Pet and Service Dog Policy at Four Quarters

Our Pet and Service Dog policy at Four Quarters is taken directly from Federal Statute and regulatory law. Our plain English policy is stated below.

* As a Church, Four Quarters InterFaith is specifically exempt from ADA Service Dog statute. However, Four Quarters is extremely supportive of legitimate Service Dogs and their owners.
* Absolutely NO PETS of any kind are allowed at Four Quarters.
* Only DOGS qualify as Service Animals under Federal Law.
* Emotional Support Animals are not Service Dogs, and are not permitted at Four Quarters.
* Service Dogs at Four Quarters must be preregistered (at no charge) to attend an event at Four Quarters.
* Service Dogs in training are not Service Dogs under Federal Law and will be permitted on a case by case basis.
* Service Dogs at Four Quarters must wear a “Service Dog” labeled harness, we prefer that they are registered.
* The Service Dog must at all times be tethered to and/or in the full control of their owner unless engaged in the disability mitigation task for which they are trained.
* A Service Dog may never be handled by or tethered to a person other than their owner.
* The Service Dog must always be in “Full Stay” command position when not performing the service for which they have been trained.
* The Service Dog must be fully trained to urinate or defecate only under the control of their owner.
* We will ask, ” What work or task has this animal been trained to perform to mitigate your disability?”
* In order to be considered a “Service Dog” under U.S. federal law, a dog must be partnered with an individual with a disability AND perform specific, trained task work to mitigate that disability. Task work is not optional. If a dog doesn’t perform task work, it is not a Service Dog.

In closing, if your Service Animal is registered with a volunteer registry, wearing a marked Service Dog harness and fully trained; you will find our staff and attendees very supportive of your teams presence here at Four Quarters. Welcome!

To further answer your questions, please review this Service Dog FAQ from the US Dept. of Justice at http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html or download our PDF copy HERE.