PET INFORMATION

 

 

What Counts as a Service Animal in Kansas?

 

Kansas law applies to "assistance dogs," which include:

 

*  guide dogs: dogs that are specially selected, trained, and tested to guide those who are blind.

*  hearing assistance dogs: dogs that are specially selected, trained, and tested to alert or warn those who are hard of

   hearing to particular noises or sounds, and

*  service dogs: dogs that are specially selected, trained, and tested to perform tasks for those with other disabilities.

 

Under the ADA, a service animal is any dog or miniature horse that has been trained to perform disability-related tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. In addition to guide dogs and hearing assistance dogs, here are some other

examples of service animals under the ADA:

 

*  psychiatric service animals, which help their handlers manage mental and emotional disabilities by, for example,

   interrupting self-harming behaviors, reminding handlers to take medication, checking spaces for intruders, or providing

    calming pressure during anxiety or panic attacks

*  seizure alert animals, which let their handlers know of impending seizures, and may also guard their handlers during

   seizure activity, and

*  allergen alert animals, which let their handlers know of foods or other substances that could be dangerous

   (such as peanuts).

 

Neither the ADA nor Kansas's public accommodations law includes what some people call "emotional support animals": animals that provide a sense of safety, companionship, and comfort to those with psychiatric or emotional conditions. Although these animals often have therapeutic benefits, they are not individually trained to perform specific tasks for their handlers.