[nagdu] Should Service dogs in training be allowed in the classroom?

[Ann Edie]

Hi, Roanna,

To the best of my knowledge, the Federal law, the ADA, does not say anything
about service-animals-in-training. So whether someone, whether that person
has a disability or not, can take an animal-in-training into a public place
that has a "No Pets" policy would depend on the State laws in that state. In
some State laws it specifically includes trainers of
service-dogs-in-training as having access to places of public accommodation
with their animals-in-training. In other states, the trainer/handler would
have to ask permission of the building/facility management to take an
animal-in-training into the building, just like any other store or place
that has a No-Pets policy. In my home school district, one of the school
board members was a puppy raiser for one of the guide dog schools, so there
was no problem with her taking the puppies in training to any school
function. But nowadays, with all the allergy, insurance, and litigation
issues, there might be additional hoops to jump through, like permission
from the parents of all the children who might come into contact with the
dog for their children to be exposed to the animal, and the presentation of
health certificates and vaccination certificates, etc. I do not know the
wording of the service animal access laws in Florida, but hope someone else
can help you with the specifics.

I have no problem with school administrators refusing to allow
raisers/trainers to take animals-in-training into their facilities so long
as that is consistent with the State's access laws. I would definitely have
a problem with any school putting any obstacles in the path of any person
with a disability who sought to enter the facility with their trained
service dog, whether that person was a parent attending a school function, a
staff member of the school, or a member of the community visiting the
school. If the state's access laws do not specifically include access for
trainers with their animals-in-training, and if trainers/raisers feel that
it is a major obstacle to their training of the animals, then
raisers/trainers should work with their state's service animal organizations
and individuals who use service animals to get the laws changed so as to
insist on access for trainers/handlers accompanied by their
animals-in-training. If the access laws of Florida do already permit
trainers/raisers to be accompanied by their animals-in-training into places
of public accommodation, then I think the service animal organizations and
service animal handlers need to point out to school administrators that they
are in violation of state law, and if that doesn't cause them to change the
policy, find one or more strong cases to challenge the practices in court.

Ann

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roanna Bacchus
via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2015 2:19 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Roanna Bacchus
Subject: [nagdu] Should Service dogs in training be allowed in the
classroom?

Dear Nagdu Members,

Yesterday I read an article in the Orlando Sentarel that says that service
dogs in training have been banned from classroms in public schools in Orange
County here in Central Florida.  
Seminole County has a policy stating that the principal of the school must
give permission for the individual to bring their service dog in training
into the classrom.  This brings to my memory an incident where my former Tvi
;was told she could not bring her dog in training into the classrom at
Hagerty High School where she was teaching at the time.  How do you feel
about this issue? Hope to hear from you soon.

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