We love pets but can’t have them here, it’s the law!
State, county, and municipal codes prohibit pets within a certified farmers’ market.
Farmers’ Markets are food facilities like grocery stores and restaurants.
Trained Service Animals welcome! Sorry, Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) and Therapy Dogs are not ADA Service Animals.
Some of our customers who require trained Service Animals have expressed frustration that fraudulent Service Animal claims are negatively impacting their ability to participate in our markets, put their trained service animals at risk, and further contribute to discrimination. We have received multiple requests to more strongly enforce the law. In addition, we have been warned by health inspectors that not enforcing this regulation is a health code violation and potentially puts the market at risk.
Please respect the needs of our customers who require trained Service Animals, and help protect the health and safety of our market. Fraudulently misrepresenting Service Animals is a misdemeanor.
According to the ADA (ADA.gov):
“The ADA defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. … Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”
“Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the sevince animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices.”
“When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, staff may ask 2 questions: 1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and 2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.”
“A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove their service animal from the premises unless: 1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, or 2) the dog is not housebroken.”
Contact us: info@northcoastgrowersassociation.org (707) 441-9999