[nagdu] Zoo Policies on Service Animals

[Lyn Gwizdak]

Hi Marion,
We recently had a speaker from the Zoo at our blind center.  He said that 
there were changes regarding service dogs along with the other services for 
disabled patrons. He gave me a copy of this but I haven't had a chance to 
read it yet.

He did tell us that service dogs are allowed in everything with the 
exception of one of the aviaries for birds and inside the petting corral 
where the animals walk around loose - I wouldn't want my dog in that anyway. 
But the dogs are now allowed in the Childrens Zoo where the petting corral 
is located.

When the San Diego Zoo first allowed service dogs back in 1994, there were 
more restrictions.  We couldn't bring them into any of the shows, any of the 
avaries, or in the Childrens Zoo at all.  With the exclusion of the one 
aviary, I didn't get to ask the reason why the dogs could go into the other 
ones but not one particular one - what made the excluded aviary different 
from the rest.

I think as people realize that the threats to the animals or our dogs are 
really unfounded, things will open up even more and alot has to do with the 
work of you and NAGDU.  Thank you!!!

And it goes without saying: You know your dog and if you find it is 
appropriate to bring YOUR dog into a zoo envirnment and if you do bring the 
dog in, you keep the dog on its best behavior!  Landon does well in zoos but 
I put his headcollar on to keep him well behaved.

Take care,

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>; "FLAGDU List" <FLAGDU at NFBNET.ORG>; 
<blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2011 9:09 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Zoo Policies on Service Animals


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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