There is an article in the LA Times, dated July 18th: "A seeing-eye ferret? Now 'service animal' defined more narrowly" <http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/18/health/la-he-service-cats-20110718> According to this article, "the government" has issued a new definition for Service Animal. The new definition says: "Service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition." Does anyone know anything about this? I don't know what "the government" in this context means. State? Federal? Since the Americans with Disabilities Act is federal, it *should* be the federal government. Is this clarification due to a court decision? An agency ruling? An Act of Congress? (is Congress doing anything other than arguing about the debt ceiling right now?) Anyone know any more about this? Seems to me it's a major blow to the very concept of service animals. It completely invalidates "Helping Hands", for instance; the agency that trains Capuchin Monkeys to assist quadriplegics. And pretty much ignores the idea of psychological support. -Claire [Posted in FML 7135]