Is there anywhere service dogs are not permitted?

Answer 1

Note: "Seeing Eye" is a brand name of guide dog. This answer applies to all guide dogs and all service dogs. Generally guide, hearing and service dogs are permitted to accompany their disabled owner everywhere members of the public are allowed, but there are a few exceptions. For example, a member of the public would be permitted in the dining area of a restaurant, but not in the kitchen. Therefore, a guide dog would be permitted to accompany his disabled owner in the dining area of a restaurant. It is also an important distinction to note that it is the handler who has access rights and not the dog. A guide dog without his blind handler has no particular access rights of his own and neither does a hearing dog or other service dog without his disabled handler. "Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, taxis and shuttles, grocery and department stores, hospitals and medical offices, theaters, health clubs, parks, and zoos." -- U.S Department of Justice.

For clarification, contact the U.S. Department of Justice's ADA Information Line at 800 - 514 - 0301 (voice) or 800 - 514 - 0383 (TTY) In the U.S., according to the Department of Justice's Business Brief concerning Service Animals, business owners/managers can ask 2 specific questions. 1) Is this a service dog required because of a disability? and 2) What task(s) is the dog trained to perform? If these questions are not appropriately answered, the business may exclude the animal, but not the person. Though service animals of all kinds can legally accompany their disabled handler almost anywhere the handler goes, they can be excluded from areas where their presence would constitute either a fundamental alteration of goods and services available for all or a direct threat to safety. Examples where a service animal might be excluded include:

-Sterile rooms, such as operating rooms, some areas of emergency rooms/departments, some ICU rooms, some ambulances, some delivery rooms (on a case-by-case basis)

-Clean rooms where microchips are manufactured

-Places where food is prepared (though they cannot generally be excluded from dining areas where food is present) (by order of most health departments)

-Open air zoological exhibits, such as open air aviaries (at the zoo's discretion)

-Churches (at the church's discretion)

-Native American Tribal Council Chambers (at the council's discretion)

-Federal Courts (at the judge's discretion)

-Private clubs (at the club's discretion)

-Private homes (at the home owner's discretion)

So far, this discussion is centered entirely on laws of access in the United States of America. Other countries will have their own laws in place regarding the access rights of individuals accompanied by a service animal. ---- = = The most reliable source of information on this topic would be to call the United States Department of Justice's Americans with Disabilities Act Hotline toll-free at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TDD). The ADA protects access rights of disabled service dog handlers. There are certain places where having a dog might propose a health risk and service dogs would not be allowed in these areas. These areas include Critical Care units and restaurant kitchens. A service dog would be allowed in the restaurant, but not in the food prep area. The service would be allowed in a regular hospital room but not the ICU.

Private clubs and religious organizations may also choose to not allow service dogs. This is up to the organization, they are exempt from the ADA.

By law, seeing eye-dogs are allowed everywhere. Except roller coaster I would imagine. They are allowed in restaurants and anywhere the owner goes as long as they have their service vest on.

Answer 2

Yes, fully trained service dogs are permitted to accompany their disabled handler in any part of a restaurant in which members of the public are permitted. This means they are permitted in dining rooms, rest rooms and lobbies of restaurants, but not in the food preparation areas such as kitchens.
Not all dogs are service animals, but for those that are, the Americans With Disabilities Act generally requires businesses, including food establishments, to modify policies to permit service animals (including guide dogs) to accompany their disabled handler wherever the general public are allowed. The general rule of thumb where food is involved is that where special clothing is not required a service animal must be permitted. Where special clothing is required, such as food preparation areas, a service animal may be excluded and in fact must be excluded if necessary to comply with health statutes or ordinances. Since a typical patron of a restaurant isn't asked to don a hairnet, latex gloves and an apron while in the dining area of the establishment, a service animal (including a guide dog) should be permitted to accompany a disabled handler there. Health regulations generally make it illegal to take pet dogs into a restaurant. Sidewalk or other outdoor seating areas are usually exempted from these regulations.

* Per the ADA, service animals must admitted to any public place. As long as a restaurant is not located within a private club, they must allow a service animal. This SA is not allowed in the kitchen and can't be segregated from the rest of the patrons unless the SA handler wants it that way. It is considered bad SA etiquette and may get you kicked out of the restaurant for letting your SA on the table or putting your plate on the floor for them to lick. If the animal is thirsty, the bathroom may be the proper place for watering. * A mall food court somehow feels different and some SA handlers don't mind watering their animal there. Also, not everyone is there to eat-maybe just to take a load off.

* It is a violation of most state's health code to allow pets in a place that serves food. If a restaurant has outdoor seating, they may allow your pet there. There are food places in large cities that cater to pet owners. * A service animal is not a pet when they are on duty. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, all food establishments within the United States must permit a person with a disability to use the dining room of a restaurant while accompanied by their trained service animal.

Some states give their citizens greater rights than what the ADA has to offer, but by law, no citizen of any state can have fewer rights than those guaranteed by the ADA.

Service animals are generally not permitted in areas where food is prepared (such as in a commercial kitchen) but they must be permitted in all areas where the public are permitted to enter without special clothing (such as hair nets and latex gloves), including the dining area of restaurants, in other businesses that serve food such as movie theaters, and in stores that sell food.

However: if the animal behaves inappropriately by vocalizing or making unwanted contact with other patrons, behaves in a threatening manner, is not properly house trained or otherwise poses a direct threat to the safety of others or a fundamental alteration of the goods or services offered, then he can be excluded.

For more information on the ADA, contact the U.S. Department of Justice's ADA Information Line at:

800 - 514 - 0301 (voice)

800 - 514 - 0383 (TTY) Similar rules are in force in most of Europe

Answer 3

A service dog is allowed to go anywhere where the human its guiding or helping is going.

Another Answer:

As long as they are wearing their service vests, service dogs are allowed almost everywhere. These dogs are with people to protect them, and they cannot do that if they are not allowed to go everywhere with their owners. So, they can go in malls, shops, restaurants, and almost everywhere else, except a roller coaster I would expect. When you see a no dogs allowed sign, it usually says except service dogs.

(*EDIT BY RW 1/7/2015*

The above answer by Porkchop1802 is incorrect. Service dogs are not required to wear any form of identification as per ADA law. Also, these dogs are not with people to "protect" them - actually protection training or any form of aggression would disqualify a dog as a service animal. Service dogs cannot be aggressive in any way because the public has the absolute right to feel safe around them. Service animals perform trained tasks, that their disabled owner cannot do themselves, that's directly related to and mitigates their disability. Service dogs are legally allowed to go anywhere the general public is permitted to go.

Answer 4

Yes, Service Dogs are allowed to be in hospitals.

There are areas where they are banned, including the ICU, Surgery rooms, and parts of the ER. These are medical limitations to reduce infection.

Answer 5

Per the ADA

Though service animals of all kinds can legally accompany their disabled handler almost anywhere the handler goes, they can be excluded from areas where their presence would constitute either a fundamental alteration of goods and services available for all or a direct threat to safety. Examples where a service animal might be excluded include:

-Sterile rooms, such as operating rooms, some areas of emergency rooms/departments,

-Some ICU rooms, some ambulances, some delivery rooms

-Clean rooms where microchips are manufactured

-Places where food is prepared, i.e. Kitchens (by order of most health departments)

Though they cannot generally be excluded from dining areas where food is present

-Open air zoological exhibits, such as open air aviaries (at the zoo's discretion)

-Churches (at the church's discretion)

-Native American Tribal Council Chambers (at the council's discretion)

-Federal Courts (at the judge's discretion)

-Private clubs (at the club's discretion)

-Private homes (at the home owner's discretion)

A service animal can also be expelled from any location when:

1) the animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it.

2) the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

Answer 6

Why would you want your dog to eat in a restaurant? This is the time your dog is working and they should be concerned what is going on with the handler. Wait till you go home to feed your dog. The Oder of the food may offend others eating a meal and this might cause issues for you and your animal.

Answer 7

Yes, guide dogs are allowed almost anywhere, pets are the ones the arent.