[Publib] Pets in Libraries

[Mark Arend]

Last fall I attended a seminar on the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 given
by staff from the Great Lakes ADA center.  Here are my notes on service
animals from that session.   You may want to confirm this information
with your attorney, state library agency, or local ADA Center.

 

 

Service Animals

The rules concerning service animals have been clarified.  Service
animals are defined as dogs or other common domestic animals trained to
perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including:

*         Guiding persons who are blind or have low vision

*         Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the
presence of people or sounds

*         Pulling a wheelchair or fetching items

*         Assisting an individual during a seizure

*         Retrieving medicine or the telephone

*         Providing physical support and assistance with balance and
stability

*         Assisting individuals, including those with cognitive
disabilities with navigation.

 

Note that the word 'trained' is important here.  To qualify under ADA
the animal must be trained to perform these tasks and to properly behave
in public.  If the animal barks, is not housetrained, or is otherwise
disruptive you may restrict it from the library.  The person must also
make provision for cleaning up after the animal outside the library.  

 

Specifically excluded as service animals are:

*         Wild animals, including those born in captivity.  

*         Monkeys

*         Reptiles, rabbits, amphibians, rodents

*         Farm animals, including horses, ponies, pigs, & goats.

*         Animals whose sole function is to provide emotional support,
comfort, or companionship.  

 

 

On a personal note, last fall I travelled to Denmark for a family visit.
As we were boarding a plane at a small regional airport a woman boarding
the plane ahead of us was carrying a small dog in her arms.  

 

 

-------------------------------

 

Mark W. Arend, Assistant Director

Winnefox Library System

106 Washington Ave.

Oshkosh, WI  54901

(920) 236-5222           fax: (920) 236-5228

 

mailto:arend at winnefox.org <mailto:arend at winnefox.org>
http://www.winnefox.org/ <http://www.winnefox.org/> 

 

 

Recently read:

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"A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of
acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy."

                         -- James Madison

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Rawles-Heiser,
Carolyn
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 4:02 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Pets in Libraries

 

We do not allow animals except for service animals.   HOWEVER, in recent
years we have experienced a mini-explosion of people who carry dogs
(mostly) around with them, claiming they are service animals that help
reduce stress.   We have been told by our attorney that we need to take
the person's word for it that it is actually a service animal and  not
*just* a pet-- we can't ask for proof.     The best one, and I think I
may have shared this with the list in the past, was the woman who-I
Swear-brought a loose monkey into the library and let it run wild.
She claimed she was planning on having it trained to become a service
animal but that it had not yet begun its training (obvious by its
behavior).  Thank goodness she did not say it was already a service
animal because we would have had to allow it, although our attorney did
say we could insist it be restrained.    One of those days when I
thought I had seen everything!!

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Rawles-Heiser 
Library Director 
Corvallis--Benton County Public Library 
645 NW Monroe Ave. 
Corvallis, OR  97330 

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