Serving guests with disabilities and their service animals: Test your knowledge

by Day-Al Mohamed and Bruna E. Pedrini

1. A woman enters the hotel carrying a small dog she says is a service dog. There are no visible signs the woman has a disability. The hotel has a no-pets policy.
   a.  Ask for documentation to prove it is a service animal.
   b. Refuse her stay. Service dogs work for blind people or people in wheelchairs.
   c. Ask about her disability.
   d. Ask “Is that a service dog?” and “What task does the dog do for you?”
2. Which are requirements for a service animal?
   a. Trained, well-behaved, and non-disruptive.
   b. Under the handler’s control at all times.
   c. Identified by a harness or documentation.
   d. A, B, and C
   e. A and B only
3. Can pet-friendly hotels require all animals to stay
   on specific floors?
   a. Yes. We’re meeting the needs of all our customers and some have allergies.
   b. No. The hotel may designate pet floors, but a service dog is not a pet.
4. Housekeeping knocks and no one answers. Housekeeping enters and sees a dog alone in a non-pet room. Is this ok?
   a. No. Service animals must be with their handlers at all times.
   b. Only if the handler let the front desk know they’d be leaving their service animal in the room.
   c. Yes. But the handler should have put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.
   d. It depends on what the service animal is used for.
5. A staff member reports that a guest in a wheelchair is in the lobby. Their service dog keeps growling at other guests.
   a. There is nothing you do can because it is a service dog.
   b. There is nothing you can do unless the dog bites someone.
   c. Ask the guest with the disability to leave.
   d. Ask the guest with the disability to either control their dog or remove the dog from the premises.

Answers: 1D; 2E; 3B; 4A; 5D

5 right answers: Well done! Be sure you share your knowledge.

3-4 right answers: You’ve got the basics, but make sure you consider all the nuances. Find information to help you meet the needs of disabled guests with service animals in the August issue of Today’s Hotelier.

1-2 right answers: This is not easy, but you’re working things out. Learn more in our ADA webinar series on AAHOA.com. These 20-minute resources can help get you and your staff up to speed.