cursed. It is a difficult subject indeed, however I’m not sure some of the rules put forward are fair to establishments or other guests. There is no balance. I love all animals. But I think we go a bit overboard with this. I understand the need for service animals. But I think both worlds of people need to understand that we all share this land and world. Some people go into shock for fear of dogs. If they are eating a nice meal and service dog or not suddenly sits down very close to them unexpectedly, and they start to panic, how fair is that? I think disable people are mature and understanding enough to not be so offended about someone knowing what their disability is or if they even have one. Most of us understand the need for the service animals, but if others don’t agree due to fear then why can’t there be a fair analysis and trade off without the offending of anyone’s space or life as it may be? I think we just didn’t think both sides of the subject out well enough and I see one side being treated too well while the other side suffers, and that goes both ways! There is no even keel on this and there should be- for the sake of EVERYONE, not just the disabled or the not disabled, but EVERYONE. I think it needs to be more thought out for the safety and benefit of all, especially the dog who provides the service.
This is ridiculous you seem pretty discriminating and honestly it’s very rare to have a guest at a hotel with a service dog so get over it. Stay yo ass at home. & of course you’re a “ Karen”
Nobody goes I to shock from their “fear” of dogs. Stop getting your Karen on.
I’ve been suffering from cronic PTSD for years my service animal, does more others. He provides a reminder for me not to act out in anger. The thing that always irritates is , that I’m told I must stay in a pet friendly room to protect people with allergies. Why don’t lodging facilities provide allergy free facilities those people. Or disabled veteran consider second citizens.
Please read your comment again.
You are told you must stay in a pet friendly room, to protect people with allergies.
Why don’t lodging facilities provide allergy free facilities for those people.
They do. That’s why they have “pet friendly rooms”. So there is a section of the lodging facility that is allergy free.
But how many rooms are pet friendly versus how many are pet free, that depends on the size of the lodging establishment.
There are far more people that need or want a pet free room, than those that desire a pet friendly room. So lodging establishments will have more pet free rooms, just based on simple demand.
I have an emotional support animal, a cat. He helps keep me calm because I am easily stressed and frightened. I have a seizure disorder and seizures can be triggered if I get stressed or scared/startled.y ESA cat keeps me calm. A hotel in VT refused to allow me to stay there because of the cat. I had all my paperwork, certificate, letter from my Dr. but the manager didn’t even want to see it. I was very upset, went to another motel, then suffered a small seizure while there. I could just cry.
an ESA is not a service animal per the ADA. They can rightfully refuse you access as ESA’s are not covered by the ADA law.
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.
What does a person with a disability look like? What does PTSD look like?
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?
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
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.
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!
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.
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!
You are a good person for defending a man like me that has a real service dog
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.
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.
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
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
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!
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?
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.
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.
Only dogs are allowed to be service animals under ADA rules.
Service animals are ONLY dogs as defined by law. No card or identification is needed. If discriminated against, record the interaction and go to court.
It is correct that you do not need a card or ID to prove that your dog is a service animal.
Can hotels list on their website that they do not allow service dogs? Because I wanted to stay at the Clarion Hotel Beachwood – Cleveland, but their website says that Service animals are not allowed (and it is listed under pets.)
Hotels must accommodate guests who require a service dog.
I’ve got a service dog for PTSD, anxiety and depression. I called Country Inn and Sites in Decorah Is and asked if they were allowed and was there any extra fee. I was told Yes allowed, No extra charge. But when I was checking out I was told by the front desk staff that because my dog barked when I walked away that he was not a service dog. I was charged an extra $300 cleaning fee. When I called the manager he said that was his policy. Is there anything I can do to get my $ refunded??
Hotels certainly cannot charge a fee to allow you to stay with your service dog, but they are allowed to charge for any damages your service animal causes. We’re not sure what happened in your circumstance, but you can certainly contest the fee if you feel that it was unjustly charged and your service dog did not create any issues beyond normal shedding.
Would you provide some sort of letter that we could present to our hotel guests at check-in who travel with service animals? It would explain how the animal must wear a vest or have some sort of marking to caution other guests that this is a working service animal therefore shouldn’t be engaged as a someone’s pet? Could you please email your recommendations as we do not want to offend our guests. Thank you.
The only type of letter we offer for service dog owners are PSD letters. You can read more about PSD letters here: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/psd-letter/
Under the ADA service dogs are not required to wear vests or have any disability information displayed.
It would be better to address the issue with guests who are not traveling with a service animal by stating that there are service animals that may be on your premises and they should assume that all dogs are working unless otherwise advised by the dog’s handler.
What about the rights of the hotel?
We have guests that stay with us that claim their dog is a service dog so they don’t have to pay the fee. It really makes it hard for the people that truly need & have service dogs.
It would be helpful if they had to wear the vest & just show us the papers. We ask guests to show us their AAA card, AARP card or military card…etc…
I just want the people that truly have a service dog to get all the benefits.
Hotels are allowed to verify service dogs by asking whether the dog is required because of a disability and what task or job the dog has been trained to perform for that disability.
what are the rules and regulations for service pets and Hotel dining areas
The ADA permits service dogs to be in hotels and areas where the public is allowed to be, which can include dining areas.
Is it legal for a hotel to charge a pet deposit for your service animal
Hotels cannot charge a fee or deposit because a guest requires a service dog.
What can I do if a motel just says no get out we don’t care.
If you run into an establishment that doesn’t understand service dog rules, we suggest directing them to the ADA’s rules and FAQ for service dogs.
The ADA does not require Service Dogs to be certified or a service dog certification and identification card. Nor do they require it to be registered. In fact there is no such thing as a Service Dog Registration and any company or website advertising such registration is a SCAM. Look up the ADA Laws for Service Dogs….
As we point out throughout our website and articles we publish, you absolutely do NOT need any type of certification or ID card for a service dog. However, service dog owners that use ID cards are not engaging in a scam. ID cards, certificates, vests and other accessories help legitimate service dog owners signal to others that they are using a service animal.
I have a service dog and was charged 20$ per night at the Super 8 south madison, WI. This wS after I informed them of the laws and showed the the written law online.
What can I do about this.?
You should certainly be entitled to a refund. Hotels cannot charge any type of fee for service dogs.
I don’t think it’s fair to call hotel staff ignorant when it should be the ADA responsibility to educate hotels and staff members on the rights and responsibilities of “service animal” owners. Furthermore, with the lack of requirements for hotels and staff regarding service animals it is easy for hotels to be lied to and “all animals” are “service animals” because we cannot ask for proof and regular pet owners can use it as an excuse to not have to pay the hotel fee for the non service animal. There should be a better foundation to assist hotel staff not make it more difficult.
All hotels should be pat friendly, then no one would try to bring dog as a service dog
I agree with you on providing proof of service animals if they want the discount, otherwise, we should have the right to refuse and charge the pet fee. I’ve worked the front desk at a pet-friendly hotel for over 4 years now in PA, and we have no problems with guests bringing their pets with them, but I constantly have people trying to lie about having service animals, from cats to birds, etc. When I try to charge them the pet fee, they get nasty and violent, and honestly, we hotel workers should not have to put up with the name-calling and abuse. PA does not recognize emotional support animals as service animals, and they also only recognize dogs and miniature horses as service animals. What can we do as a hotel to protect ourselves and our property?
Under ADA guidelines, if the task the service dog provides is not obvious, hotel 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. Hotel staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require an identification card or training documentation, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task. In some jurisdictions, it is a crime to misrepresent a service dog.
Do i have a lawsuit? .Or can i make a lawsuit?
if a hotel charge me for my service dog?
We suggest reaching out to the hotel and requesting a refund. You can remind them of their obligations under the ADA.
I stayed at Holiday in Carlsbad with my service animal. And after I checked out they charged me 250.00. How do I get this money back?
If they charged you for a valid reason such as damage to the room, you may not be able to get a refund. However, if the charge was solely because you had a dog in the room, you should notify management to get a refund.
I’m sorry but as a restaurant manager for over 30 years having to deal with ‘service animals’ was a nightmare!! The fact that anyone can ‘claim their dog is a service dog and you have no way of proving it is ridiculous!! Their should be a REQUIRED license by the state that must be on the dog at all times!! I had a lady claim her dog was a service dog and the dog was climbing all over the table barking and service dogs don’t do that, but of course you can’t question a service animal or heaven forbid they will scream I’m calling the ADA on you!!
Whether service dog owners should be mandated to obtain a license is a controversial topic. On the one hand, service dog owners and disability organizations will argue it places an undue burden on those that are medically disabled. Others however will argue that it will cut down on the number of people who fake having a service dog. There is no easy way unfortunately to balance these competing interests.
I have a family of four, all disabled. We have 4 service dogs, 1 for each of us. We stayed in hotel 6 and they tried to extort money from us stating 3 options. 1. that we must pay 20 dollars for each pet dog over their 2 pet limit per room and the service dogs can stay in the room if we pay, or 2. buy an additional room for 90 dollars and they won’t charge for the service dogs, and if we don’t take those options to, option 3 get Out!
Sorry to hear about your troubles. Hotels are not allowed to discriminate against legitimate service dog owners by charging any type of fee.
The other issue is: so many f*ing people claim their dogs are service dogs for psychological issues- how the heck do we have any idea when it’s real and not just someone making claims to avoid pet fees?
Psychiatric service dog owners are not exempt from having to prove they own a service dog. They must also be able to answer that they have a disability that requires a service dog, and that the dog has been fully trained to perform a task or job relating to a disability. Falsely misrepresenting a psychiatric service dog is also a crime in many jurisdictions.
A hotel we have to stay at because of insurance is asking what training my service dog has. And then said we cannot accommodate your supposed service dog. I showed her ID and made no difference. Additionally, it was the manager.
It was stated that the owner has a very strict no pet policy. I responded that she’s not a pet she’s a special trained OTSD service dog.
Mind you, she’s a whole 2 pounds.
Third parties cannot require IDs in order to verify a service dog. They are however allowed to ask what work or task the dog has been trained to perform.
As a motel manager, what do I do when the guest cannot tell me which task the dog performs?
They said “he helps with my PTSD,” but she gave absolutely zero tasks it could perform except “sitting with me to comfort me.”
From what I have found, this is the definition of an emotional support animal.
How do I deal with this? Guest got out of control- I offered to cancel her reservation, that didn’t help! Lol
Service dog owners must be able to answer the two questions allowed under the ADA. They do not have to demonstrate the task, but they do need to let third party verifiers know what the task or job is. If they are unable to do so, you may be able to deny accommodation.
I understand your frustration with the people who fake the service dog qualification, but my son, who has PTSD after 2 tours in Iraq, needs his dog. He went through special training and now is working on recognizing the triggers in my son that need to be met by calming him down. The dog is quick to learn these, but it’s a continual learning thing. If a veteran shows his military ID and has a service dog for PTSD (which is a mental thing, but causes emotional outbursts and anger fits if not controlled, which the dog does), would that make it better for a hotel manager?
I’m going to be staying in an Airbnb. The local laws say I can bring my service dog with me. However, the Airbnb has given me a lot of rules about my stay. This is what they told me: “That sounds fine.make sure you keep your dog on a leash(as we will have our dog loose around the yard sometimes. brush him so we don’t have hair everywheren.also no dog on the bed,sofa,blankets and please do not use our towels and bowls for your dog.thank you and have a bless day.”
I told them my service dog is Hypoallergenic before they sent me this. I’m wondering if they really do have the rights to tell me to do all these things. I’m willing to follow their rules but if a person was having a seizure the dog would be trained to jump on the bed to assist. I’ve been training service dogs for 12 years and I can name a dozen other reasons why they get on the bed. Even if the dog is trained to sleep on a dog bed they can still be trained to assist people. The best example would be when a person stops breathing in their sleep the dog can pull the pillow out from their head or wake them up.
According to American Kennel Club “there is no specific breed that is truly hypoallergenic” just some are less than others as to that statement. Why should I stay in a hotel room that has had a dog in it when I have severe allergies to Dogs and most animals? The hotels ask if you want smoking or non-smoking, are they going to do that for animals??
The hotel should be responsible for making sure all guests are properly accommodated. People with disabilities who require a service dog as well as people with allergies should both be taken into proper consideration.
Hotel Manager in Williamsburg, VA
As a hotel manager myself, it just annoys me how ignorant the general public is. I mean, people are willing to just about sell their soul and lie to your face that their dog is a service dog. For what? To get out of paying the pet fee? Jesus Christ! You know what I do, I have a copy of this at my front desk https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html.
As soon as they start spouting off at the mouth at what questions I can ask or the definition of a service dog, I show them this information in writing. See, the thing is….It’s fear that has kept people from truly enforcing what a service dog is. Fear of lawsuits. You gotta be able to know your job and be able to challenge them, especially the Whole PTSD thing. According the the ADA, an emotional support dog is not the same as a service dog.
As long as you know your job and are able to train your staff, the fear is gone. I once had someone call the police on me because I asked is the service dog because of a disability. I didn’t even get to my second question before i heard the word lawsuit.
People truly annoy me. Don’t let them run over with fake service service dog claims.
The Marriot hotel in St. Louis declined me saying they don’t accept service animals.
We suggest speaking with a manager regarding your situation – hotels are subject to ADA rules on service dog accommodation. You may have just run into a representative who was uninformed about service dog rules.
I went to a hotel and they asked me what was my disability and I told him anxiety and depression and they said no it’s not a service dog it’s an emotional support I said I have a card she wouldn’t even look at it how would I report her
Third parties are not allowed to make specific inquiries about a person’s disability. They should have asked 1. Whether the service dog is required because of a disability and 2. What work or task the dog had been trained to perform. A card does not prove that you have a service animal.
Due to your service animal policy for the hotel industry, people are abusing the requirements of their pets, stating that they are service animals and since we cannot ask for certification, anyone coming into the hotel can say that their pet is a service animal. Being in this industry for 9 years, I have seen it more often than not. And also they don’t obey the law and pick up after their pets. How can you help us to properly identify a service animal without allowing us to ask for certification?
You actually cannot make a certification a requirement for verifying a service dog. Nor do you have to solely rely on a certificate as proof that someone has a service dog. As a hotel, you are allowed to ask two questions under the ADA when the disability related need for the service dog is not obvious: 1. Is the service dog required due to a disability? and 2. What work or task has the service dog been trained to perform?
Agreed. Unfortunately gov’t restrictions prevent employees in the hotel industry from being to weed out the non service animals that people bring in.
Is it against ADA law if an untrained Hotel staff members removes your service Animal From Your Hotel Room ?
A third party should not interfere with a person’s service dog, unless the service dog is in danger to itself or others.
Good Day, I work at a hotel and we allow pets in most of our rooms, but not all. A guest wanted to book a suite that has in room sauna, hot tub, fire place, shower etc and we do not allow dogs in those suites due to the amenities in the room for safety, even service dogs. We have other options for the guest just not the room type they wanted. They said that is illegal and threatened to call government.
Who is at fault ?
Service dogs must be accommodated in hotels if the handler can answer two questions: 1. Is the dog a service dog required for a disability? and 2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
A hotel we booked was charging us $150 fee for service dog, they refused to accept us unless we pay the fee.
We tried to talk to a manager but a rookie counter clark was the only one on site since it was day after Christmas.
We ended up going to a different hotel after all. Is there any action we can take against that hotel?
Hotels are not allowed to charge fees because a guest needs a service dog. We suggest reaching out to the hotel’s management to discuss what happened. You should be entitled to a refund of the fee at the very least.
I run a hotel as well and as everyone has stated, it can be a tricky situation to navigate. We have a guest in house now that told us their dog was a service animal. They asked us to service their room while the were out. We opened the door and the dog sprinted out to the street. We had a group of guests and staff trying to chase the animal down before it got hit by a car. So my question is this, can a service animal be left in a hotel room for an afternoon, while their owners are out?
I see on the ada.gov site, question 29 says “No”. Q29. Are hotel guests allowed to leave their service animals in their hotel room when they leave the hotel?
A. No, the dog must be under the handler’s control at all times. Please help clarify. thanks again
Hotel staff cannot be expected to care for a service dog. A service dog travelling with a handler at a hotel should be under their control.
I am 100% disabled un-employable status with the VA. I’m living in a extended stay America hotel in Columbia sc and I’m charged almost 600 dollars more than another guest. I’m on the 3rd floor and the hotel has no elevator and customer service said ESA service animals are not service animals and they are still charged for. Am I wrong or are they about charging me for my registered service animals and being on third floor or are they?
Emotional support animals unfortunately do not have access rights to hotels. If you have an ESA, the hotel does not have to accommodate you. If you have a fully qualified service dog however, hotels are not allowed to charge fees for them.
What can I do if I was brutally screamed at for having my service animal he told my husband who brought her up to leave when he seen my service animal so my husband repeatedly stated we have card and paperwork he said it didn’t matter it was a dog so my husband got him without his permission we had paid already and he wasn’t going to refund the next morning checking out I walked out with her and he’s screaming I told you no dog and tried to put charges on my card but i blocked my card but again I had card in my hand and he continued to scream I was embarrassed I want to sue him because I know he will do this again I left my rights at desk he just cursed me
Hotels cannot insist on seeing paperwork as a condition to entry. No service dog owner should ever be yelled at. Hotel staff are allowed to ask two questions only for service dog verification: 1. Is the dog a service dog required for a disability? and 2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
What if the owner of the dog states that this is a service dog, and never provides any documentation (because they don’t have to, and we cannot ask for that). The dog is unattended in the room and barking for hours and disturbs other guests. Can we ask for documentation? Can we have the dog removed by pet control (this is in our pet policy). Can we charge the guest full pet fee in case they don’t follow our pet policy? If the dog is unattended, I assume it is not a service animal as the owner doesn’t need the dog to be with them all the time. Can we actually kick the person out? 90% of people are lying about animal service because they don’t want to pay pet fees. Owners of true service animals are usually very respectful and show us documentation without us even asking.
Service dog owners can voluntarily show documentation but it can never be required as a condition to entry. Service dog owners are always responsible for having full control of their dogs. If the animal is disruptive or causes property damage the hotel may be able to deny accommodation.
I am multi-handicapped, 70 years old, and have an older service dog (14 years old miniature poodle) who still assists me with my serious sleep apnea conditions (she will nudge me forcefully and bark if I stop breathing or snore too loudly for long periods) . I have an official handicapped card from the NJ DMV for my mobility handicaps due to my twp hip replacements and leg fracture repairs. I have never had to stay in a hotel with her in the past, but my wife and I will need to bring her with us for a few nights in some hotels. I looked online and the ones we need to stay in state that are not “pet friendly”. Of course, after being with her for close to 14 years, she is a both a “pet” and a service dog), but we are concerned that a hotel may not accept her even if we have her registration card and I can show my handicapped card. What happens if a hotel says no once we get there?
Hotels must accommodate handlers who can validate that their dog is a service animal. They can only deny entry if they have a legitimate reason. For example, if the dog is not under control or demonstrating aggressive behavior towards others.
What about the ESA service animals ? They’re also protected under the same law’s aren’t they ?
ESAs are not considered service animals. Please see this link for more info on ESAs: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/emotional-support-dog-requirements/
During my travels I have been refused an hotel because if my service dog.
Then very often they want to see documentation or a I.D. card of the service dog.
It makes it very frustrating for us.
There is no I.D. or documentation for a service dog in the USA..
Maybe some day we should, so we won’t have this problem.
That is correct, you do not need to carry an ID card with you as a service dog owner. However, service dog owners constantly face this request. Many will carry an ID card just to placate third parties who insist on seeing one with the hope of avoiding unpleasant confrontations.
If ur dog is a registered service dog that you had to pay a deposit and pet fee for at a motel does the motel have to refund your pet deposit and pet fees
Service dog owners should not have to pay any type of pet fee or pet deposit when staying at a motel.
What assistance is there for hotels to prevent people from misusing the service dog requirements? Pets in hotel rooms create additional cleaning and may cause issues for people with allergies who subsequently rent the room. We as a small motel business are constantly coming up against this issue where the guest appears to have no disability and the dog is clearly not trained, and yet there is nothing we can do about them abusing our pet policy. Our pet fee is in place to cover the addition cleaning costs yet people disrespect this all the time.
Service dog handlers are always responsible for any damage their animals cause to the property. If they service dog creates a mess beyond normal wear, hotels may be able to charge a cleaning fee.
I have the documentation for my therapist for an Esa emotional support animal I understand that there is a legal distinction between a service animal and an emotional support animal how are the definition of trained for a task questions that a hotel can ask and things they cannot for criteria of what you call a service animal my ESA actually meets that same criteria so again and then what is the difference I’m not blind but I do have an ADA more than one Ada protected diagnosis that my ESA assist me with
The major difference between an ESA is that an ESA does not require any specialized training. A service dog however must be trained to perform a job or task relating to a disability. You might find this article on ADA service dog requirements useful: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/service-dog-requirements/
I was going to stay at hotel but they denied my service dog. Is there anything I can do?
You should ask the hotel why they rejected your service dog request and speak to a higher level of management if necessary.
I stayed in ******* motel in December 2023 and a few days & nights.The motel stated all dogs,cats,animals have to be given rooms on the first floor.However on two occasions they did give me a room 222 & 303 their reason for this was because they had no rooms available on first floor.Each morning I went to the small cafeteria where breakfast was served and did not bring my service dog with me.One morning when breakfast was almost finished I simply walked into the breakfast room only to grab a yogurt and the female employee who worked at front desk approached me raising her voice and told me my dog could not be in this cafeteria “unless the dog is to help me to “see”or”walk” !!!! My service dog helps me with P.T.S.D. I am a disabled Veteran who served thirteen years for my country.I did not deserve this kind of treatment!!!!! When I called ****** customer relations they listened to my complaint but blew me off.Did not address the main issue of being harassed for having my service with me in a particular room or area.I have now contacted the ADA filled out a complaint form with the ADA.There are consequences when people or Veterans are harassed with a service dog.Most people are unaware of the ADA laws.Any person or Veteran doesn’t deserve the treatment after serving this country.
We’re so sorry to hear about how you were treated. We thank you for your service and hope this motel makes amends for their actions. Undereducation about service dog rights among staff is a real issue for service dog owners.
How many service dogs are allowed in a single occupant hotel room? Can a one person can have multiple service dog?
Some disabled individuals do require more than one service dog.
Does the hotel need to be informed in advance of the service dog accompanying the guest? What are the ADA rules if the pet becomes unruly (like incessant barking) — can hotel ask the guest to leave?
As a courtesy, you should notify the hotel at the time you book so they’re aware you are arriving with a service dog. That is not however a legal requirement. The dog must also be well behaved at the hotel. The dog can be asked to leave if they are acting unruly or disruptive. A service dog should be well trained enough that it does not disturb other hotel guests.
Does a hotel have to contact their corporate office to have a service animal?
Hotel staff should be sufficiently trained so that they know the rules for accepting service animals. No hotel should have to call their corporate office to approve a service animal.
Do I have to pay for my ESA Dog to stay at a hotel now?
Emotional support animals unfortunately do not have legal rights when it comes to hotels. The hotel can treat your ESA as an ordinary pet and charge pet fees if they are normally charged.
If a service animal preforms a task to help an individual sleep at night due to night terrors, or a sleeping disability – does that give the right of the handler to leave the dog unattended in a guest room of a hotel? Or do they still follow the rules of no service animal is to be left unattended. Please advise!
Thank you.
There is no rule that says a service dog can’t be left unattended. Many service dog owners leave their dogs unattended when they are not needed for short periods of time.
According to the ADA website a service animal must be under the handlers control at all times. How could they leave the animal unattended and still meet this requirement?
That means the animal should be under the handler’s control when it is out in public. It is common for service dogs to be left home alone sometimes while their owners attend to things. The ADA does not require a service dog to be at it’s handlers side 24/7.
I work for a Hotel How do you know if a dog is truly a service animal or motional support dog. if u are only allow us to as to question’s i could have a regular dog and say its a service animal and say it detects seizures or something like that and truly not. there should be no reason why a hotel can not verify the card or the vest. Does not seem right. on the hotel side basic having to allow all animal’s in the hotel cuz any one can say its a service dog and have it not be. thank you for taking my question’s.
ADA rules are designed so that service dog owners can verbally confirm they have a service dog without being subject to more intrusive interrogation or the need to provide special documents. ID cards and vests are completely optional for service dog owners – a hotel can’t condition accommodation on having these. Someone could conceivably lie about their service dog status, but that would clearly be unethical and is now also a crime in many jurisdictions. Service dog fraud hurts everyone in the service dog community, but a few bad apples shouldn’t ruin service dog rights for most people who are honest about their service dog needs.
Service dog are groomed and tagged. They should leave little or no evidence of their presents. They shouldn’t bark or run free or act like pets. If the dog is for service, ypu will know as they are trained differently.
If your hotel has a one dog policy. is a guest allowed to bring more if they claim that they are service animals. Or say, two stating that one is a service animal and the other is not?
There are quite a number of people who need more than one service dog. Each service dog is subject to the same verification standards under the ADA. Hotels cannot place an arbitrary cap on the number of service dogs a person can have (unless there is some valid health or safety concern for doing so).
Over the last couple of years I’ve noticed that a lot of “social media informed” guests say their dog is a service animal and know that we cannot question them. 90 percent of the time it is clear that it isn’t one and being unethical seems not to matter as much as not paying the pet fee.
That’s not quite true – you actually can question them under ADA rules. You are allowed to ask two questions: 1. Is the dog a service dog required for a disability? and 2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform? You can only ask these questions however if the disability related need for the service dog is not apparent.
Can a hotel identify my room with a hang tag on the door if I am staying with a service animal?
You should notify your hotel when you check in that you have a service dog. That way housekeeping and other staff will be aware that there is a dog in your room.
So I went to a hotel in Florida and explained that my animal was a service animal for my disability. The manager argued with me stating that every service animal is registered and receives an ID card. But when I investigate it states that the ADA does not require a dog to be registered. That yes an ID card can help but all those sites stating that they register your dog are actually scams. So my question is this hotel manager told me that because I wanted to try and tell her she was lying about dogs being registered that I’m not allowed to stay there and kept my money. What do I do?
You are indeed correct, no one can force a service dog owner to show proof of registration or an ID card. We offer these items for the convenience of service dog handlers precisely because of situations like these where third parties insist upon them. We recommend you reach out to the management of the hotel to let them know what occurred.
I stayed at a hotel that agreed to allow my service dog, I was charged an extra $500 when I checked out. I was told by the house cleaning department that the room smelled like a dog so they charged the $500…stating that the room could not be rented out because of the smell. I disputed the charge through my credit card dispute department and the hotel will not remove this absurd charge. What are my rights?
Hotels cannot charge a service dog owner for normal cleaning. They can however impose fees if the dog causes damage beyond normal wear and tear.
I recently stayed in a hotel and I was charged a “cleaning fee” for my service dog, When I disclosed that he was a service dog and I wasn’t supposed to be charged for him they said it’s not a charge for the pet, but for the cleaning fee, because of “pet dander” ……. is this legal??
Hotels are not allowed to charge for normal wear and tear caused by a service dog. They can only charge a fee if a service dog damaged the property somehow.
I went to a motel and took my dog in they said it was no charge I showed them the proper paper work for a service dog and after I left I was charged 100.00 on my. Credit card. . I left the room clean and in very nice condition and I made sure no hair or anything was left behind . They never refunded my money I even had pictures on my phone of the condition I left it in . They took advantage of me and is it really worth taking them to court ? I dont think so . Just beware make sure to get something before you stay or they can get you . Make some kind of form and have them agree or something im my opinion . Just a heads up
I was recently asked to leave a breakfast room with my service dog. I was told I had to take my food to my room. Is this legal?
Service dog owners have the right to enjoy their meals in the dining area like other non-disabled hotel guests. Unless the hotel had a valid reason (for example if the service dog was being aggressive or unclean), they would not be able to refuse accommodation for a service dog owner.
I am currently in a housing the homeless program in Mesa,As. I want to know if my service dog falls under the same conditions she’s rules about having to trim in a kennel unless being walked… The mental health inc. Is saying pet
Policy is that all any and all dogs are to remain locked in the kennel in your room unless you are feeding them or walking them outside I have a service animal that is in training and she’s a seizure alert and response is there an Arizona 88 law that says that otherwise?
The ADA and Fair Housing rules should allow anyone in a housing facility to be accompanied by a service dog for their disability at all times. The housing facility can only refuse accommodation if there is a valid concern for health or safety.
Does a guest with a service dog have to disclose that they have a service dog in their room with them at the time of check in?
Yes, hotel guests with service dogs should notify the front desk at the time they check in. Ideally, they will notify the hotel in advance so appropriate preparations can be made.
Disabled people are not legally obliged to disclose the presence of their service dog.
It’s a medical aid.
You don’t have to let front desk know you have a wheelchair in your room either.
Yes, to clarify, the front desk can only ask about your service dog if your disability related need for a service dog is not apparent. For example, you can’t tell that owners of psychiatric service dogs have a mental health disability just based on their appearance. In these cases, third parties can rightfully ask the two questions allowed under the ADA to verify that they are a service dog owner.
If you’re a security manager, and someone claiming to have a service dog displays an inability to control said service dog, that is indeed not a service dog and the ADA is quite clear on that. Furthermore, the ADA also states that service dog owners are not null of following the same rules as every other guest of the hotel. I don’t know a single hotel that will allow unattended animals. Furthermore, leaving the room without your service dog for extended periods of time is further evidence that that is indeed not service dogs. One or both dogs displaying aggression is the only thing you need to deny service and or access.
I work at the hotel; we are seeing more service dog labeled vs. a dog with a guest. i have been in hotel for 15 years. guest is using the ADA Law very wisely and affecting the location of the good business places. Yes, many individuals have a health challenge and with due respect understand the concerns but when an individual stat taking an advantage of the system where Law enforcement is overlooking is not fair! We are live in a such a wonderful land where technology is a huge and why ADA Law cannot give businesses an access to the website where they can verify the registration # with a click of YES or NO answer and NO detail need to be released to the public. If system shows CARD # ENTER on the website given by ADA Law department verifies by YES OR NO should be sufficient to business to decide whether to charge a pet fee or not.
Law should be fair to everyone and cannot be created for one side of the coin only! Give Full rights to those who has needed service Pet as service pet no challenge at all. They are their companion! they need it and I believe we all will respect and at the same time business need to be respected as well!
Hope Law hear these voices! Please help Hotel industries and many others business industries who are struggling this situation of lie! Please HELP US ALL!