IT’S A DOG-EAT-INSIDE WORLD
No shirt, no shoes, no service … but what about a service dog?
By Gorman
In a town that loves its animals as much as Mammoth, furry friends are a regular sight in businesses and restaurants. It’s not uncommon to see a dog on the porch of Stellar Brew on a sunny Saturday morning, but the laws that govern the rights of pet owners are complicated and not always easy to enforce.
Animals are not allowed inside restaurants. Period. That is according to the California Retail Food Code, but, as with every rule, there is an exception. The Americans with Disabilities Act does not allow businesses to discriminate against the disabled, which means that service dogs, “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability,” must be admitted into any establishment where the animal does not “fundamentally alter” the nature of the business.
