Are Service Animals Allowed To Eat In Restaurants

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Animals in restaurants: What you need to know about ADA requirements

Under the law, ADA-recognized service animals are not the same as emotional support pets.

Photo: Getty Images

Heard the 1 well-nigh the customer who walked into a New England restaurant wearing a large snake as a muffler? Despite alarming both the service staff and other diners in the room, he refused to leave when asked to exercise and then, claiming that the reptile was a "psychiatric service animal" and that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) meant the establishment could non withhold service.

The eatery manager eventually backed down, seated and served the patron, and the post-obit day placed a phone call to the New England ADA Center in Boston to inquire what to practice the next time.

The answer: The restaurant had every right to turn away the snake-adorned patron, who presumably had confused the idea of a "service animal" under the ADA with an "emotional support animal" for those with psychiatric disabilities, explains Kathy Gips, the center's managing director of ADA training and technical assistance. An "emotional back up animate being" isn't trained to provide a specific service for a person with a disability and needn't be accommodated in restaurants. A service animal, in contrast, is individually trained to perform one or more specific tasks for a specific individual with a disability—and must be accommodated by restaurants and other businesses that serve the public.

Dogs are probably what come to mind when you film a service animate being, and the vast majority of service animals are dogs. However, a miniature horse, nearly the size of a big dog, can also be a legally protected service animal, providing tasks such as pulling a wheelchair. No snakes, no cats, no parrots, no ferrets—only dogs and mini horses are recognized every bit service animals under the ADA.

Here are the basics of what your staff should know:

Everywhere in the country, customers take a right to bring service animals into restaurants. The ADA supersedes whatsoever local health department regulations banning animals. Your land may likewise mandate eating place accommodation for service animals in preparation or emotional support animals. (Cheque with your state human being rights or anti-discrimination committee.)
Restaurant staff tin ask simply ii questions when presented with a customer accompanied by a service beast: "Is this a service animal required because of a disability?" and "What work or tasks is the fauna trained to perform?" Employees tin can't question the customer'south ADA-protected inability—which may non be readily visible—and can't enquire for a sit-in.
Customers with service animals tin can't be seated apart from other diners, such as in a private dining room—that'south a form of bigotry.
Even ADA-compliant service animals can occasionally exist problematic in restaurants, since in that location's no defined standard for preparation. If a canis familiaris, for instance, jumps in the patron'southward lap, eats from the table (and the handler does not take constructive activity to command it) or messes the flooring, eating house staff tin ask that the beast be removed from the premises. But the human customer must withal exist accommodated, such as past offering the food for takeout or request him or her to render without the service animal.

Visit Restaurant.org/webinars to watch our October. 3 webinar on ADA and service animals.

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