In order for an animal to qualify as a service animal under the ADA, it has to perform a TASK. A hotel may ask if the person is disabled (not what the disability is) and what task the animal performs to assist the disabled person. A task can be alerting a person who is deaf of a ringing phone, alarm or door knock. It can be retrieving an item or guiding a visually impaired person. In all of these cases the animal performs an actual task. The word task is the key to an animal qualifying under the ADA as a service animal. IMHO it would be pretty much impossible to have a ferret certified as a service animal--they just aren't going to perform actual tasks 100% of the time. 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 as they do not perform an actual task. A hotelier is within their rights to deny access to animals who are not service animals--ie don't perform actual taks. Ferrets often make great therapy animals. That said, there are many hotels that are animal friendy. I've traveled many times with my ferrets, and as long as you plan in advance, it's not at all difficult to find a hotel that welcomes your furkids. Hope that answers your question. Anne [Posted in FML 5791]