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Assistance Animals

Disability Rights Arizona (DRAZ) supports the right of people with disabilities with assistance animals to be included in their communities. Laws exist that protect the right to have service animals at work, at school, in public spaces, such as healthcare offices, hotels, government offices, and during travel, and to have assistance animals at home. Yet, many people still face discrimination because of their assistance animals.

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Woman with a vision impairment uses the crosswalk with her service animal

Disability Rights Arizona (DRAZ) supports the right of people with disabilities with assistance animals to be included in their communities. Laws exist that protect the right to have service animals at work, at school, in public spaces, such as healthcare offices, hotels, government offices, and during travel, and to have assistance animals at home. Yet, many people still face discrimination because of their assistance animals.

Defining Service Animals & Assistance Animals

“Service animal” has a specific definition under the ADA – a dog, or miniature horse, that is individually trained to perform work or tasks for a person with a disability. A service animal is not a pet.

“Assistance animal” is a broader term defined in the Fair Housing Act and other laws – an animal that works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or that provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified effects of a person’s disability. An assistance animal is not a pet.

DRAZ’s Civil Rights Team

DRAZ’s goal is for people with disabilities who use assistance animals to be able to travel, attend school, go to work, enjoy community activities, and live in their home without experiencing rights violations. DRAZ’s Civil Rights, Education, and Healthcare Teams advocate for people with disabilities who use assistance animals in a variety of ways, such as providing legal information and advice, direct client services, outreach, and training in the community on rights related to assistance animals, and systemic work on equal access. Here are some examples of when the DRAZ Teams may provide direct services to people with disabilities who use assistance animals:

  • A landlord charges pet rent for an assistance animal.
  • A private transportation company accepts a ride to transport an individual to a hotel, but drive past without stopping when they see the person’s service animal.  
  • A prospective housing provider refuses to rent to an individual because of an assistance animal.
  • An employer refuses to grant an employee’s request for reasonable accommodation to waive the no-pet rule to bring their service animal to work.   
  • A grocery store only allows customers to shop with service animals if they are wearing a vest, can show that the service animal is registered with a service animal registry, or can produce completion of a service dog training certificate.
  • A healthcare provider refuses to allow a patient to wait in the waiting room until their appointment because of their service animal and requires them to enter through a back door.  
  • A child with low vision attending middle school is not allowed to bring her service dog to school because the district says having a dog present will be too distracting.
  • An airline employee refuses to allow a service animal to board the plane causing the individual with the disability to miss their flight.

DRAZ also provides advice and training to people with disabilities about their responsibilities as assistance animal owners and handlers.  

Assistance Animal Rights at a Glance

People with disabilities have the right to:

  • Enter businesses, non-profit agencies, state and local government offices, and schools with their service animal and be able to access the same areas as the public.
  • Ride public transportation and summon taxis, private transportation, such as Uber and Lyft, without being passed by or charged cleaning fees.
  • Travel on airlines and in airports with their service animals.
  • Be free of unlawful requirements, such as producing proof of being registered in a service animal registry or having the service animal wear a vest or emblem.
  • Have equal access to housing of your choice without being charged pet rent, special fees or deposits, or meeting size and breed restrictions. 

See our Get Help page if you need legal assistance related to your rights and responsibilities as an assistance animal owner/handler.

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We are committed in providing accurate disability-related legal information and advice to more individuals who need our services and assistance. In addition to limited legal representation, our goal is to provide efficient, streamlined services to educate people with disabilities and their family members on how to enforce their legal rights through self advocacy.

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