On Nov 15, 2007 Anne wrote:
>In order for an animal to qualify as a service animal under the ADA,
>it has to perform a TASK. ...
>Therapy animals, those who provide comfort or allow people with
>various emotional disorders to be able to feel comfortable in
>unfamiliar surroundings, are not protected under the ADA

You are correct here - a therapy animal does not have a right to enter
public places, as a service animal does -- but therapy animals are
allowed into otherwise "no-pets" housing IF you have medical direction
(basically a prescription) for the therapy animal, under the Fair
Housing Amendments Act of 1988, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. One could
argue that a hotel is temporary housing rather than a public place.
Best to call the hotel and ask, prepared with the language of the acts.
See http://www.bazelon.org/issues/ housing/infosheets/fhinfosheet6.html
for more discussion of what consitutes "reasonable accomodation".

-Claire

[Posted in FML 5792]