The World of Pets

“No pets – service animals only.” We see variations of these words on signs everywhere. They sound pretty straightforward, but sometimes there’s confusion over exactly what they mean.

In the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets the rules for service animals, their owners, and the people who deal with them. This law says, among other things:

• A “service animal” is defined as any “animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability”. They don’t have to be officially licensed or certified – so business owners can’t ask for proof that they’re really service animals. They can’t ask