[nagdu] Zoo Policies on Service Animals

[Wayne Merritt]

This reminds me of when I contacted Discovery cove back in March and
asked about coming there with my Seeing Eye dog in July. I ultimatley
decided not to go partly due to funds, but mainly to the fact that if
I did take my guide, there would be a limited number of places the dog
could visit, even while in harness, such as the beach, restaurants,
restrooms, and a few other nondescript places. The dog could not go
near the snorkling area, the bird aviary, or within 10 feet of the sea
life, such as the dolphin swim area. If I couldn't take my guide to a
majority of the park's places, then what's the point in going? The
first time I called I was told that I would have to make other
arrangements for my dog while I was swimming with the dolphins. The
second time I called and asked the same thing, the agent I spoke with,
who was different from the first one, said that while the park
couldn't garrentee that someone would be available to hold my dog's
leash, she said she could make the note and as long as they knew ahead
of time, then she thought it would be okay. I can kind of understand
not taking the dog near the dolphin swim area, but what's the deal
with taking the dog in the bird aviary? Sure, some dogs may lose it
and want to chase the birds, but a vast majority of guide dogs are
well behaved and know their jobs, and aren't going to indulge in that
puppy like behavior. I hope that NAGDU can form agreements with zoos
and the AZA on these policies, since there are zoos I would like to
visit. I know I could have kenneled my guide at Sea World across the
street. I didn't see the point though of kenneling the dog in a
strange area, then going back across the street for the day or half
day, and come back to get the dog later, who would have likely been
nervous and anxious about being left alone in a strange place for many
hours. If I were with my family or friends then it may have been a
different story, but I was going on my own.

Sincerely,
Wayne Merritt

On 5/7/11, Marion Gwizdala <blind411 at verizon.net> wrote:
> 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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