Sam, our guide some interesting stories of the animals she encountered, be sure to ask her about them when you hike with her! The National Park Service plans to update its rules regarding service animals, starting with a more concise definition of what is, and what isn’t, a legitimate service animal. In the past, visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have claimed everything from ferrets to monkeys as service animals. A few years ago a park ranger encountered a hiker and a duck on a popular trail. The ranger was told the duck was a service animal, and under the park’s old guidelines, no further questions were asked. Under the American with Disabilities Act, a service animal must perform some function or task that the individual with a disability can’t perform on their own. While the park places tight restrictions on pets — dogs are only allowed in front country campgrounds, picnic areas, and roads, and must be on a leash at all times — the rules pertaining to service animals are more relaxed. Although federal agencies are not governed by the Americans with Disability Act, the National Park Service wants to align its regulations with the federal law for the sake of clarity and consistency. The Americans with Disabilities Act was updated in 2011 to define a service animal as a dog — no ducks or pigs — that is individually trained to perform tasks directly related to the owner’s disability. Guide dogs for the blind are familiar service dogs, but other tasks include alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting a person who suffers from seizures, or calming a person with post-traumatic stress disorder during an anxiety attack. In general, national parks would only consider dogs as service animals. However, under the new regulation, each park superintendent would have the authority to allow the use of miniature horses as service animals depending on the size and weight of the horse. Clay Jordan, chief ranger for the Smokies, said the new rules would enable the park to better accommodate the needs of visitors with disabilities who depend on service animals, while setting reasonable boundaries. “We welcome the change,” Jordan said. “It will reduce the confusion shared by visitors and park staff alike as to what is and is not permitted in terms of pets and service animals.” The proposed rule would differentiate service animals from pets, domestic animals, feral animals and livestock, and would describe the circumstances under which service animals are allowed in parks. A major concern for the National Park Service is the possible spread of disease between domestic animals and park wildlife. Accordingly, superintendents could require proof of vaccination against disease from the owner of the service dog or miniature horse. Under federal law, service animals are permitted to accompany their owners in all areas where the public normally is allowed to go. The animal must be controlled by a harness or leash unless that device interferes with its work. Also in keeping with the American with Disabilities Act, park personnel may only ask two questions: Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and what task has the dog been trained to provide. Caitlin Worth, with the Smokies’ office of public affairs, said the new rule mostly will eliminate the confusion over what is a service animal, and where it can and cannot go. “You’d have a hard time finding a park volunteer or someone at a visitor center who hasn’t dealt with this,” Worth said. “Most of the time it’s a dog wearing a service vest and everything is legitimate, but there still are times when it’s another animal species, or there’s no indication of any special training. We are taught to respect people’s privacy. If they say it’s a service animal, we don’t push it.” The National Park Service will accept public comment on the new service animal rule through June 17 through the Federal Rule Making Portal at: regulations.gov.
Posted on: Wed, 07 May 2014 12:42:17 +0000