Service Animals and the Law
Date: Dec 7, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, and Online
Member Price: $185.00
Non-Member Price: $219.00
Section Price: $0.00
Areas of Law: Animal, For All Attorneys
Earn up to 3.3 credits! (More Information)
Featured Speaker
Moderator
Presenters
- Melissa Allman, JD
- Sr. Specialist Advocacy & Government Relations
The Seeing Eye, Inc., Morristown - Ayesha Krishnan Hamilton, Esq.
- Hamilton Law Firm PC, Princeton
- Beth C. Manes, Esq.
- Manes & Weinberg, LLC, Mountainside
- Charles McKenna, Esq.
- NJ Commission For the Blind and Visually Impaired, Newark
Service Animals and the Law
If you represent business owners, schools, public employees or service animal handlers, attend this special presentation on the legal issues surrounding service dogs.
There are approximately 400,000 service dogs known to work in the United States, and this number does not include other service animals such as miniature horses. They may be the eyes or ears for people they serve, the first to alert their handler of an impending medical episode or may provide the psychological support that enables a person to live independently. The animals are trained, intelligent and sensitive. However, as their use has increased, so have the legal questions. The issues are many, from the legal obligations of businesses, to attacks on service animals, fraudulent service animals and more.
In addition to the legalities, you’ll also get an inside look into The Seeing Eye – an organization that breeds, raises and trains dogs to enhance the independence, dignity and self-confidence of people who are blind.
Topics include:
- Overview of The Seeing Eye – What a dog means to someone’s life, introduction to service animals, including examples of the types of tasks they can be trained to perform
- ADA Title 1 – The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination in the workplace, including reasonable accommodations, what types of animals qualify, addressing negative reaction/responses from co-workers and whether a service dog is allowed at a job interview.
- ADA Title 2 – The protection of qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination on the basis of disability in services, programs and activities provided by state and local government entities
- ADA Title 3 - Discrimination based on disability in the activities of places of public accommodations (businesses that are generally open to the public and fall into one of 12 categories listed in the ADA, such as restaurants, movie theaters, etc.)
- FHA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act – Protects people with disabilities from discrimination in housing, schools, jobs and the community.
- Air Carrier Access Act – The federal law which, under the purview of the U.S. Department of Transportation, regulates what animals can travel on airplanes.
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