Pets & Service Animals

(Draft) Policy and Procedures

In order to maintain consistency within the various modes of transportation the City of Vallejo has adopted the following policy concerning transporting pets, and service animals on Vallejo Transit, Vallejo Runabout, and Vallejo Baylink Ferry.

PETS

Customers may transport small pets on City of Vallejo Ferries and buses in a completely enclosed cage or carrying case that is small enough to fit on the customer’s lap. The animal must not endanger or annoy other customers. Pets are allowed on all City of Vallejo Ferries and buses with the following conditions:

• The pet must be in a carrier or portable kennel – Not on a leash or in a lap.
• The pet is non-disruptive (no barking, growling, constant whimpering, etc.)
• Should the pet become disruptive during the voyage the crew shall direct the pet owner to move the pet to the utility room for the remainder of the voyage.

SERVICE ANIMALS

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. Service animals and service animals in training are also permitted to ride on board City of Vallejo Ferries and buses.

Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities – such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.

Employees may ask if an animal is a service animal, but cannot require special ID cards for the animal or ask about the person’s disability.

• People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be charged extra fees, isolated from other patrons, or treated less favorably than other patrons.
• A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (a) The animal is out of control and the animal’s owner does not take effective action to control it. (b) The animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.