Letting the (Service) Dogs In: Where Public Safety and Anti-Discrimination Laws Meet

Travelers and diners are increasingly finding that they’re sharing their flight or their restaurant with animals, and many other businesses nationwide are also seeing more patrons with furry friends. It’s a trend that presents special challenges, particularly in settings where public health and safety regulations often limit or exclude animals. As a growing number of people with disabilities rely on service animals – and others attempt to pass off their pets as trained assistants -- here’s what you should know.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires places of public accommodation such as restaurants and transportation carriers to allow service animals that assist people with disabilities. The ADA and related federal antidiscrimination laws take precedence over general restrictions on animals, but only under certain conditions and behavioral standards. The U.S. Department of Justice – the ADA’s primary enforcement authority – considers only dogs to be…