Service Dog Alliance of Florida

06/12/2026

🏠 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬

Service Dog Alliance of Florida has been actively monitoring recent changes to federal fair housing guidance and is working closely with partners including Disability Rights Florida, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.

In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rescinded its guidance document FHEO 2020-01 regarding assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act. It's important to note that the Fair Housing Act itself has not changed.

According to the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), this policy change may have significant implications for individuals seeking housing accommodations for assistance animals. Service Dog Alliance is particularly concerned about how this could affect service dogs in training, which were previously addressed under HUD's broader assistance animal guidance.

Key Takeaways:

✅ HUD has indicated that future rulemaking is planned, but no timeline has been announced.

✅ Individuals experiencing housing discrimination should consider filing complaints with state or local fair housing agencies. HUD has indicated it will no longer pursue complaints involving untrained animals and is applying the ADA definition of a service animal.

✅ In Florida, fair housing complaints can be filed with:
• Florida Commission on Human Relations
• Broward County Office of Equal Opportunity
• City of Orlando Office of Human Relations
• Jacksonville Human Rights Commission
• Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity
• Pinellas County Office of Human Rights
• Tampa Office of Human Rights

⚠️ Requests for assistance animals that are not trained service animals are no longer automatically protected and will be evaluated as other reasonable accommodation requests. Approval is not guaranteed.

⚠️ Pet fees and deposits may now apply to untrained assistance animals. Tenants should plan accordingly.

📋 If you are requesting a housing accommodation for an assistance animal, maintaining thorough documentation of both your disability-related need and the requested accommodation may be more important than ever under the revised policy framework.

For a detailed legal analysis of HUD's policy reversal, visit: https://dredf.org/huds-esa-policy-reversal/

Service Dog Alliance of Florida will continue advocating for individuals with disabilities and sharing updates as this issue develops.

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

06/11/2026

Colorado has taken action to protect housing rights for people with disabilities.

According to Denver7, Gov. Polis signed HB 26-1045 into law after a federal rollback changed guidance around emotional support animals and housing. The new Colorado law defines both emotional support animals and service animals as assistance animals, helping preserve protections for Coloradans with disabilities.

The story also highlights Disability Law Colorado’s role in bringing this idea to lawmakers and includes insight from State Rep. Yara for CO on why clear protections matter.

Read more here:
https://www.denver7.com/news/politics/colorado-lawmakers-enshrine-protections-for-emotional-support-animals-amid-federal-rollback

06/04/2026

For decades, federal enforcement and court decisions recognized that emotional support animals could qualify as a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law. Now, the administration has taken the position that they were never covered at all.

05/25/2026

🇺🇸 This Memorial Day, Service Dog Alliance honors the brave service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

We also recognize the loyal military working dogs and service animals who have stood beside our heroes through service, sacrifice, and healing.

Today, we remember them all with gratitude and respect.

05/07/2026

Thank you Southeast ADA Center for sharing CDC's guideance update on service animals.

https://adasoutheast.org/dear-colleague-letter-clarification-on-service-animals-in-laboratories-compliance-with-federal-laws-and-bmbl-guidance/

April 30, 2026 Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

05/07/2026

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡... a time to recognize that not all disabilities are visible, and not all healing journeys are easy to see.

For many individuals living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, autism, and other mental health conditions, service dogs provide more than companionship - they provide safety, stability, confidence, and independence. 🐾💚

We believe education, awareness, and understanding help build more inclusive communities for both handlers and their service dogs.

This month, we encourage everyone to lead with compassion, kindness, and respect. A simple act of understanding can make a world of difference to someone silently fighting battles you may never see.

04/30/2026

Please help spread the word on this significant update from the CDC. Advocates have been working for change since 2020 to address CDC policy that prevented access for service animal handlers. The March 2026 CDC guidelines serve as the cornerstone for US practice impacting those in laboratory and academic settings.

Below is the link to the updated CDC guidelines and the “Clarification on Service Animals in Laboratories: Compliance with Federal Laws and BMBL Guidance.” It sets the expectation to “conduct risk assessments and establish policies that accommodate service animals” in accordance with federal laws.

For years the CDC biosafety practices have often created barriers to access; this is now clear stated guidance. Individualized assessments rather than blanket exclusion policy.

https://www.cdc.gov/labs/pdf/Clarification-on-Service-Animals-Laboratories-Compliance-with-Federal-Laws-and-BMBL-Guidance.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/labs/bmbl/index.html

Best practices for the safe conduct of work in biomedical and clinical laboratories.

04/20/2026

As an all-volunteer non-profit, we wouldn’t exist without the amazing and generous humans who tirelessly devote countless hours ensuring individuals who use service animals have safe and unfettered access to the community. Hats off to each of you. You are making a huge difference. Our volunteers are priceless and precious. Make sure when you see them to express gratitude and celebrate their ongoing contributions.

04/07/2026

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 to Lindsay Tozer, Service Dog Alliance advisory board member. She is now part of the official congressional record. Last night at the ceremony in Brooksville, she was recognized as a 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐬 by Congressman Gus Bilirakis.

When you see her make sure you thank her for promoting service dog awareness and her steadfast support of other local non-profits.

Read into the Congressional Record and now in the National Archives:

💬 "Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding service and leadership of Lindsay Tozer, a volunteer advisory board member for the Service Dog Alliance of Florida, where she also serves as chair of its public awareness campaign. Ms. Tozer has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to advancing accessibility, dignity, and equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities who rely on service animals in their daily lives.

While Florida Statutes 413.08 and 413.081 – enacted in 2015 – provide important legal protections for service animals, including coverage for animals in training and penalties for misrepresentation or interference, these safeguards have historically been underrecognized by the public and even by some in law enforcement. Recognizing this gap, Ms. Tozer led a comprehensive effort to improve public understanding and compliance with these critical laws. As campaign chair, she convened a diverse group of community leaders and stakeholders to develop a clear and effective public awareness toolkit, including rack cards, door decals, and posters. Initially piloted in Citrus County, these materials were designed for use by businesses and local governments to reduce service animal misrepresentation while reinforcing both the rights and responsibilities of handlers and establishments. Following the success of the pilot program, this initiative has now been implemented statewide.

Her concise and powerful message – “Service Animals Welcome. It’s a crime to misrepresent.” – has resonated widely with service animal handlers and business owners alike, fostering greater awareness and encouraging meaningful dialogue in communities across Florida.

In addition to her leadership in public outreach, Ms. Tozer serves as the organization’s lead social media specialist, ensuring that information is timely, accessible, and widely distributed. She has also become a model for digital accessibility, aligning organizational communications with best practices such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and setting a high standard for peer organizations. The impact of her work has been both measurable and meaningful, resulting in a 28 percent increase in training requests and a 21 percent increase in requests for technical assistance – clear evidence of the effectiveness of her outreach and leadership.

Lindsay Tozer exemplifies the very best of public service and professional excellence. She is a dedicated communicator, a trusted advocate, and a tireless relationship builder whose work has strengthened partnerships among businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local governments throughout Florida. Her efforts have helped build more informed, inclusive, and accessible communities.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Ms. Tozer for her exemplary service and her lasting contributions to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities."

Gus M. Bilirakis
Member of Congress

04/05/2026

🌷🐾 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑫𝒐𝒈 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 🐣

This season is all about new beginnings, hope, and the bonds that bring us together - and that includes the incredible connection between service dogs and the individuals they support every day.

As you celebrate with family and friends, we’re grateful for a community that continues to learn, support, and advocate for accessibility and inclusion. Together, we can ensure that every handler and service dog team is welcomed and respected everywhere they go.

Wishing you a joyful, peaceful Easter filled with love (and maybe a few tail wags, too!). 💛🐕‍🦺