Quarterly Tea with MOD:
Service Animals in Public Settings
Wednesday, June 7
1 – 2 PM
There is a lot of misinformation about service animals and emotional support animals, such as where they are allowed to go, what questions can be asked about them, and what to do if they are not behaving well. This Quarterly Tea aims to describe the rights and obligations of service animal users in public places, such as restaurants, stores, and libraries. The intended audience of this session is owners and staff of public places, as well as animal control officers.
This quarter’s Tea will get you started with information and real-world examples to answer common questions like:
- What is the difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal?
- How can I determine if a dog is a service animal?
- When can service animals be denied?
- How do I consider other patrons’ concerns like allergies, concern for health and sanitation, and phobias of dogs?
- How and when can MOD provide support?
MOD’s Quarterly Teas address your most frequently asked questions and concerns related to hot topics in the disability community. Quarterly Teas are scheduled for one hour. The last 20 minutes are reserved for a live Q&A. Bring your questions about providing service to patrons with service animals and any questions you commonly hear from your patrons about service animals and emotional support animals!
Presenters:
MOD Disability Rights Unit
Reasonable accommodations: MOD does not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to providing accessible programs, meetings, and events.
To request reasonable modification to participate in this event, please contact MOD General Counsel and ADA Coordinator, Julia O’Leary, at [email protected] or 617-727-7440 x27324. Requests made after May 31, 2023 will be considered but may not be possible to fill.
More resources from MOD
Webinar recording: Service and emotional support animals in the workplace
When employees request to bring a service animal or emotional support animal with them to the workplace, there are important considerations and procedures to keep in mind. This webinar from MOD gives Municipal ADA Coordinators at executive branch agencies the information they need to properly handle requests.
Disability rights for users of assistance animals
There are state and federal laws providing civil rights protections for people with disabilities who use service animals and emotional support animals. The exact rights and responsibilities depend on what type of animal it is and what the setting is.
This page outlines the definitions of different types of animal. Then, for each of the main settings, we outline the laws, rights, responsibilities and relevant processes for service animals and emotional support animals in places of public accommodation, housing, transport and employment.
