However, my landlady doesn't allow inside dogs. I do have an inside cat but dogs aren't allowed in here. The law says she has to accommodate my son's service animal, right? So do I bring home a dog and start training it and notify her of what's going on? Or is there a formal process I need to go through first? I'm really not sure how to approach this. I really believe that this is a good thing for my son but she doesn't like dogs. And it would have to be a BIG dog, because my son is aggressive towards small and medium dogs. He's fine with large dogs (one of his peculiarities...the only small animals he accepts are cats).
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1. The ADA does not apply to service dogs in training. It typically takes 18-24 months to fully train a service dog. http://www.justice.gov/crt/foia/tal727.t…
2. It takes skill to train a service dog. This is not the same thing as training a pet dog. It generally takes longer (because it takes several attempts before you get it right) and costs more than getting a dog from a program. Why? Because if you are not already an expert trainer you will have to hire one to assist you either by training the dog for you or by teaching you to train the dog yourself. About $5,000 is pretty typical for an owner-trainer getting their first education in training a service dog. You can't collect donations for that nearly as easily as you can fund-raise for a program dog because you aren't a 501(c)3 and therefore cannot offer a tax incentive. Programs also assist their clients in fund raising. More on owner-training: http://servicedogcentral.org/content/nod…
If you want to get a service dog or a service dog in training, you need to iron it out with your landlady in advance. It would be incredibly cruel to your son to bring home a dog only to have to give up the dog or get evicted. Yes, they actually can evict you, even if you're in the right. There is no disability police. The only way to enforce these laws is by suit and that costs money and takes time (typically in the neighborhood of $8,000 and 3 years). An eviction will go through in a matter of months, so long before you can do anything about it in court, assuming you can even win. To win, of course, you'd need to be able to prove not only your child's disability, but your dog's training and your qualifications to train him.
You start the process by writing a letter requesting a reasonable accommodation and sending it along with your son's doctor's recommendation to the landlord. Here's a sample letter: http://servicedogcentral.org/content/nod…
Another advantage in going through a program is that they have advocates that deal with issues with landlords and schools for you.
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- It has to be a service dog before, it enters the home. And have certification that it is a trained service dog
If it enters before hand, it is considered a pet.
Documentation says it all. You need to provide the certification that it has been trained before hand.Furthermore, spend the cash, and the dog will be trained well. Let professionals train the dog. - A dog you train yourself would not be likely to qualify. No it doesn't have to be from a particular agency but it does have to be trained to the acceptable standards of a service dog and it needs to pass some type of certification. You training a large dog with no real knowledge of how to do it and saying it's a service dog will not work.
- She has to allow the service dog if it is a certified service dog. Getting a dog and training it yourself is not considered a service dog.
- They'd have to allow it, but first make sure that you can have your dog categorized as a service dog if you just train it yourself. And don't just read it somewhere online. Check out the actual laws in your state.
- Google "Fair Housing Amendments Act"
- by law they have to follow the ADA.... if its specifically for the reasons you gave.
- Under the ADA and FHA (FHA covers most housing situations), fully trained service dogs must be allowed in no housing situations. However, Service Dogs in Training are not granted this coverage. It takes 18 mo - 2 years to train a service dog, and unless you have a great deal of experience with the high levels of dog training, chances are greater than not that you will not be successful. Of all dogs that start service dog training, 90% wash out (or don't make it through). Most programs have a waiting list of about 2 years, so either way, the wait to have a fully trained service dog is the same. The cost to properly select, medically evaluate, and train a SD is between $20K - $30K. Owner training, in many cases, is the most expensive as you will need to hire a private trainer for at least some aspects of the training. Even if you do most of the grunt work, owner training is very expensive. Some programs may be cheaper.
There are some housing situations exempt from the FHA and ADA. If your land lady owns less than 4 properties and lives in one of them, then she is exempt and does not have to allow the dog, fully trained SD or not.
Here's a link to a program that places dogs nation wide and they don't charge to place their dogs. They are one of the oldest and largest programs. I'm not sure what the wait time is, but it's worth checking out.
http://www.pawswithacause.org/Clients/As…
Oh, as for the process....You will have to notify the landlord in writing that you are requesting a reasonable accommodation under the FHA and provide documentation of the disability. But, as I said above, service dogs in training are not covered and depending on the situation, your housing may not be covered.
ETA:
To correct misinformation posted on the boards...
Service dogs in the US ARE NOT CERTIFIED! You most certainly can train your dog, and owner trained dogs are covered under the same laws. There is no required test, certification, or registration. However, service dogs in training (whether program or owner trained) are not covered. Some states do grants service dogs in training public access but I do not think any grant housing rights to SDITs. - So! You have a son that is aggressive toward dogs, bolts, self harms. And you want him to have a dog!!!! LOL!!!!! ROFL!!!!!! Your son is not the only one with problems!
If your son is dangerous to self and others and can not control impulses consistently, he has no business with anything he could hurt, maim, or kill.
Do your job as a parent. Monitor and teach your child appropriate social skills and behaviors.
How do you teach and control a child to not bolt? Have you ever thought of holding hands at all times with that child when in an area he could bolt and be injured? Have you ever thought of using a back up plan by tethering the child in a harness to your waist on a short lead? Have you ever thought of immediate and very unpleasant consistent consequences for that child?
If you are over-whelmed parenting a special needs child: get help for your self! Parenting classes, support groups, counseling. If you are lazy: buck up and parent/teach that child. All kids are a hassle here and there to raise. It is an exhausting job to raise children.
Dogs are dogs. They are not anchors. They are not parents. They quit parenting their young after only 6-8 weeks! Dogs are not even Lassie Miracle workers!
Your son at present wouldn't even qualify for a pet, as your son is not developmentally nor behaviorally ready for a relationship with something he could injure, terrify, or kill.
If he can't take care of himself or control himself??? how on earth will he take care of a dog?? pet or SD????
Look: I truly know you have a tough row to hoe for many years to come. I know the frustrations, disappointments, challenges, and strong desire to give the best to your child. A SD at this point in time would not be beneficial for your son and his development. Raising special needs kids is a daunting job - but by cracky able-bodied kids cause just as much grief - angst - frustration - challenge. - You already know the answer to the legality, obviously, so let's talk about practice instead of theory.
You should notify the landlord first. Not only is it polite, but it gives you some time to figure out how it's going to play. ADA at home is just like at the workplace; just because that one thing is covered doesn't mean they can't find a hundred other ways to get rid of you. Frankly, if the landlord scoffs to the point that you think it's going to be a problem, it's better to negotiate a release from the lease beforehand. Otherwise they'll find something else and evict you, from parking in the wrong place to suddenly misplaced rent checks. If they are hell bent on getting the dog out, negotiating beforehand is the ONLY way to keep this off your credit.
I would hope that this landlord is like most others and will quietly make the allowance. It's usually not that big of a deal. Service animals are great for landlords because they are SO well trained.
Good luck to you and your son.
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