Service Animals and Twinkie the Pig

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law c. 272, § 98A, businesses that serve the public are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. In Massachusetts discrimination by a business against persons with disabilities is also a violation of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, G.L. c. 93A. Other laws, including fair housing and employment discrimination laws, allow animals other than dogs, miniature horses, and animals that do not have training, such as “emotional support animals” if it is a reasonable accommodation for a disability. What about miniature pigs? According to ABC News, city officials in Coral Springs, Florida were recently asked that very question. The owner of a mini Juliana pig named Twinkie was initially denied an exemption from the city's ordinance prohibiting the keeping of pigs. Twinkie had been doctor recommended as an emotional therapy pet for the owner's disabled son. Many months later, and after requiring family medical documentation, city officials relented and granted Twinkie's waiver. For more information visit our webpage Massachusetts Law About Service Animals.