[AbbyK9]

I think the confusion is between the definition of a Service Dog and an SDIT.

A Service Dog is what is defined under the ADA. In order for your dog to be considered a Service Dog, you must have a disability that requires special adaptive equipment (your dog) to do normal everyday things that everyone else can do without such equipment. Your dog will have to be trained specific tasks that can be done on command and that specifically help you with your disability.

A Service Dog can be trained at home and is not required to take any Public Access tests or other tests to be considered a Service Dog. Certification is not required in the United States as long as you and your dog meet the requirements for your dog to be considered a Service Dog.

Service Dogs in Training are not covered under the ADA but may be covered under your State's laws, so you will need to see what the laws are in regards to public access for Service Dogs in Training in your area. In some states, your SDIT can accompany you in public just like your Service Dog would be able to, but in some states, SDITs do not have the same public access and would be limited in where you can take her. So that's definitely something to look into.

As an added note, while certification is not required, it's not a bad idea to take the public access test or other testing offered if you can find it / it is available, so if you are ever called into question, you could prove in front of a court that your dog has had training (keeping training logs is also recommended) and that you and your dog have passed testing, such as the public access test, to document such training.

 

[AbbyK9]

Not a problem.

I highly recommend that you keep a training log that shows what you work on, for how long, etc. If you receive any certificates for passing specific levels of classes and/or testing, that should go in with the rest of your training log, in case you will ever need it to prove your dog is trained to do the things you say she is. (For example, if you were to need to go to court.)

As far as the law goes in Arizona, you can find it online here -
Arizona Consolidated Dog Laws

It is paragraph 11-10402 and it does extend public access rights to SDITs if they are with their disabled handler or a trainer, see below.

E. Any trainer or individual with a disability may take an animal being trained as a service animal to a public place for purposes of training it to the same extent as provided in subsections A, B and C of this section.

 

[AbbyK9]

I am concerned about the term "other pet". A service dog is not a pet. The person may love the dog and keep the dog as a pet when it is retired but during the dog's career it is a working dog

I think you may have misunderstood TJ's post.

In 2011, the ADA's wording is being changed from "Service Animals" to "Service Dogs", which means that only dogs can now be considered service animals, and other species that were previously used to provide a service to their disabled handlers, such as the long list of critters people have claimed are their Service Animals - cats, snakes, lizards ... you name it.

Such animals will then only have public access in places where PETS are normally allowed, while Service Dogs can still go anywhere they need to go.

 

[AbbyK9]

No, you're just reading the sentence incorrectly, Jeff.

Because the ADA definition is changing and only dogs can be considered service animals now (with the exception of Guide Horses, for which there is a specific provision under the law), any OTHER animals can no longer be considered as being service animals and therefore cannot go to places where any other pet (meaning pets in general) are not normally allowed.

In other words ... you can claim your cat is your Emotional Support Animal, but your cat cannot, by the new definition, be a Service Animal. So you cannot bring the cat any place where PETS are not normally allowed. You could bring your cat into Petsmart but you could not bring your cat into a restaurant.

A Service Dog can go anywhere, whether the place normally allows pets or not. But someone claiming their lizard is a Service Animal can NOT bring his lizard into any place unless that place admits any other kind of pet.

See the difference?