service and working Animals

Service animals, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, are an extension of the person they serve and must be managed with the person, including any decontamination services. Planners should engage both jurisdictional animal resources as well as the functional and special needs community in planning for service animals.

Working animals (law enforcement, search and rescue, etc.): These animals, typically dogs and horses, are an element of the emergency response community and should be treated as responders. Typically, the numbers of these animals are small. First response agencies that utilize animals need to include decontamination capabilities for these animals within their overall SOPs.