Tales of the Red Tape #6: Equine Equality Under the ADA

Diane Katz /

Every business must comply with a mind-boggling range of regulations, but the latest regulatory “guidance” on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be the last straw—literally.

Hotels, restaurants, airlines and the like must now modify “policies, practices, or procedures” to accommodate miniature horses as service animals.

The new guidelines, effective March 15, elevate the regulatory standing of the pygmy ponies over chimps, pigs, goats, iguanas, birds, and rats—all of which have been claimed as service animals by their owners but are not now formally recognized as such by the government. (more…)