Majed A. Al-Ghafry
Director of Public Works

Contact Us
Director's Office
Municipal Plaza Building
114 W. Commerce
San Antonio, Texas 78205
Main Line: (210) 207-8022
Fax: (210) 207-4406

Service Animal Facts

Service Animal:
As of March 2011 only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA. A service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.

Qualified individual:
means any person who is considered disabled under the ADA (one whose disability affects one or more of their daily life activities) who needs the help of a service animal

Service animals do NOT include:
wild animals, reptiles, rabbits or farm animals, rodents, amphibians, multiple animals, or animals who sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort or companionship

Service Animals provide tasks, such as (but not limited to):
guiding blind individuals, alerting individuals who are deaf of the presence of people or sounds, pulling a wheelchair, fetching items and assisting and individual during a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties.

Service animals are to:
be harnessed, leashed or otherwise tethered, be kept under control by their owners, be well-groomed with good hygiene, be housebroken, and poses no direct threat to the health and safety of others

Service animals maybe removed from facilities if:
the animal is out of control and owner makes no attempt to control it, the owner can not specifically describe what tasks or jobs the animal is trained to do, or the animal poses a direct threat or harm to others

Under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) you may ask:
If the animal is required for a disability and what tasks or work has the animal been trained to do specifically for the disabled individual

You may NOT ask:
About the nature of the individuals disability(ies), or proof that the animal is a certified service animal

Miniature Horses:

In addition to the provisions about service dogs, the Department’s revised ADA regulations have a new, separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. (Miniature horses generally range in height from 24 inches to 34 inches measured to the shoulders and generally weigh between 70 and 100 pounds.) Entities covered by the ADA must modify their policies to permit miniature horses where reasonable. The regulations set out four assessment factors to assist entities in determining whether miniature horses can be accommodated in their facility. The assessment factors are (1) whether the miniature horse is housebroken; (2) whether the miniature horse is under the owner’s control; (3) whether the facility can accommodate the miniature horse’s type, size, and weight; and (4) whether the miniature horse’s presence will not compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation of the facility.

Source: United States Department of Justice, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm