New guide clarifies laws on service animals

The New York City Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association have released a guide intended to clarify the legal rights and obligations of individuals and institutions in connection with the use of service animals in the state:

The “Guide to the Use of Service Animals in New York State” recognizes that various federal, state and local laws address service animal use in differing manners.

The Guide is intended to clarify the existing laws for: individuals with disabilities who use service animals; those who train service animals; and those who must accommodate them, such as employers, landlords, merchants and places of public accommodation. It also offers guidance to lawmakers, government officials, attorneys and the courts. The Guide provides a review of rights and remedies under comparative federal, state and local human rights laws. Its extensive endnotes likely will be cited by attorneys and judges.
The City and State Bar Associations have posted the Guide on their respective websites and they encourage the downloading, copying and distribution of the Guide throughout the state. Both associations expect to hold programs on how to apply the information in the Guide to situations of particular interest.

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