Service Animals

SERVICE ANIMALS

Service Animals are allowed on paraTransit vehicles to aid a passenger with disabilities that makes completing certain work/tasks challenging or need further assistance due to cognitive conditions. Example of such tasks are: guiding people who are visually impaired, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding an individual with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties.

A service animal must be under the control of its handler. Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal’s safe and effective performance of tasks. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal or other effective controls.

Pets are not service animals. The work or task a service animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Miniature Horses

Miniature Horses can be used as a service animal that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Miniature Horses generally range in height from 24 inches (60cm) to 34 inches (86cm) measured to the shoulders and generally weigh between 70 (31kg) to 100 pounds (45kg). Bee Line ParaTransit will allow the use of Miniature Horses where reasonable. A four factor assessment will need to be performed to determining whether a Miniature Horse can be accommodated on Bee Line ParaTransit vehicles and facilities. The assessment factors are: (1) whether the Miniature Horse is housebroken; (2) whether the Miniature Horse is under the owner’s control; (3) whether the facility can accommodate the Miniature Horse’s type, size and weight; and (4) whether the miniature horse’s presence will not compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation of the facility.

If you have any questions concerning this policy or need further assistance, please contact the supervisor at (914) 995-7272.