Service animals have always been a part of the Arisia community. They are welcome in all convention and hotel spaces, per the guidance of the ADA (https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm).
As soon as we find out the Boston Park Plaza's policies on Service Animals, we'll update this page.
The Boston Park Plaza hotel has a policy for people who want to bring their animals to the hotel. The hotel permits service dogs. They also permit up to two dogs (but not cats or other pets) in the room (no size limit). There is a $75, non-refundable, cleaning fee. No animal may be left unattended. The hotel policy is online:
Arisia is a loud, active, and dynamic convention that has become more crowded as we have grown. Both people and animals can find that kind of environment stressful. Even well-trained animals may find the convention a challenge, which may cause them to act out and behave in unpredictable ways. This, as well as their dander and other allergens, present a serious risk to many of our attendees. Although the hotel has provisions for pet dogs , we ask that our attendees consider these risks when deciding whether or not to bring pets with them to the convention this year.
Registering Animals at Arisia
To gain a greater understanding of our animal population, and to help us develop a more informed animal policy, we will be registering attendees’ Animals-In-Tow, much like our Kid-In-Tow registrations. Knowing which animals belong with which attendees will help us in the event that animals get separated from their human.
You can register animals ahead of time or when you arrive at the convention by our Animal-In-Tow form. Filling out the form in advance will help speed up your visit to registration.
We understand that this is a big change and we welcome your comments. Please feel free to reach out to our Access Team at @email with any feedback, questions, or concerns.