SunKiss Villas Animal Policy
Service Animals
SunKiss Villas complies with Federal and Florida state laws with regards to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) rulings about service animals. The following is a brief summary of those rulings.
True Service Animals are welcome in all of the homes that Sunkiss Villas promotes however many communities require prior approval by the HOA. The HOA (Home Owner’s Association) my require documentation of the dogs training and what specific task the dog has been trained to perform for it’s handler.
According to the ruling a “Service Animal” is a dog that has been individually trained to perform specific tasks to assist an individual person with a disability. The tasks performed by the dog must be directly related to the individual’s disability. This ruling only applies to dogs with regards to transient lodging. Other animals, such as cats, monkeys, etc. are not mentioned in the ruling with regards to transient lodging. Although miniature horses are mentioned as service animals they are not included in references to transient lodging.
Service dogs have typically received extensive professional training over a period of years at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. They are not converted pets that are trained by family or friends. Their extensive training goes far beyond pet training and as such are considered “guests”, not pets. “Emotional Support” or “Therapy Animals” are not service animals as defined by the law.
Here are a few examples of tasks performed by true service dogs:
- Seeing eye dogs for guidance
- Reminder or retrieval of medication at specific times or on request by the handler
- Epilepsy dogs to detect if their handler is about to experience a seizure
- Psychological intervention for individuals with mental disorders to prevent harmful behavior by the individual
Documentation that the service animal is trained is not a precondition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. A public accommodation may not ask about the nature or extent of an individual’s disability. To determine the difference between a service animal and a pet, a public accommodation may ask if an animal is a service animal required because of a disability and what work or tasks the animal has been trained to perform. {See section (3) paragraph (b)} of Florida Statute 413.08}.
SunKiss Villas does not charge extra for True service animals (no additional deposit, etc.) however any damages that may occur to the property during a guests stay, whether done by human or service dog, will be charged for. Please remember that although a service dog is a “guest” they are still part of the party who occupy the property and the person making the reservation is responsible for everyone in the party, including the service dog. SunKiss Villas contract requires a list of ALL guests staying in the home. Failure to include the animal in the occupant list and concealing the fact that it is an animal can result in immediate eviction. Disclosure of all animals staying in the home is required.
For complete information on ADA law and Florida Statues for Service Animals please view the following Link: Service Animals Law
Pets
SunKiss villas welcomes pets but only in homes that the individual home owner has permitted us to accept pets in (pet friendly). Because pets are not “Service Animals” with extensive training SunKiss Villas does require an additional pet deposit and non-refundable pet fee for your stay.
Please don’t say your pet is a “Service Animal” when it clearly is not. As stated above, “Emotional Support” and “Therapy” animals are not considered Service Animals. Not only is misrepresenting your pet as service animal a misdemeanor offense but it also hurts everyone, especially people who are truly disabled.
General Animal Guidelines
Animal “etiquette” applies to all animals regardless whether they are service animals or pets. Here are some general rules all animal owners are expected to abide by.
- When a responsible person is not present in the home or when the animal is left in the home without the supervision of the animal owner the animal must be “crated”.
- Clean up after your animal. Florida law requires animal owners to remove their animal’s defecation.
- All animals must be kept under control at all times. This means barking must be kept to a minimum. Florida law provides that animals that are out of control may be removed from the premises. Please understand that this is not just up to SunKiss Villas, neighbors that are disturbed by your uncontrolled animal may also contact the authorities.
- Documentation of animal health (vet statement for vaccinations and flea treatment) are required for all animals, including Service Animals.
- Please keep your animals off the furniture.