Service Dogs and Zoos

Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, FL is one of our favorite zoos to visit. It’s a small zoo, but it has a lot to see and do. The zoo is heavily treed providing shade, a necessity in Florida, and the different trails and offshoots feel like you’ve embarked on an adventure.
We have been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom more times than I can count and stayed in safari view rooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, but these aren’t the same as a traditional zoo. Since zoos get you closer to the animals, you have an entirely different experience.

I was surprised on our first visit at how interested the zoo animals were in Mouse. Instead of being nervous about the sudden appearance of the predator, many animals came closer to investigate.
The entire family of meer cats clustered around the glass. There were three viewing areas for the meer cats, and they followed us to each one. Several volunteers at the zoo commented that they always do that when service dogs visit. We later completed our Disney’s The Lion King – Hakuna Matata experience when the wart hog startled me by jumping up and coming nose to nose with Mouse.

When you visit a zoo, expect there to be restrictions to your visit. This is not because they are refusing to accommodate your service dog, it is for the safety all of the animals (including yours). While I am certain that every zoo is a little bit different, depending on the type of animal and their enclosure, here is some information about service dogs at Brevard Zoo.

We were required to check in at the main office prior to entering. When in the office, they asked the standard ADA questions to verify that Mouse was a service dog and gave us a paper outlining what the restrictions were. They also informed all of staff at the zoo that a service dog was entering. This helps the staff ensure that safety precautions are being met and to offer guidance when needed.

Expect there to be areas where your service dog cannot go. At Brevard Zoo this included any area where you enter the enclosure and there is no barrier between yourself and the animals. This included the kangaroo enclosure and the aviary. While there were many areas that the giraffes can be viewed with a service dog, there is an off shoot where people can feed them. With the giraffes so close, Mouse was not permitted as it could disrupt the giraffes and ruin the experience for other guests.

We were also restricted from the cheetah area. Having previously visited Downtown Aquarium in Denver Colorado, where they have tigers, this restriction made complete sense to me. At the aquarium, they request that you move quickly past the tiger habitat (sometimes they will escort you) so as not to cause problems. Since there is no way to completely avoid passing their habitat, you could easily see that the tigers would sometimes get agitated when you went through with a dog. On several occasions the tigers came all the way down to the glass.

Be sure that your service dog is not reactive to other animals. If your service dog acts aggressively, barks, pulls, or is otherwise disruptive, you WILL be asked to leave. Sometimes this can be hard to judge since a dog’s reaction to zoo animals can be different than their experiences with other dogs or cats. Be prepared in case your dog reacts in an unexpected manner. If their reaction is mild, treats or toys as a distraction may be effective. Otherwise, your trip may be cut short.

When properly prepared, a zoo can be a wonderful experience for you and your service dog. Take your time, have distractions on hand in case they are needed, and have fun.

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