RESOURCES &
INFORMATION
Team Hinkle recognizes that each individual has unique experiences with their disabilities, diagnoses, and service animals.
We’ve done our best to offer a collection of resources from reputable organizations for those who are seeking additional information or guidance.
We encourage you to be skeptical of what you read on the Internet—even this website—and to consult professionals, qualified experts, government agencies, and city/state resources local to you if you have specific questions.
The information on this page is presented as a resource. It is not an endorsement of any organization or their policies & practices and should not be considered legal, medical, or veterinary advice.
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ETIQUETTE
Service dogs adhere to rigid behavioral rules, and there are a few things to consider when you happen upon a team in public.
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❌ DO NOT ask strangers about their service dog.
Some handlers are happy to chat about their dogs and the incredible work they do, but people living with disabilities have the same right to privacy as everyone else—yourself included. Curiosity is not an excuse to violate someone’s personal space or medical history.
If you absolutely must ask someone about their service dog, consider your surroundings/relationship to the handler and ask what service the dog provides—but that’s it.
Some people are not comfortable discussing their private medical history or disclosing their disability.
Nobody is required to disclose their personal information to you.
Nobody owes you their time.
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✅ Legally, businesses can ask two questions about a service dog:
“Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?”
“What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?”
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❌ DO NOT PET SERVICE DOGS.
Service dogs must pay very close attention to their handler and their surroundings in order to provide lifesaving care and assistance. It might not always look like it to you, but they are working and are not there for your entertainment.
Distracting a service dog can quickly create a destabilizing and dangerous situation for the team. Children, pets, and that part of your brain that’s telling you those “DO NOT PET” patches on a dog’s vest somehow don’t apply to you should all be kept away from service dogs.
If you happen upon a team in public, leave them alone.
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❌ DO NOT allow your dog to approach an on-duty service dog.
On-duty service dogs do not do leash greetings, and distracting a service dog can quickly create a destabilizing and dangerous situation for the team.
A service dog may bark once or vocalize briefly if your dog approaches to signal they are not available to socialize.
An on-duty service dog will never approach you or your dog.
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If a service dog approaches you without their handler, the dog wants you to follow them.
Some service dogs are trained to seek assistance from people nearby if their handler needs help. Check their service vest/harness for any instructions or emergency medications.
An on-duty service dog will not approach you unless they have permission or there is an emergency.
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CONTROL
tethered to handler — leash, harness, etc.
if tethering is not possible, responds to verbal commands
responds to all commands and instructions
under handler control at all times
FOCUS
primary focus is on handler or tasks
fully ignores animals and humans
minimal or no reaction to noises or stimuli
quick to refocus if startled
BEHAVIOR
remains calmly by handler’s side when not tasking
no barking or vocalizing unless tasking
no lunging or non-directed movement
no aggression towards people or animals
no leash pulling unless tasking
housebroken
RESTAURANT ETIQUETTE
tucked under a table, chair, or out of the way of traffic
comfortable with waitstaff coming and going
will not solicit food or attention
no eating food from the table
no eating food off the floor
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You can usually spot fake service dogs pretty quickly:
lunging or barking at people or animals in public
reacting to stimuli (sniffing merchandise in a store, soliciting food in a restaurant, etc.)
owner puts the dog in a shopping cart
dog cannot focus
owner cannot control them
If you’re someone who fakes having a service animal so you can have your pet with you all the time, PLEASE STOP.
Your poorly trained animals endanger the people and animals they encounter, create huge barriers for those who actually benefit from trained assistance animals, and make things unnecessarily difficult for those who live with disabilities and have no choice but to be accompanied by an animal.
*Willful misrepresentation of a service animal is a punishable offense in several states.
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SERVICE DOGS
specifically trained to perform tasks for an individual with a disability
tasks are directly related to a person’s disability
legally not classified as pets
allowed access to public spaces with their handler because they make public spaces accessible to their handler
protected by the ADA
THERAPY DOGS
trained to offer general comfort and support to many people
work primarily in clinical settings as volunteers
legally classified as pets
no broad access to public spaces
not protected by the ADA
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS
dog’s presence offers support and comfort to their owner
NOT trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability
legally classified as pets
no access to public spaces
not protected by the ADA
WORKING DOGS
trained to perform specific tasks, often in specific locations (search and rescue, explosives detection, etc.)
typically work for organizations and agencies
no off-duty access to public spaces
not protected by the ADA
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❌ FALSE!
No entity (government, medical, veterinary, training program, etc.) issues universal ID cards, documents, or other items that legally certify or prove an animal is an official service dog.
It is illegal to ask for such documents or for proof of a service dog’s training.
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❌ FALSE!
While service dogs must be highly trained in obedience, tasks, and public access manners, there is no official certification process or standardized training protocol for a dog to become a service dog.
It is a handler’s responsibility to ensure their dog has received enough training to accompany them safely and appropriately in public spaces.
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❌ FALSE!
Service dogs adhere to the same state and local vaccination, registration, and licensing requirements as pet dogs.
It is illegal to require handlers to register their service dogs in a database unless it is open to all dogs, but municipalities can offer such registration on a voluntary basis.
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❌ FALSE!
Service dogs are NOT required by law to wear vests, harnesses, clothing, or other items that identify them as service animals.
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❌ FALSE!
Service dogs are required to be tethered to their handler unless it prevents the dog from performing a task, but the use of specific vests, harnesses, or other equipment is NOT required by law.
However, many handlers do choose to use vests or harnesses to:
serve as a cue for the dog to switch into work mode
display assistance instructions should the handler experience an emergency
hold medications and other items
help a handler interpret the movements of a guide dog
provide mobility/stability assistance
signal to others that the dog is working and is trained to be in public spaces
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❌ FALSE!
While it is common to see certain breeds doing assistance work, the ADA specifically states that there are no service dog breed restrictions.
Municipalities that have banned certain breeds must make exceptions for service dogs of that breed.
Service dogs cannot be excluded based on stereotypes or assumptions about their breed or the way that breed might behave.
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❌ FALSE!
The ADA does NOT require that a dog be professionally trained or be acquired through a service dog breeding program.
Regardless of their training background, all service dogs must adhere to the same public behavior standards set by the ADA.
Depending on handler needs, professional training can be prohibitively expensive—ranging from $5,000 to over $50,000.
NOTE: While everyone is entitled to train their own dogs for service work, not all dogs have the temperament, trainability, or inherent abilities to be a service dog.
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❌ ✅ MOSTLY FALSE!
There are only three scenarios in which a handler with a service dog may be denied entry or asked to leave an establishment:
The dog is out of control or aggressive and the handler cannot regain control.
The dog is not housebroken.
The presence of the dog would “fundamentally alter” the services or programs provided to the public (sterile operating room, designated animal-free area of a dormitory for people with allergies, specific areas of zoos, etc.)
*Service dogs may be excluded if the establishment is a religious organization or private club meeting the criteria for Title III exemption outlined by the ADA.
MYTHS
There is A LOT of incorrect information out there about service dogs, so we’d like to address a few of the most common misconceptions we encounter.
This information is USA-specific.
FEDERAL RESOURCES
Americans With Disabilities Act
Centers for Disease Control + Prevention
*The DOE enforces Title II of the ADA
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
*HHS enforces Title II of the ADA
*The DOJ enforces Title II and Title III of the ADA
*Within the DOL, the OFCCP and the CRC handle Title II and employment/workplace-related aspects of the ADA.
U.S. Department of Transportation
*The DOT enforces regulations governing transit
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
*The EEOC enforces Title I of the ADA
LEGAL RESOURCES
Animal Legal and Historical Center
RESOURCES
This is by no means an exhaustive list of resources, but it’s a place to start!
AIR TRAVEL
*The Air Carrier Access Act, not the ADA, protects rights of persons with disabilities during air travel
U.S. AIR TRAVEL FORMS
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
*Airlines traveling outside the U.S. are subject to the destination country’s rules and regulations regarding animal import/export, required documentation/vaccinations/tests, veterinarian qualifications, and pre-travel procedures.
*Depending on the destination country, it is possible some pre-travel procedures relating to service animals must begin 6+ months prior to departure.
*The timeline to acquire necessary animal health certificates from the USDA prior to international travel is very narrow.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
APHIS: Pet Travel - U.S. Department of Agriculture
*pet import/export requirements by country
ORGANIZATIONS
American Animal Hospital Association
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
National Association of Guide Dog Users
International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP)
International Guide Dog Federation
TRAINING RESOURCES
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
FEDERAL RESOURCES
Americans With Disabilities Act
Centers for Disease Control + Prevention
*The DOE enforces Title II of the ADA
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
*HHS enforces Title II of the ADA
*The DOJ enforces Title II and Title III of the ADA
*Within the DOL, the OFCCP and the CRC handle Title II and employment/workplace-related aspects of the ADA.
U.S. Department of Transportation
*The DOT enforces regulations governing transit
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
*The EEOC enforces Title I of the ADA
LEGAL RESOURCES
Animal Legal and Historical Center
National Disability Rights Network
AIR TRAVEL
*The Air Carrier Access Act, not the ADA, protects rights of persons with disabilities during air travel
U.S. AIR TRAVEL FORMS
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
*Airlines traveling outside the U.S. are subject to the destination country’s rules and regulations regarding animal import/export, required documentation/vaccinations/tests, veterinarian qualifications, and pre-travel procedures.
*Depending on the destination country, it is possible some pre-travel procedures relating to service animals must begin 6+ months prior to departure.
*The timeline to acquire necessary animal health certificates from the USDA prior to international travel is very narrow.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
APHIS: Pet Travel - U.S. Department of Agriculture
*pet import/export requirements by country
ORGANIZATIONS
American Animal Hospital Association
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
National Association of Guide Dog Users
International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP)
International Guide Dog Federation
TRAINING RESOURCES
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
RESOURCES
This is by no means an exhaustive list of resources, but it’s a place to start!