Northridge Fashion Center's policy generally permits only service animals within the mall premises.
Understanding the Policy on Animals at Northridge Fashion Center
Northridge Fashion Center maintains a specific policy regarding animals on its property, primarily allowing only service animals. This approach helps ensure a comfortable and accessible environment for all visitors while adhering to established guidelines.
What Qualifies as a Service Animal?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog (or in some cases, a miniature horse) that has been individually trained to perform work or tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. The work or task must be directly related to the person's disability.
Examples of tasks a service animal might perform include:
- Guiding individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
- Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to specific sounds.
- Providing mobility assistance, such as pulling a wheelchair.
- Assisting individuals during a medical crisis, like a seizure.
- Retrieving items or opening doors.
Distinction from Other Animals
It's crucial to understand the difference between service animals and other types of animals:
| Animal Type | Definition | Public Access Rights (ADA) | Allowed at Northridge Fashion Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Animal | Individually trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability. | Yes | Yes |
| Emotional Support Animal | Provides comfort or emotional support; not trained to perform specific tasks. | No | Generally No |
| Pet | A companion animal not trained for specific disability-related tasks. | No | No |
This means that common household pets and emotional support animals, while offering companionship, do not have the same public access rights as trained service animals and are typically not permitted inside Northridge Fashion Center.
Visiting with a Service Animal
For guests visiting Northridge Fashion Center with a service animal, it is generally expected that the animal remains:
- Under Control: The service animal must be leashed, harnessed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal's work or the individual's disability prevents their use. In such cases, the individual must maintain control through voice commands or other effective means.
- Housebroken: Service animals must be housebroken.
- Non-Disruptive: The animal should not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others or cause significant disruption.
Mall staff may ask two specific questions to confirm if an animal is a service animal:
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Staff cannot inquire about the nature of a person's disability, demand medical documentation, or ask the service animal to demonstrate its tasks.
Specific Store Policies
While the overall mall policy governs common areas, individual stores and restaurants within Northridge Fashion Center may have their own internal policies regarding animals. However, these individual store policies must still comply with the ADA concerning service animals. It is highly unlikely that any store would permit general pets or emotional support animals if the mall itself does not.
For the most current visitor information and accessibility policies, it is always recommended to consult the official Northridge Fashion Center website.
