Welcome To National Guide Dog Month – September 2024

The month of September, designated as National Guide Dog Month, affords me a chance to use knowledge of legal research which I gained at law school. By contrast, the month, for guide dog Jonah, is like any other month as he continues to demonstrates skills which he learned at Guide Dogs For The Blind.

We hope you appreciate the investigation , relish the images, and savor the audio.

For more information, or to support, go to: https://www.guidedogs.com/

“Stand By Me””

PENALTIES FOR ADA VIOLATION: Guide Dog Coverage)

Violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act  (ADA) may include penal and civil damages, depending on the nature of the complaint.  Damages can be as much as $50,000 for the first offense and $100,000 for subsequent offenses.

Under the ADA and its implementing regulations, the right of a blind person to be accompanied by a guide dog in places which serve the public is guaranteed.  Section 36.104 of Title 3 specifies that “service animals,” which include guide dogs, are covered by the statute.  The right of a blind person to be accompanied by a guide dog is guaranteed and the term “public accommodation”is also defined under this provision

Service Animals

The ADA explains what businesses and state/local governments must do to make sure that they do not discriminate against a member of the public with a disability who uses a service animal.

Generally, businesses and non-profits that are open to the public as well as state/local governments must allow service animals to go most places where the public can go. This is true even if they have a “no pets” policy.

Service animals are:
* Dogs
* Any breed and any size of dog
* Trained to perform a task directly related to a person’s disability

Service animals are not:
* Required to be certified or go through a professional training program
* Required to wear a vest or other ID that indicates they’re a service dog
* Emotional support or comfort dogs, because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person’s disability

Asking if a Dog is a Service Animal: If you are working at a business or state/local government facility and it is unclear to you whether someone’s dog is a service dog, you may ask for certain information using two questions.

You may ask:

* Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
* What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

You are not allowed to:

* Request any documentation that the dog is registered, licensed, or certified as a service animal
* Require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability

Because service animals are not required to wear vests, a dog that is wearing a vest is not necessarily a service animal. The dog still needs to be trained to perform a task for a person with a disability to be a service animal.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alaska may have more current or accurate information. There are no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.