[nagdu] Zoo Policies on Service Animals

[Marion Gwizdala]

Dear All, 
    One of the initiatives of the National Association of Guide Dog Users is to assist in the creation of more consistent policies as it relates to the use of service dogs in zoos. according to the Americans with Disabilities Act and guidance from the Department of Justice, an individual accompanied by a service animal is allowed access to any area other patrons are normally allowed unless doing so would cause a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be mitigated by a reasonable modification of policies, practices, or procedures or significantly alters the essential elements of the goods or services offered. Even in hospitals, the centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions that the threat must be real and not based upon an assumption of a threat.
    why then do zoos have such an issue with service animals? Some zoos contend it is a regulation of the United States Department of Agriculture, although I have not been provided any objective evidence that the USDA has any such regulations. I will be speaking with an official from the USDA this coming week to get further clarification. 
    We are also working with the American Zoological Association (AZA) to develop some model policies concerning service animals in zoos. we are hoping to have representatives from the USDA, AZA, and Animal Kingdom at our seminar on July 5 to discuss this issue with us.
    In preparation for this meeting, I surveyed the various policies of zoos on their website and have attached the results of this survey. I find it interesting that there is such wide variations on the policies, leading me to believe they are more arbitrary than founded in any evidence of direct threat. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala, President
National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)
National Federation of the Blind
813-626-2789
President at NAGDU.ORG
HTTP://WWW.NAGDU.ORG   
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