Service Animals
We also understand some guests with disabilities need to travel with a Service Animal (SA), and we are happy to facilitate SAs, including a nice doggy blanket to protect a sofa in case the guest needs the dog to sit next to them, a special dog-walking area close to Rosslyn, and we let other guests know there is an SA here so they know they need to ask permission before approaching the animal. We do have certain requirements that dogs are never left unattended in the cabins, that they do not bark repeatedly and disturb the peace and quiet here, and that they are always under the direct control of the guest at all times (these are all stipulated by the American Disabilities Act (ADA) of 2011 as well). We also ask they not be allowed on the bed to be considerate of other guests*.
If someone is here with a dog, we need to make sure it is a trained Service Animal that helps them manage their disability so we don't charge them our dog fees. To that end, innkeepers are allowed by the ADA to ask two questions to help seperate pet owners from people who need a trained SA:
1. Is the SA needed because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the SA been trained to perform in order to assist the person with the disability?
The task performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability. For example:
• Many people who are blind or have low vision use dogs to guide and assist them with orientation;
• Individuals who are deaf may use dogs to alert them to sounds;
• People with mobility disabilities often use dogs to pull their wheelchairs or retrieve items;
• People with epilepsy may use a dog to warn them of an imminent seizure;
• Individuals with psychiatric disabilities may use a dog to remind them to take medication; and
• Service members returning from war with new disabilities are increasingly using service animals to assist them with activities of daily living as they reenter civilian life.
Dogs or therapy animals whose function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as Service Animals according to the ADA, even with a doctor’s note.
SAs must be allowed to accompany the guest with a disability everywhere guests are normally permitted (though they must remain outside the gated area of the hot tub), but must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the SA’s work. Individuals who cannot use such devices must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.
If you come to WildSpring with your SA, you need to let us know when you make your reservation**. We will put you in Rosslyn, our ADA-compliant cabin with its own convenient parking, which will allow us to properly assist you. And, we will be able to prepare your cabin to better support your disability.
Finally, there are many websites that sell various certification packages, including documents, ID cards, tags and vests, however, there is no documentation recognized by the ADA nor Justice Department that proves a dog is a Service Animal. Here is a link to a recent article about the growing problem of fake service dogs and how states are creating legislation to counter this.
We will not charge the daily doggy service charge nor the refundable doggy security fee for a service dog, but we will require that you read our dog policies here and agree to them in an email before we accept your reservation.
*If we need to clean the duvet or sofa because your dog has been on it, we will pass those costs on to you.
**If you show up with a dog without discussing it with us first - whether it's a Service Animal or not - you will not be allowed to stay and you will be financially responsible for your entire reservation. |
