Under the ADA (28 C.F.R. § 36.302) and Massachusetts General Laws c. 272, §§ 92A, 98, and 98A, a task-trained psychiatric service dog may accompany you in stores, restaurants, and other public places. Under DOT rules (14 C.F.R. Part 382), airlines must accept trained psychiatric service dogs in the cabin at no charge. The same task-trained dog is protected in housing under the federal Fair Housing Act: no pet deposits, no pet rent, no breed restrictions.
Presenting an untrained pet as a service animal puts you at legal risk, which is why our clinicians issue letters only after a real evaluation. If a business wrongly denies your task-trained service dog, file a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination or with the U.S. Department of Justice at ada.gov.