Introduction
A service dog, also known as an assistance dog, is trained to provide a service to an individual with a disability, that enables the individual to participate fully in personal, academic and professional life, though the exact definition may depend on whether you are in the United States, the European Union or another part of the world.
There are three important aspects to keep in mind as you advise a participant with a service dog, which we will discuss in this resource.
- Importation
- Flights
- Daily life
Though we give some examples from specific countries, these are intended to illustrate the main points. This is not a detailed country-by-country description of service dog culture.
A Service Dog
For this discussion, we focus on dogs. The Americans with Disabilities Act only recognizes dogs and miniature horses as service animals. Dogs possess a unique set of trainability, physical and temperamental characteristics that make them suitable as service animals. The American Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) also only recognizes dogs as service animals.
Traveling with other types of animals can be harder. For example, countries tend to be more strict about importation of other species if importation is even allowed. Sometimes there are quarantine requirements, which can complicate things for animal handlers.
Documentation
The United States
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), U.S. places of public accommodation cannot request a letter or other formal document. Instead they may only ask two questions.
- Is that a service dog trained to provide a service related to a disability?
- What service is it trained to provide?
If the handler can answer those two questions, it is a service dog. The ACAA allows airlines to require travelers to fill out attestation forms confirming that they are traveling with a service dog that is healthy and trained to be in public places.
Whether talking about the ADA or the ACA, the U.S. system particularly stands out in the way that it allows handlers to train their own service dogs. While the ACAA does allow airlines to require the traveler to provide written documentation, it is purely based on the individual’s word, without requiring signatures from trainers or veterinarians.
Other Countries
other countries, if they do acknowledge service dogs, will tend to lean more heavily on formal documentation provided by third parties to verify whether a service dog handler is entitled to have the animal in public places. Other countries tend to require service animals to be professionally trained by recognized schools.
The types of services performed by a service dog are also more narrowly defined abroad. Middle and low income countries tend not to have any legislation focused on service dogs. Where we find legal frameworks, psychiatric support dogs such as those for individuals with PTSD receive varying recognition. The situation is evolving. In the United Kingdom psychiatric service dogs were eventually recognized in 2018. According to Mind Dog Australia, Psychiatric assistance dogs are not recognized in commercial air travel regulations governing flights in Australia.
Steps to Take
Check if the dog was trained at a school that is part of an international consortium.
Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
Most legal frameworks lean on formal documentation provided by schools that are members of associations like Assistance Dogs International (ADI). ADI is particularly well regarded in the European Union. ADI offers an online resource where you can look up all of the member schools in a given country, and it can be a great place to figure out if a service dog could be treated as such outside of the United States.
Flights
U.S. Flights
The Air Carrier Access Act is the most relevant disability U.S. law about the rights of passengers with disabilities on flights, and the FAA is in charge of issuing regulations related to the ACAA. This legal regime covers:
- Flights within the United States
- Flights between the United States and other countries
Airlines can require a handler to fill out Department of Transportation forms confirming that the dog is a service dog, that it is in good health and that it is trained to behave in public spaces. There is no requirement that the animal be formally trained. A vet signature is optional, but not required.
Non-U.S. Flights
These are flights between two non-U.S. countries. In order to travel with a service dog in the cabin, the handler may have to provide formal documentation from a school that is part of an organization like Assistance Dogs International.
Steps to Take
Handlers should take the following steps. Education abroad providers can support by making these resources available in program documentation.
- Check the airline’s website for their policy on service dogs.
- If possible, travel with documentation from the school that trained the service dog.
- It should preferably be a school certified by ADI.
- ADI has an online resource, where you can search from a list of certified schools.
- While it may be tempting to reserve that cheaper flight to Paris with a transfer in Frankfort, exchange participants with self trained service dogs may find that taking a direct flight is the best way to avoid issues.
Importation
Regardless of the Documentation Regime of the Country, service dogs will travel like pets through customs. In most systems, travelers must obtain some sort of documentation showing that the animal is free of conditions such as rabies or ringworm. A common importation scheme is the EU Pet Passport.
Island countries will tend to favor quarantine requirements for animals being imported. In cases like New Zealand, a service animal handler may provide an extra document identifying the purpose of their service animal and agree to quarantine the animal at home for nine days. In other cases, no exceptions may be made, and an exchange participant may need to opt for a country that recognizes service animals in its importation requirements.
Steps to Take
- The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department Of Agriculture offers a helpful online resource, which outlines the steps for bringing a dog between a wide range of countries and the United States. Just select the type of animal and the non-U.S. country.
- Check host country government resources to identify any unique importation requirements such as a quarantine period, and verify if there is a procedure for service or assistance dog handlers to request a reasonable accommodation or adjustment.
Daily Life
Similar to flights, the legal rights of an individual visiting places of public accommodation with a service dog will depend on whether the country has a legal framework and whether that framework recognizes the particular type of service that their dog can perform.
It will also hinge on any national documentation requirements that a host country might have. For example, according to Mind Dog Australia, assistance dog handlers must travel with a special identification card and vest, which an international traveler may not bring with them.
There may also be variation in the public spaces where a dog is permitted. According to Mind Dog, Australian law restricts assistance dogs from private property, commercial kitchens or psychiatric support wards among other places.
It is likely that whether or not a traveler has a legal right to be accompanied by a service or assistance dog in a given situation, they may encounter resistance. Sometimes community members will not be aware of the rules. Sometimes the handler might not have a right to have their animal with them due to legal restrictions or the absence of legislation.
In some regions such as in the middle east, cultural taboos around dogs can be more acute. Dogs are considered unclean and regardless of legal frameworks, a handler may encounter more community resistance than normal.
In other places, stray dog populations are more common. Other dogs, especially when they are not under the control of a person, may interfere with a service animal while it is working.
Steps to Take
- Encourage program participants to research the rules in housing, community businesses and air travel before setting off for the host country.
- Whether or not they have legal rights, they will likely have a better overall experience being open to communicating their needs, responding to objections and compromising as appropriate. That may mean that there are certain businesses or other public places where individuals may not be able to go. This may especially be true in countries with no legal frameworks around service or assistance dogs. That is not to say that lack of legislation should prevent someone from traveling with a service animal. Rather it means that the individual might need to take a more measured approach balancing their needs with those of the host community where they are a guest, knowing when to hold’em and knowing when to fold’em.
- It also may be that lack of legal frameworks, stray dog populations or unusually anxious cultural attitudes towards dogs may make leaving the service animal at home the best option.
References
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