(A) State statute. This section refers to NMSA §§ 28-11-1 through 28-11-5 (1978).
(B) Admission of service dogs into establishments open to the public. Dogs trained to assist the blind, partially blind, deaf, hearing impaired, mobility impaired, people with psychiatric and neurological disabilities, and those otherwise impaired or disabled shall be allowed in public places. It is illegal for any person owning, operating, or maintaining any public place of business or conveyance into which the general public is invited for any business purpose to debar or exclude therefrom or intentionally interfere with the use of any dog which has been trained to assist people needing service dog assistance provided that the dog be in the company of the person whom it was trained to assist in conformance with NMSA § 28-11-3 (1978).
(C) Interference with assistance animal. It is illegal to intentionally fail or refuse to control a person's unrestrained dog that interferes with or obstructs the owner or trainer of the qualified assistance animal or the qualified assistance animal in accordance with NMSA § 28-11-5.
(D) Private property not open to the public exempt from provisions. The provisions of this section shall not apply to unrestrained dogs on private property not open to the public.
(E) No certification required. There is no certification required for service dogs. A public establishment may ask a patron with a service dog if the dog has been trained as a service dog.
(F) Compliance with state and federal law. The provisions of this chapter relating to qualified assistance animals and service dogs shall be construed to comply with all state or federal statutes or regulations as amended from time to time.
(Ord. 131, passed 1-4-2012; Am. Ord. 134, passed 7-25-2012; Am. Ord. 179, passed 6-5-2019)