Pets / Service Animals

Riding with a Service Animal

Rio Metro is committed to providing safe, comfortable transportation service to all passengers, including passengers with disabilities who travel with trained service animals or service animals-in-training.

Only Service Animals Permitted

Service animals are welcome on all of our buses and trains at no additional charge. Service animals are animals that are trained to perform a specific task for the benefit of a person with a disability.

ADA Requirements: Service Animals. (Revised July 6, 2011)

Pets/Animals Not Allowed

The following types of animals are not permitted:

• Comfort Animals: Animals not trained to perform a specific task.
• Pets: Animals for which no claim of any service is made.
• Search and Rescue Dogs: Animals that are trained generally, but not to assist a particular passenger.
• Police Dogs: Other than dogs brought on trains by local Police Department.

Control of Your Service Animal

You must keep your service animal under control at all times. The animal should always be on a leash, harness or other tether, unless either the handler is unable because of his/her disability to use a harness, leash or other tether, or the use of a harness, leash or other tether would interfere with the service animal's safe, effective performance of work or tasks, in which case the service animal must be otherwise under the handler's control.

Train conductors may require you to remove your service animal en route or from the station premises if:

1. 1. 1. the animal is out of control and you do not take effective action to control it (for example, a dog causes a significant disturbance by barking repeatedly and uncontrollably or is not housebroken) or
      2. the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

If you are asked to remove your service animal, but you would like to remain on the premises and/or continue travel without the animal, you must make arrangements for another person or local animal control to accept custody of your animal.

Service Animal Must Remain on Floor

A service animal must sit under the passenger's seat or at his or her feet. Service animals are not allowed to sit in the aisle or on seats.