Service Animal Rules & Guidance Released

Maine Human Rights Commission

December 8, 2008

SERVICE ANIMAL RULES AND GUIDANCE RELEASED

The Maine Human Rights Commission announced today that is has amended its housing and public accommodation regulations covering “service animals”. The amendments are based on the Maine Human Rights Act’s new statutory provisions, which became effective July 17, 2008, regarding service animals. The new statutory provisions add a definition of service animal to the Act and address the rights of people with disabilities to use service animals in housing and places of public accommodation.

In addition, the Commission has revised its guidance on Service Animals in Housing and Public Accommodations. The Guidance, in the form of an-easy-to-read brochure, will be helpful to landlords, housing managers, owners and operators of businesses and other places of public accommodation, and people with disabilities. It discusses what a service animal is, what identification can and cannot be required, questions that may be asked about whether an animal is a service animal, and how a person with a service animal should be treated.

Both the Rules and the Guidance are available on the Commission’s web site: www.maine.gov/mhrc. A brochure is also available by contacting the Commission at 624-6050.