Can my employer refuse to let my service animal accompany me to work?

Probably not, if you are disabled under Connecticut or federal law. Having a service animal accompany you to work is considered a “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act What that means is that your employer must discuss the possibility of having your animal with you, and should let you bring your animal unless its presence would be an “undue hardship” on the company.

A “service animal” is defined in federal regulations as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.” For more information, click here.

Remember not to pet or play with service animals while they’re working!