What are the Working Animals Regulations?

Animals are at work today in many areas of our society.  Called service animals, these animals include police dogs, dogs which assist the blind or otherwise disabled, horses which pull carriages or plows and even dolphins and whales at work in the water parks.  Because they play a more direct role in society, these animals have been granted rights and protections that go beyond those afforded to normal pets.

Interference

Primarily designed by the department of agriculture to help farm animals and cart horses operate humanely, regulation 13-2910 of the cruelty to animals act includes stiff penalties for those who would harm or kill a service animal.  Additionally, an offender can be prosecuted even for interfering in the work that service animal is performing.  Limited in scope to recklessness or intention (unintentionally disturbing the work of a service animal is not an offense,) this includes blocking or confusing a blind services dog, placing stones in the way of a plow yoked to an animal or obstructing a police dog.  According to the Arizona department of agriculture, a person guilty of obstructing or confusing a service animal is guilty of a class one misdemeanor, and a person guilty of cruel mistreatment or killing of a service animal is guilty of a class six felony. (See Reference 1)

Access

The Americans with Disabilities Act provides for a number of rights for animals providing assistance to the disabled.  Primarily, these rights center on access for service animals even in places where pets are not usually allowed.  Federal regulation 28 C.F.R. 35.130 (b) (7) states that all institutions open to the public allow service animals access to every area of the building open to the public.   (See Reference 3)To ensure the proprietor can discern a service animal from a pet, an employee can ask whether or not the animal is an aid animal.  Violation of this law is punishable by both civil and federal law and usually involves penalties and damages.

Accommodation

Like people with disabilities, their service animals must be provided adequate accommodations without being charged extra because of the effort or cost involved in providing additional services.  Taxi companies, for example, cannot charge higher prices to customers with service animals because the animals make additional cleaning necessary.  This also applies to restaurants, movie theaters, hotels and any other industry which may incur additional cleaning or maintenance costs as a result of a service animal.