A couple of assistance animal related questions have hit my desk recently.  At properties which have pools, can assistance animals accompany residents into the pool area? How about into the pool? No, I am not making that question up.

While every situation requires independent analysis, the general rule is that an assistance animal is permitted on the pool deck (provided the animal is secured) but is not permitted in the pool. Animals are not permitted in the water for legitimate local public health reasons.

A related question had to do with properties that have a café or otherwise serve food. Can assistance animals accompany residents into the food service area? While I have not seen a case on point, I am aware of HUD guidance noting that animals which pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by another reasonable accommodation may not have to be granted. In this example, I would argue allowing animals into common areas specifically designated for food preparation and consumption escalates the risk of illness or other reasonable health concerns.

This conclusion is supported by two—somewhat more common—analogies. First, while the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) specifically requires restaurants to permit service animals to accompany customers in a restaurant, it does not require the proprietor to allow an emotional support animal in. This distinction between service animals (who are trained to assist their owners with major life activities) and emotional support animals (untrained animals that assist with emotional/mental disabilities) has been recognized as severe enough as to allow the former near food and food preparation, while not the latter. As such, because these types of situations are considered on a case-by-case basis, unless a specific resident could demonstrate that their need for an emotional support animal in a dining area reasonably outweighed legitimate health concerns, the same rule would likely apply under the FHA.

In sum, while I cannot rule out the risk of a complaint that a resident may claim he or she is being discriminated against because their emotional support animal (as contrasted with their service animal) is not permitted in a food service common area, I think we could argue that such an animal near any food preparation or food service area is unsanitary and will militate in management’s favor under the health and safety exception.

Hope that helps.

Just A Thought.

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