5-15 TRANSPORTING SERVICE DOGS

Purpose: This policy is designed to guide personnel to facilitate a service animal that would be required to accompany a patient. The only animal recognized as a service animal is a dog. A service dog should be registered, and most will be identified by a collar or vest but are not required to have any identifier on them.

What is a service animal?

• Under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with disabilities. The tasks) performed must be directly related to the person's disabilities.

When it is not obvious what the service dog provides, personnel may ask:

• Is the service dog required because of a disability?
• What work or tasks has the dog been trained to perform?

Personnel are NOT to ask the following regarding a service dog:

• About the persons disability
• For documentation as proof that the dog has been trained, certified or licensed before accepting ti as legitimate service dog

Must a service animal be allowed to ride in the ambulance with its handler?

• Generally, yes. However, if the space in the ambulance is crowded and the dog's presence would interfere with the emergency medical staff's ability to treat the patient, staff should make other arrangements to have the dog transported to the hospital.

Personnel can refuse transport of a service dog for any of the following reasons:

• If the service dog will "fundamentally alter" the personnel's ability to provide lifesaving care.
• The service dog is out of control and doesn't take effective action to correct it.
• The service dog is not "house broken"..' (Term and definition used in the ADA documentation)

The patient is required to maintain control of the service dog at all times. This means that the dog must be harnessed, leashed or tethered, unless it interferes with the service dog's work or the patient's disability. In that case the patient must maintain control of the service dog through voice, signal or other effective controls

When the patient in unconscious or in a condition requiring critical lifesaving treatment and the service dog's presence would compromise the care or safety during transport, it is best to make other arrangements of transport for the service dog. Revert care of service dog to respective law enforcement or contact on-duty supervisor.

***Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil rights Division, Disability Rights Section***