Debi--Alerting is considered a TASK. (Animals that alert to medical -- not mental -- conditions are referred to as "Signal Animals" and are generally dogs, because in addition to signalling, they are generally also trained to stand guard over their owner if the owner has a seizure.) Signal animals are recognized under the ADA. An establishment is within their legal right to ask for a letter from a qualified professional (doctor, social worker, physical therapist, etc.) that states that the individual has a disability and requires a service/signal animal as an accommodation under the ADA. I think that very few qualified professionals would put their license on the line to describe a ferret as such. Claire--I think that it's a real stretch to call a hotel room temporary housing unless it's under extraordinary circumstances such as loss of a home due to a fire or flood or such. Frankly because so many hotels and motels WILL accept pets, it seems that there are better battles to pick. ;) [Posted in FML 5793]