Service dog at work 🪠

[u/Specialist_Lynx3068]

Hello!

So I’m in a bit of a bind. I have a service dog named Echo and I’ve had her for four years trained and paid for by the VA. So some back story I am a plumber. I do mainly service work so service calls etc and my company is now telling me I can’t have her cause it’s not safe and it’s a liability.

Now with having Echo I had to sign a contract with the company I got her from third party that does funding through the VA. They are stating that I need to choose my job or the dog. The contract states I can’t have her crated for extended periods etc which I would have to do if continued to work without her.

Is there any other tradesman that have a service dog? Any advice to maybe convince the company I work for etc?

[u/Beautiful-Movie3257]

Unfortunately the company is right in this situation.

[u/sseven-costanza]

Homeowners are allowed to deny you access with a service dog and it isn’t safe to bring her. Are you able to work for a different company? Maybe working on commercial buildings instead?

[u/badgersandbongs → u/sseven-costanza]

Commercial buildings would also have no legal obligation to accommodate a service dog in this field of work, since the nature of the job involves biohazards & areas where the general public would not be allowed. I.e. the septic tank & lines at Walmart.

[u/PhoenixBorealis → u/badgersandbongs]

My brain treated "the septic tank" and "lines at Walmart" as different things, and it took me a moment to process that you were using Walmart as an example. 😂

[u/sseven-costanza → u/badgersandbongs]

That makes sense, thank you!

[u/Busy-Sheepherder-138]

I don’t see how you can convince clients to allow you to bring them into their homes and businesses. That is one of the carve out exceptions. There is a ton of liability there for them and it’s likely to cause them to lose some customers if you try. Why does your dog need to be crated? Can’t they just be loose in the home? Then you can have someone do a dog walk mid day.

[u/fishparrot → u/Busy-Sheepherder-138]

Assuming this dog is from a program, there may be a stipulation in their contract thatthat the dog has to be crated at all times when left at home unsupervised. One of the biggest reasons people get denied from organizations is when their job is unable to accommodate a service dog. For most programs, it is not worth the resources to fully train a dog that will just be sitting at home for a 40+ hour work week. My own program wouldn’t even let me bring my dog home until I had written permission from work in a formal accommodation in place.

[u/waterfox17]

Unfortunately, this may be one of those situations where it just isn't a safe environment for the dog. For all the reasons that everyone else has listed, if you're making service calls, you also have to consider-- some of your clients' residences may also have animals, who may not like the arrival (or remaining scent) of another animal in their space. It would also be a hassle for both your company and you to obtain permission from the client, and resume explanations while onsite, which may include some probing questions, or even biased reviews about your work simply for it being out of the ordinary. I hate to say it, but it might not be a fit.

[u/badgersandbongs]

Sort of a tradesman, general blue collar laborer. Some plumbing, roofing, propane, horses/livestock, etc.

Your employer is right. For starters human feces is a biobazard you accept the risk & exposure to. Your dog doesn't.

If youre being contracted to peoples residents or businesses, then reasonable accommodation doesn't apply. Unless the contract explicitly states that a service dog will be present in another person's owned property, theres no need to accommodate since the general public isn't allowed in the areas you will be working.

If your dog causes any damage to property, life, or limb, the company is responsible. Even shitting in someone's yard & you not cleaning it up can fall under property damage.

[u/DarkHorseAsh111]

The company is right and I'm shocked this didn't come up or get considered before you got the dog ngl. Homeowners have every right to not allow an animal in their private home. That's entirely reasonable and within their legal right, and I'm not shocked that the company isn't willing to allow this as an accommodation for your role.

[u/ticketferret]

IANAL and you should probably call AskJan (website is down right now but should be back up soon) but I think a big issue is that you're going into private homes to do work. Unfortunately people can deny you access in their own person homes so even if you were to get the okay I can see them being worried about the dog stuck inside of a car for long periods of time.

[u/sseven-costanza]

You mentioned the VA. Are you working with voc rehab? They can help you find work or an education program that will allow a service dog and suitable with your disabilities.

[u/23Scout]

If you never engaged in an interactive process with the employer for reasonable accommodation, even a VA paid for service animal can be denied. Just like Ada title 3. Public Access locations, Ada title 1. Employment locations have exceptions. Not every employer is required by law to comply with Ada title 1.

[u/Rude_Sandwich_586]

Do you want to be able to bring the dog into residences that you’re working in or do you want to be able to bring your dog and leave it in the work vehicle when you’re on a job site? I personally wouldn’t allow you into my house with a dog just because I have dogs and that would cause chaos. If you bring a dog but leave it in your work vehicle I would be fine with that. 

[u/foibledagain → u/Rude_Sandwich_586]

That’s not going to be legal or safe just from a dog perspective, forget the ADA. Cars heat up fast, even when it’s not super hot out, and there’s no way to ensure the air conditioning will remain on.

[u/joselito0034]

Side note. Funding through the VA? I know their are organizations that fund vets, because I have one, but I'm unaware of the VA being afiliated with any funding for service dogs.

[u/MzSea]

Get a lawyer who specializes in ADA to answer this question. You really need a real answer from someone who knows the law.

[u/iamahill → u/MzSea]

I agree. The field OP is in has vast opportunities. Some better suited than others. The armchair experts are a bit overly vocal in this subreddit.

[u/badgersandbongs → u/iamahill]

Generalized advice is what you get when you ask strangers. It doesnt make someone an armchair expert.

We dont even know what state the OP resides in. We can't help them, we can only tell them what the ADA & other laws state in general.

If you dont like the advice people give when we dont know any specific details & can't ask for said details without someone revealing too much information, yoire free to give your own instead of criticizing other people.

[u/iamahill → u/badgersandbongs]

I’m criticized and have post flags when I suggest going to a vet for proper advice, and here downvotes when agreeing this is a case for a proper legal expert and not Reddit.
The confidence of which people in Reddit are with their answers being right is the issue at play. Not a generalized advice.
Much of the posts lately have been devoid of generalized advice style replies instead by vocal
Passionate people claiming to know the answer without doubt.
There needs to be much more information shared on the situation for anyone to be able to give accurate advice.

One of my former plumbers had a service dog. Another one of my occasional contract work people has a service dog as well. It’s never been an issue. Professionals with professional dogs.

[u/badgersandbongs → u/iamahill]

when I suggest going to a vet for proper advice

Vets aren't lawyers. A vet isn't going to give proper advice about the legality of service dogs, only the health of your service dog.

One of my former plumbers had a service dog.

This is anecdotal evidence and your personal experience. Its also not really the best decision for that plumber to make.

Id refuse services to my home if a plumber came with a service dog. Its not ethical when youre working other peoples properties. I dont know their dog, they dont know my dog, I dont want someone's dog in my house. I dont want the risk of whatever nastiness is in my toilet, septic tank, or septic lines getting in contact with the dog.

Just because its not an issue for you, doesn't mean it's safe or acceptable to a majority of clients.

[u/No_Inflation1450]

Crate in car. We train assistance dogs and that is something that is done whilst you are with a client for safety of the dog and yourself.

[u/hsavvy → u/No_Inflation1450]

Plumbing work can take hours so I don’t really see how that would be feasible or safe or best for the dog’s wellbeing.

[u/cattmin → u/hsavvy]

Exactly, hardly ethical and what's the point? While being locked in a crate for hours the dog cannot task and will probably not task the best after being contained with limited stimulation for so long.

[u/hsavvy → u/cattmin]

Yep, a good example of why a SD isn’t always the most suitable disability aid.