Your Inalienable Right to Kittens

[aggienaut]

Interesting fact for persons living in the United States:

If you suffer from a disability (including a mental disability such as anxiety or depression) you are allowed, under the American Disabilities Act to have an emotional support animal in your housing even if there is a "no pet" policy (these animals do not have to be formally trained, they can be just animals that help you feel better). You have to get a note from a therapist or a physician but if you actually suffer from a disability this should not be a problem.

Also, managers are not allowed to charge an additional pet deposit for the service animal (a "pet" who helps in an emotional or physical way is no longer a pet but a "service animal") just because they think it might cause damage. You are liable for any damages your animal causes, but they are not allowed to assume.

Here is a website with a sample letter and much information about court cases involving this topic.

http://www.bazelon.org/issues/housing/infosheets/fhinfosheet6.html


And as Bob Barker says, spay or neuter your pets. Adopt from the pound or SPCA or rescue organizations if you can. They make wonderful animals and 1/3 of all animals in shelters are purebred animals. Food for thought.

EDIT: But please be aware and respectful of the fact that the service animal community is concerned about this being abused and making things harder for people with serious service animal needs.


Credit: From a post in the ucdavis community.

Comments

[fidget]

Does "terminal loneliness" count? Because I'd really like a dog. Or a swarm of angry bees.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

companionship bees!

[fidget]

Exactly! Buzzing with anger love!

Companionship Bees!

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Bees are cute and fuzzy if you get up close to them (=

[helloautumn.livejournal.com]

LOVE IT. seriously, i would totally do this. at least have someone sign for it. of course, i'm barely home as is (unless i'm sick like i have been recently) and it would suck so much if i had to leave my animal here at my house alone all day. :(

but when i get to live with someone or live in my own house, i'm getting my own animal. (leaning more towards dogs because i'm allergic to a lot of cats. :( )

Turning the Tables

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

You come back and tehre's someone else living at your place.

"what're YOU doing here?!" you ask?
"The cat was lonely so it arranged for me to move in for companionship"

Re: Turning the Tables

[helloautumn.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. i love it. that would be awesome if that ever happened. :)

[boxsofrain.livejournal.com]

omg I needed this before I moved into a place that let me have a dog.

[jennelle137.livejournal.com]

As a person who raises guide dogs for the blind, people who do this just to have a pet really irk me. Because they often have little obediance training and far too little socialization skills, they make it harder for people who are blind or deaf, or have diabetes or siezure disorders (and often have dogs from training schools) to enter public spaces or get housing. I know many people who have to fight for their rights because "there was service dog in here that barked too much" or "peed on the floor" or whatever.

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

And I hate to say this, the eefinition that defines what is a disability is comletely being changed and amended, and it will take in effect January 1st, 2009. The term "service animals" is still being worked on, and the changes will not be effect until a later date. Unfortunately, this has been a issue for a while, and being taken advantage of in the service dog community where these dogs are legitimately trained to work with the human. There are owner trained service dog handlers, who are excellent and I know a few; however, some really do try to pretend. I don't live in the US, but the ADA says that only specific questions can be asked, "What does the dog do?", etc, and although we are issued ID cards, we are not required to show them as identification. However, there are some states, that do allow PIT (puppy in training) in public establishments, but it is a discretionary thing. Another thing, folks do not seem to know, is if a dog is misbehaving or is not well-cared for, the person running the establishment has the right to request they leave. I've had cases my dogs were misbehaving, and it is quite embarrassing, and will leave the premises right away to avoid leaving a bad impression of us.

I hope what I mentioned above is clear and educational. I won't know all the answers about the ADA, as i am in Canada, but do find myself being educated since I do travel to the US, and have a booklet of the US/Canadian/Mexican laws that I carry with me when I travel, as every state's law has variations in their laws regarding guide/service dogs, and the amount of the fine if refused entry of a public place.

[jennelle137.livejournal.com]

In CA, puppies in training entering public spaces is completely discretionary, and thus if any one of my puppies starts acting up we leave. I need businesses to be willing to let us in, because future guide dogs need to have practice behaving in stores and restaurants. I certainly don't want to leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth!

And yes, not many business owners understand that while they have to let a service dog enter, they don't have to let it stay if it's barking or behaving in a way that disrupts business.

[(Anonymous)]

Your information here was very helpful. As I also travel alot and have a service animal, could you please tell me where you got your booklet of USA/Canada/Mexico laws? That would be very helpful to me. Thank you.

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

The copy I get is upon graduating with my dog at at the training facility where I get my dog. I don't know where it is published at all, sorry.

[rapidrabbit.livejournal.com]

people who do this just to have a pet really irk me

That sounds like a legitimate concern. My mother often rents out an apartment in her building, and from the landlord's perspective, it seems like it could easily be manipulated to take advantage of the system. My mother wouldn't turn away a person with a legitimately trained service animal regardless of the law (and she generall has a no-pets rule) but I don't think it would be fair that someone comes in with a doctor's note that says "This person has anxiety" and therefore get to bring in any poorly trained animal they want to possibly destroy the apartment and keep my mother and other tennents awake with constant barking or other issues.

The whole thing just seems slanted to me, and like it's going to cause more problems to those with trained service animals, and to landlords who try to be as accomodating as possible while still protecting their assets.

I had to pay the pet deposit and additional rent for my dog when I could have gotten a note, and I'm okay with that.

[jennelle137.livejournal.com]

Exactly - most landlords want to do the right thing, but it's unfair for them to having to deal with excessive damage or disturbances because someone is keeping a poorly trained pet under the guise of needing "emotional support". Everyone keeps animals for comfort and emotional support... that's one of the primary reasons we all enjoy pets.

Not only does it take away from those who need specially trained animals, it takes away from people who really need their animal with them in order to function in society due to severe phobias or similar issues.

We actually have two dogs in our home - one who is in the guide dog puppy program and one that didn't make the cut who we keep as a pet. The "PIT" (puppy in training) gets to go some places and our "pet" gets to go to other places. That's just the way it works, even though our pet still has the training to behave acceptably.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Thanks for bringing that aspect up! It sounds like an important counterpoint to my above-quoted announcement of the law, which people should be aware of.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Note: I just added a link to this comment thread into the body of the entry, hope you don't mind?

[jennelle137.livejournal.com]

No problem!

[jenlight.livejournal.com]

Whoa this is awesome! I am so utilizing this when I move into a new place (which will be soon).

I am mentally disabled and have been wanting to have a pet. I think it would be helpful. I grew up with animals my whole life. There is something missing since they all passed away.

[fsk8ing-judge.livejournal.com]

I had no idea this law existed. I think it's a wonderful thing, but, I also think it leaves the door open to dishonesty in the name of owning a pet. Still, on balance, I believe it's better to give an animal a loving home, even if the methodology is questionable.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm glad the people from the service animal community posted their perspective on the issue. Its an important thing to consider.

[heethen-crone.livejournal.com]

I can see the issue from both sides, although having rented with neighbors who had service animals, I'd rather have the service animals than most kids. I'm buying a mobil now and the park manager (the owners could care less) won't allow pets because she doesn't like them. I can see the issue with cats. They over run the place as is and no one here has them anymore. However, my sister in law (the park manager) has a flippin little poodle that's a real pain and a few other people have dogs that had them before the no dogs rule. I take head meds, or should. Maybe I should go to her house and say "let me have a dog or I'll rip your face off. GRRRRRRRRR I need emotional grounding from all the stress you cause." Think that would work?

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha get (or maybe just borrow from someone else for the day to make the point) a pitbull or doberman and bring it by her office with a print-out of the law and say they are your emotional support animal ;D

[heethen-crone.livejournal.com]

Before I moved in here, I had a rottie mix. He was the biggest baby in the world but he hated her. She was terrified of him though so it kept her at bay. I'd do it but she'd evict me and then I'd have to find a buyer for the mobil. I think maybe I should use my brain and go slow.

[jennelle137.livejournal.com]

I'd rather have the service animals than most kids

No kidding. I hope that when my husband and I have children we are able to ensure they behave at least as nicely as our puppies in training do!

[sadhe-sati.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. I'm not allowed to have animals in my apartment, but I do suffer from both depression and anxiety...and my cat that I have at my mom's house now (because I can't keep her here=()really does make me feel better. I'll have to look into this. I think it's funny because the people I'm subletting with had a child, and he did far more damage (writing/putting stickers on the walls that are impossible to get off, etc) than any cat would do.

[ex-everlasti469.livejournal.com]

wow, thats actually really good to know. I know a lot of people this could come in handy for. ESPECIALLY around here.

[siredurado.livejournal.com]

Interesting!