WHAT ARE ASSISTANCE ANIMALS?  

Assistance animals are not pets. There are two types of assistance animals:

1. Service animals who are trained to do specific task(s).
2. Animals who provide emotional support for the benefit of a person with a disability.

These handy reference flyers from the Hawaii Disability and Communication Access Board offer more information: 

      SERVICE ANIMALS  |  ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS

You may ask the following when asking for a reasonable accommodation:

For a Service Animal

Is this animal required because of a disability? What work or task has this animal been trained to perform?

For an Assistance Animal

Ask to be provided information from a treating health care professional, mental health professional, or other credible verification that the person has a disability and that the assistance animal is needed to alleviate one or more symptoms of the person's disability.

National Association of REALTORS® Window to the Law: Fair Housing Assistance Animal Guidance

Landlords and property managers now have guidance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help them meet the requirements of providing persons with disabilities who require an assistance animal equal opportunities under the Fair Housing Act.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Hawaii Disability and Communication Access Board
• Hawaii Civil Rights Commission
• Hawaii Public Housing Authority
• U.S. Department of Justice - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development  
  • Updated guidance on assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act: includes best practices for property managers and landlords