Couple's Airbnb Reservation Cancelled Due To Service Dog and People Are Up in Arms
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Boston couple Lauren Laliberte and Steve Bohn were planning on staying in an Airbnb before their wedding and accompanying them would be the happy couple's adorable service dog, a yellow Labrador Retriever named Orion.
Orion helps Steve, a veteran, with doing small chores like picking stuff up off the floor because Steve survived a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan in 2008. Airbnb hosts are not allowed to refuse a service animal entry or remove them from the accommodation unless it poses a threat to other residents and/or is causing damage to the property. That didn't stop the Airbnb hosts from cancelling this couple's reservation, even after they offered to keep Orion at home.
The rule regarding service animals above comes from USSServiceAnimals.org, which states, "Airbnb strives to adhere to its non-discrimination policy and make everyone feel welcome. If a host has denied your reservation because of your service animal, you can submit a complaint to Airbnb. Hosts who breach these non-discrimination rules can be suspended from Airbnb."
The couple received numerous invitations from people and other Airbnb hosts to host them, and their service dog, before their wedding, which they found super touching. Speaking to People Magazine, Laliberte was quoted as saying, "Honestly, it's super emotional. Really, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions. Just anxiety at the beginning with not really knowing what we were going to do, and then to see everybody just so willing to help us out and go above and beyond has really meant a lot,” she says."
Airbnb did comp the couple's stay at another property.
From People, Laliberte also hopes this will be a teaching moment for the public on service dogs — why they’re so important, and what they mean for people who need them.
We are happy everything worked out for this couple and hopefully it serves as a teaching moment for other Airbnb hosts.
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