The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is enforcing new rules to ensure that veterans and visitors to VA hospitals, clinics and other facilities can bring their service dogs to appointments. The new policy took effect on Sept. 16.<\/p>\n
Visitors to VA facilities can now bring service animals if they \u201care individually trained to perform work or tasks on behalf of an individual with a disability,\u201d whether it is physical or mental. Under the policy, only dogs can be considered service animals. VA rules are now in line with existing federal regulations enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act. <\/p>\n
Under the regulation, VA facilities are allowed to ask only if the animal is required for a disability and if so, what task the animal has been trained to perform. They cannot request proof of the animal\u2019s training as a service dog. However, VA facility managers have the right to remove a dog from the (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is enforcing new rules to ensure that veterans and visitors to VA hospitals, clinics and other facilities can bring their service dogs to appointments. The new policy took effect on Sept. 16. Visitors to…<\/span><\/p>\n