Service dogs vs. pets: the ADA basics

Some places on our map say “no pets, service animals only.” Here’s what that means, summarized from the U.S. Department of Justice’s guidance on ADA Requirements: Service Animals (ada.gov).

What counts as a service animal

• Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Examples include guiding people who are blind and alerting people who are deaf.
• Service animals are working animals, not pets.

Emotional support animals are not service animals under the ADA

Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. (Other laws, like the Fair Housing Act, and some state and local laws define these terms differently.)

The only two questions staff may ask

When it isn’t obvious what service a dog provides, staff may ask only:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Staff can’t ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation or an ID card for the dog, or ask the dog to demonstrate its task.

Where service dogs can go

• Businesses that serve the public generally must allow service animals wherever the public is allowed, including restaurants and breweries, even if health codes bar animals.
• A service dog must be under the handler’s control, generally harnessed, leashed or tethered. Staff may ask that it be removed only if it’s out of control and the handler doesn’t act, or if it isn’t housebroken.

Pets are different

The ADA’s service-animal rules cover service animals, not pets. Whether pet dogs are welcome on a patio or inside is generally up to the business, within local and health rules. That’s why one brewery welcomes dogs while the next one allows only service animals. Please respect the posted policy, and don’t present a pet as a service dog.

Source: ADA.gov: ADA Requirements: Service Animals (checked 2026-10-15). This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

Rules change. Check posted signs and the official source before you go. Unverified = listed by a third party but not yet confirmed with the business; call ahead.