Shelter Sued for Banning Service Dogs

Published July 20, 2009 @ 06:02AM PT

Viper is in frail health. She suffers from seizures, gets around in a wheelchair, and uses a catheter. Given her vulnerable condition, Viper is fortunate to have a service dog trained to help her detect and cope with seizures.

Yet, Viper lives on the streets. Simply because her service dog has been turned away from area shelters.

Since most shelters do not allow animals, homeless people with a four-legged friend often choose to live stay on the streets rather than part with their pet. But should homeless individuals with a life-threatening medical condition that requires the help of a service animal be forced to make this same decision?

The Housing Rights Center and the Disability Rights Legal Center certainly doesn't think so. Last week the organization filed a lawsuit against several Los Angeles homeless shelters alleging that the Americans With Disabilities Act and fair housing laws do not allow discrimination against people just because they rely on service animals.

The service providers interviewed for the LA Times article said it can be difficult to accommodate animals - service or otherwise - in a shelter setting. According to the article, others may be "sleeping nearby who may be allergic or afraid of dogs."

It would be easy to chastise the shelter in this situation for their apparent lack of concern for medically vulnerable individuals. But keep in mind that shelters are often understaffed and filled to the brims. In a place like LA, shelters beds are in such high demand that turning away a person in need of help is usually not a choice. In addition, as any shelter worker will tell you, managing an emergency shelter is akin to controlling imminent chaos.

While this perspective does not excuse a shelter from turning away a guest with a service animal, it provides a better understanding of the strains shelters face to meet the needs of a growing homeless population.

But just as Viper should not be sleeping on the streets, a homeless shelter is not an appropriate place for her either. Someone as medically vulnerable as Viper should be bypass shelter and go directly into permanent housing with a case manager. This is the only long-term arrangement that will ensure her medical needs are appropriately cared for.

As we move towards a prevention/rapid-rehousing model for providing homeless services, I hope this conversation about service animals in shelters becomes obsolete.

Does the woman in this LA Times photo look familiar? It's Viper, one of the stories captured by Mark Horvath during his Road Trip, U.S.A. tour. Watch her story here.

Share this Post

Comments (2)

This is where the ADA desperately needs to be clarified. Shelters - despite taking pretty much anyone and everyone (or at least picking and choosing from among them to decide whom they'll serve) just LOVE to declare things like being "private" and thus ADA exempt. Now how can you invite everyone in and then accept pretty much everyone BUT the disabled and be a "private" shelter or "private" residence? The other thing shelters clearly don't understand is that ALL disabilities MUST be accommodated - that's part of the ADA. If Viper or I have a Service dog and we get a roommate who's allergic to dogs or flat out phobic of them, then it's the shelter's responsibility to find a way to accommodate the one with a service dog AND the one who is allergic to or afraid of dogs. Worth mention, most dog allergies and dog fears don't meat the criteria for disability - which makes this reason for barring service dogs a red herring.

Ultimately though, you're right, what's really needed is more - a LOT MORE - transitional and permanent housing. The disabled are a great example of a sub-population that shouldn't be left to languish forever in homelessness - yet once homeless they do because no one wants to serve them since we're "more trouble". Which means typically, we don't even get entrance to the system - forget permanent housing (it doesn't exist for pretty much anyone).

Posted by Danetta Amschler on 07/23/2009 @ 07:24AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Danetta
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
very heard life

Posted by sahal sahal on 07/25/2009 @ 11:48AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by sahal
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply

Add a Comment

For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

Comment

Check Spelling

Email me when there are new posts to this thread
Comment Policy

Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the ideas covered in the posts. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; that contain ad hominem attacks; or that are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion.

Author

Shannon has worked in homeless shelters and service organizations in San Francisco, the Triangle region of North Carolina, and currently in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.