Camarillo Canine provides service dog training to eligable dog owners. Contact Us to learn more.
About Service Dogs
Service animals are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
Service animals may be any breed and size of dog trained to perform a task directly related to a person’s disability. Certification or professional training is not required, nor are service dogs required to wear a vest or other ID that indicates they’re a service dog.
Emotional support or comfort dogs are not service dogs, because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person’s disability.
When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Businesses may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.
For more information about service dog requirements in the United States of America, visit ADA.gov.
Punishments Exist for Dog Owners Caught Violating Service Animal Laws
(a) Any person who knowingly and fraudulently represents himself or herself, through verbal or written notice, to be the owner or trainer of any canine licensed as, to be qualified as, or identified as, a guide, signal, or service dog, as defined in subdivisions (d), (e), and (f) of Section 365.5 and paragraph (6) of subdivision (b) of Section 54.1 of the Civil Code, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) As used in this section, “owner” means any person who owns a guide, signal, or service dog, or who is authorized by the owner to use the guide, signal, or service dog.
