Riding PATCO with a Service Animal
A person with a disability may bring an individually trained service animal of any kind on PATCO at any time.
The following rules apply to accommodate the animal and its handler, while keeping the safety and needs of other passengers in mind:
- When on PATCO trains or in our facilities, service animals must be leashed or harnessed.
- Service animals must always be under the disabled customer’s control. PATCO staff are not allowed to take service animals’ leashes or harnesses, assume responsibility for an animal, or interfere with the animal’s service duties in any way.
- It is the customer’s responsibility to protect his/her animal’s paws, nose, ears, tail, leash, harness, protective gear or equipment when passing through doors.
- Service animals must not block the path of travel for other customers.
- Service animals must not occupy passenger seating on the train or in stations.
- Customers who bring service animals to PATCO are expected to clean up after their animals promptly. Animals must be insect-free.
- Snarling, picking fights, jumping up, barking, or threatening behaviors pose a safety concern for other riders and will not be tolerated except if an animal is trained to jump or push its owner down as a seizure alert.
Consistent with US Department of Transportation ADA regulations, companion animals; pets; and therapy, comfort, mental health, or emotional support animals are not classed as service animals on public transit. PATCO staff may ask about the services an animal provides. If an animal is not a service animal, it may ride PATCO only if in a carrier on the customer’s lap on the PATCO train.
Law Enforcement / Emergency Responders: In uniform and with identification, law enforcement or emergency response personnel may bring their working animals on PATCO at any time, consistent with the above rules for service animals
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