The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and The Assistance animals and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) define a service animal as a dog 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.
Only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA.
At Hipcamp, we understand that service animals are not the same as pets, and we require that Hosts accept bookings with service animals. We encourage Hipcampers to let the Host know of their service animal before booking, and Hosts are expected to accommodate bookings where a service animal will be present, even if their rules state "no pets".
As many people use service animals to fully participate in everyday life, these animals are not subject to extra fees at Hipcamp. In addition, it is illegal in the United States to require documentation for a service animal.
A Host may ask a Hipcamper to remove a service animal if that animal is out of control or not housebroken. Given their role, it is important to note that service animals are not to be left alone at a Hipcamp, and Hosts are not responsible for caring for the service animal.
Hipcamp recognizes the importance of emotional support animals, but we do not require that Hosts accept bookings with emotional support animals. Emotional support animals are defined as animals that provide comfort just by being with a person; they are not trained to perform a specific job or task and do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. However, some state and local governments have laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into spaces otherwise reserved for service animals, so please make sure you research and are compliant with any laws that might apply to your location.