Open Forum

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

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Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
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I would like to add to the question and ask what policy if any your organization has regarding visitors bring comfort or service animals into the facility.

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Shunzyu Haigler
Director of Membership, Visitor Experience and Volunteers
Newark Museum of Art
Newark NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

There are guidelines under the ADA about service animals that can help. https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Emotional support animal guidelines would be more at the state level, though as pointed out in the ADA guidelines a dog that has been trained to sense an anxiety attack is a service animal. We of course allow service animals at our institution and have even served as a training site for organizations that are acclimating them to public spaces. It is important to make sure your staff know what they can and cannot ask and how to handle the need for a service animal as well as any other assistance with respect and tact. 

Here is an article that may be of interest for the employee question, which may be a little more difficult than access for the general visitor: https://www.workforce.com/news/a-handy-faq-for-service-animals-in-the-workplace

Lynda



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Lynda Kennedy PhD
VP Education & Evaluation
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2020 06:49 AM
From: Shunzyu Haigler
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I would like to add to the question and ask what policy if any your organization has regarding visitors bring comfort or service animals into the facility.

------------------------------
Shunzyu Haigler
Director of Membership, Visitor Experience and Volunteers
Newark Museum of Art
Newark NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

Original Message------

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

Original Message------

Nope.  One person's pet is another's allergy.  Then there's the issue that airlines are having.  Comfort weasel?  Emotional support peacock?  I'm not anti-pet.  I have had and have dogs, cats, gerbils, etc.  But I think it truly would depend on what kind of institution you work in.  Farm museum?  Historic Village?  There might be a fit for that kind of operation.

Greg

Gregory A. Jackson, CA

Archivist

Bryn Athyn Historic Landmark District

Glencairn Museum

www.glencairnmuseum.org

267.502.2997

I believe that pets or comfort animals should remain at home.  There is always the issue of allergens, safety, and everyone does not care to have the distraction of animals in their workspace.  If a person is truly disabled, the law is there to make it so they can reasonably earn a living.  Employers, are to provide a safe, workplace in every sense of the word, but not necessarily a comfortable workplace.

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Carol Edlow
MPA-E, Onsite Education Services
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

There's lots to unpack in this question.

What do you mean by "comfort animal"? Is it an emotional support animal or a pet? An emotional support animal is indeed helping someone with a disability...it just may not be a visible or physical disability. Support animals can be very helpful in calming folks with anxiety, etc.

That said, there is no certification or training for emotional support animals like there are for some dogs that assist folks with visible physical disabilities.

Some unethical people have ruined things by claiming that their pets are actually service animals. You can buy an official looking "working animal" vest on Amazon.

And I understand that you'd want to avoid that situation, but I encourage you to be open to discussing options with the staff person.

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Juline Chevalier
Head of Interpretation
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis MN
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

Rebecca,

I think that you may benefit from reaching out to HR on staff if you have one, or if it's totally out of anyone's wheelhouse where you're at, reach out to an area college or high school disabilities coordinator and get their input. I am not an authority on the matter, but I work at a college, and it's a conversation that's come up for us. 

Essentially, my understanding that an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is primarily a residential animal. That is to say, the person who has a valid ESA may be granted exceptions for pets in housing where they might otherwise not be allowed to have them. The animal does is not trained specifically or granted exceptions for places outside of the persons primary residence. Exceptions may be made for travel?

ESAs differ from service animals because a service animal is an animal "that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.  The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person's disability." (ADA.gov website) It's been described to me that service dogs can be considered an extension of that person in that space, because they rely directly on their service animal to go about their day. 

If you have the time, I would really reach out to someone in your area to see what kind of light they could shed for you. I think it can really vary state by state about what is or isn't routine. 

Best of luck! 

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Elizabeth Davis
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

The Ask A Manager site has handled many questions over the years about pets/service animals in workplaces, which may help you get an overview of ways this has been handled in other workplaces.

Search Results - Ask a Manager

Ask a Manager		remove preview
Search Results - Ask a Manager View this on Ask a Manager >

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Mamiko Carroll
Public Information Officer
Hawaii State Art Museum
Honolulu HI
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2020 12:37 PM
From: Elizabeth Davis
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

Rebecca,

I think that you may benefit from reaching out to HR on staff if you have one, or if it's totally out of anyone's wheelhouse where you're at, reach out to an area college or high school disabilities coordinator and get their input. I am not an authority on the matter, but I work at a college, and it's a conversation that's come up for us.

Essentially, my understanding that an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is primarily a residential animal. That is to say, the person who has a valid ESA may be granted exceptions for pets in housing where they might otherwise not be allowed to have them. The animal does is not trained specifically or granted exceptions for places outside of the persons primary residence. Exceptions may be made for travel?

ESAs differ from service animals because a service animal is an animal "that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.  The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person's disability." (ADA.gov website) It's been described to me that service dogs can be considered an extension of that person in that space, because they rely directly on their service animal to go about their day.

If you have the time, I would really reach out to someone in your area to see what kind of light they could shed for you. I think it can really vary state by state about what is or isn't routine.

Best of luck! 

------------------------------
Elizabeth Davis

Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

Animals in a museum also increase likelihood of carrying in pests harmful to artifacts and archives.  Obviously people can bring them in as well, but people are likely to bathe more frequently than most people bathe their pets.  Pets also are more likely to have significant hair, fur, or feathers that serve as very effective hiding places for small insects like carpet beetles, fleas, etc.

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Lissa Kramer
Heritage Capital Projects
Washington State History Museum - Historical Society
Tacoma WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

.
Tara Hart (she/her)
Managing Archivist
Whitney Museum of American Art


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Tara Hart
Pratt Institute
Brooklyn NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2020 04:35 PM
From: Rebecca Rosen
Subject: Staff members and comfort animals

I was wondering what your policies may be on non-disabled staff members being allowed to have comfort dogs (pets) or in their office.

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

------------------------------
Rebecca Rosen
Executive Assistant to the Director
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hi Rebecca and everyone,

Chiming in here, I'd like to share a link that provides information to help understand the Americans with Disabilities Acts as it relates to Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals.  Here is the link:
https://adata.org/guide/service-animals-and-emotional-support-animals

The section on "Handler's Rights" is particularly relevant to this discussion.  Personally, I think it's helpful to remember that "laws prohibit employment discrimination because of a disability." and "Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodation."

Both Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals benefit individuals with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.  My understanding is that in cases when a person with a disability uses an emotional support animal, the animal is not considered a pet. Also, as the article states "In the case of a service animal or an emotional support animal, if the disability is not obvious and/or the reason the animal is needed is not clear, an employer may request documentation to establish the existence of a disability and how the animal helps the individual perform his or her job."  

I hope this information is helpful as you consider creating policy specific to your Museum!

Best wishes,
Tara

Tara Hart (she/her)
Managing Archivist
Whitney Museum of American Art


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Tara Hart
Pratt Institute
Brooklyn NY
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