[nagdu] Fake service dogs news story

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Linda,

Too true that if dog owners were responsible and trained their dogs, the
rest of us would have an easier time.  Dog friendly Portland is becoming
less so because of that problem.  So all of us who have well-socialized,
well-trained dogs are forever complaining that we're being harrassed by
animal control because our having our dogs off leash will somehow inspire a
bad apple with a vicious dog to follow our example...  It's become a little
absurd at the park across the street because the people in the houses
overlooking the main park area keep an eagle eye out for dogs playing ball
in that area when there is no one else around and call animal control the
minute they see such subversive activities!  There is a separate off leash
dog area, so the jaded officers just come in and shoo everybody in there.
Which is fine, as far as it goes, but the off leash areas can get pretty
crowded and rowdy, so it's nice to just play with your safe off leash dog
out in the open field instead.  Also, there are a few aggressive dogs whose
owners don't take responsibility, so it's more hazardous to be there when
it's a large crowd.

There are also picnic tables and trees and holes in the ground, so when I
want to get exercise while playing with my dog and working on her off leash
obedience, I have to confess I'm a law breaker.  /smile/  At least when the
field is empty and I've seen her do her business and cleaned up so I don't
leave anything nasty for the soccer players to step in.  /smile/

Ah, well, we're spoiled around here, and the vast majority have trained
their dogs to take advantage of the relaxed environment.  Many's the time
recently when I've walked the trails or sidewalks with another dog and
person, listening to the person grumble along about having to have the dog
on leash when it heels perfectly without one.  /lol/  Having to actually
hold onto something as burdensome as the end of a leash is a dreadful
imposition!  My little rowdy is still too unreliable on heel for me to
forego a leash in those sorts of places -- unless she's really, really tired
from a run.  Still, I do let her go off leash on certain trails when there
are no crowds.

As for service dogs, people seem to be more aware lately, but confused.
They're forever asking me if I take Mitzi to visit the elderly, is that what
the harness is for?  /lol/  Then they fumble with the vocabulary, because
they're confused about the difference between a therapy dog, and a comfort
dog; they believe both to be service animals.  I remember reading about a
publicity campaign, and apparently the information given was just enough to
totally confuse everybody.  The questioners' attitudes are respectful and
polite, and they're clearly trying to establish a dialogue based on their
information, so it took me a few rounds to establish a schtick to educate
them gently and humorously.  /smile/  Somehow it seems the entire concept of
"guide dog" has been lost in the shuffle, though.  So a lot of times, I will
smile and say that Mitzi is a guide dog, and it just confuses people more!
Does that mean I take her to visit people?  Or does she pick things up for
me when I drop them?  /lol/  Since Guide Dogs from GDB are a regular sight
in these parts, it cracks me up and completely baffles me.

A few months ago, the Agriculture folks started posting signs in grocery
stores and restaurants explaining about the differences between service
animals and pets and under which conditions service dogs are allowed.  I'm
going to have to have DD find one and read it to me, because that was when I
started getting all the new questions.  Very strange.

I'll be interested to know what you find about about those service dog tags
in San Diego county.  I can't imagine it would be legal to require them, but
what do I know?  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Linda Gwizdak
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 9:34 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake service dogs news story

Hi Ann,
I was just as surprized to see in the story that the tags are mandatory - 
just like the law cited about busting people for fraudulent service animals.

The thing about the tags is NEVER enforced.  I know many guide dog users who

never got around to getting the tags when they started issuing them several 
years ago. I got one so if by chance Landon got loose and was wearing only 
his collar, his finder would know right away that he was a service dog - 
that's the only reason I got it.

When I got the tag, the Animal Control folks NEVER said that these tags were

mandatory as the officer in the article said.  I could very easily find out 
since I go to their campus to volunteer with the adjoining Humane Society 
twice a month!

I think the article was addressing that there is a definate problem with 
these "fake" service animals in the San Diego area - and I assume in other 
locales as well.  When Channel 10 did the story, they NEVER approached the 
San Diego guide dog using residents.  All they needed to do is call up the 
Blind Community Center or the San Diego Center for the Blind to find us.

So, yeah, the story was contradictory, I can try to contact the writer of 
the story and find out more.  I've just been quite busy with other pressing 
things.

As to rabbits, I have never encountered one as a service animal and I don't 
think it would be a problem to me as some of these untrained, unsocialized 
dogs people bring out and claim they are their service dogs.

What I think needs to be done is to bust the offenders who cause problems. I

have encountered some "emotional support" dogs on the bus who were very well

behaved and socialized.  the dogs were suited for the work. I even had one 
that lay under the seat on the bus with Landon and it was Landon who tried 
to misbehave! (grin!)  I told these people that I appreciated that they had 
nice dogs and I have no problem with these.  It is unfortunate that some 
people spoil it all for the people who are responsible whether it is a pet 
or a service dog.

If people in this country trained their dogs and were responsible owners, I 
think the bans on dogs would go away.  But, you know how it is - people lump

everyone into one group when it comes to dogs or other things.  I wish that 
the OFFENDERS would be punished and leave the good folks alone.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ann Edie" <annedie at nycap.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:16 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake service dogs news story


> Hi, Linda,
>
> The logic behind news stories such as this one never ceases to amaze me! 
> Can someone please explain to me how banning rabbits as service animals is

> going to have any effect on the number of pit bulls, Yorkies, and 
> Chihuahuas being fraudulently claimed as service animals?
>
> And, while you say that "service dog" tags are not required by California 
> to gain public access with a service animal, the article clearly tells the

> public--and managers of places of public accommodation--the exact 
> opposite, "Lt. Dan DeSousa of the San Diego County Animal Shelter told 
> 10News that California requires all service dogs wear a special tag, which

> can be obtained at your local animal shelter by filling out a form."  Who 
> is John Q. Public going to believe, Linda G. who claims that she has the 
> right under the ADA to take her "service dog" into any public place on 
> just her say-so that the dog performs tasks to mitigate her disability, or

> Lt. Dan DeSousa, (who sounds like an *official* law enforcement officer to

> me), and who clearly states that California requires that a dog be wearing

> "service dog" tags which can be obtained at your local animal shelter in 
> order for the person to be granted public access?
>
> What good does it do to state on an e-mail list populated by guide dog 
> users who already presumably know their rights under the ADA, that 
> "Service dog" tags are not required for public access, while Lt. Dan 
> DeSousa is quoted in the public media stating the exact opposite?  Perhaps

> you should try to interest the TV news organization in airing a debate on 
> the subject of public access by persons with disabilities accompanied by 
> service animals between Lt. Dan DeSousa and yourself or some other 
> representative of the disability community.  And perhaps they should also 
> include a user of a service rabbit and a non-disabled person who has 
> fraudulently obtained a "service dog" tag for his/her pet pit bull in the 
> debate as well.
>
> It is truly an Alice Through the Looking Glass World we live in!
>
> Best,
> Ann
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
> To: "NFBnet NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 10:23 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Fake service dogs news story
>
>
>> Hi All,
>> Here below is an article from a newsstory aired last night on San Diego's

>> KGTV Channel 10.  It was a good piece and I wanted to share it with you.
>>
>> The service animal tags issued by SD Animal Control is NOT required to 
>> have our guide dogs admitted into public places.  Some of us have them 
>> and some don't. Under ADA these tags can't be the determining factor in 
>> order to admit a service dog - it just lets the public know that the dog 
>> has been registered with the County of San Diego as a service dog.
>>
>> We experience the problem of these dogs mentioned in the story all the 
>> time. One of my friends was getting off the bus when a "service dog" 
>> lunged and growled not only at her guide dog, but at several passengers! 
>> The bus driver did nothing about this.  He was probably afraid of being 
>> sued under ADA.
>>
>> I personally have encountered these nasty dogs on the bus and in public 
>> buildings.  It sure is scary when all of a sudden you hear this menacing 
>> dog near you!
>>
>> I hope the new ADA regs will help get rid of this problem.
>>
>> Linda and Landon
>>
>> Loopholes Allow Pets to Be Taken Anywhere
>> SAN DIEGO -- We all love our pets but some people are willing to break 
>> the law so they can take their dogs with them everywhere they go. 10News 
>> reporter Rachel Bianco investigated San Diego's canine companion 
>> controversy and how it threatens the rights of people who are truly 
>> disabled.
>>
>> Sady the miniature daschund doesn't look like your typical service dog 
>> nor -- with her jumping and barking -- does she act like one, but when 
>> she wore a service dog vest and badge she had no trouble getting into 
>> North County restaurants.
>>
>> Tami Michaels has a legitimate disability and a legitimate service dog. 
>> She said that when Fido is a fake it poses a real problem.
>>
>>
>>
>> "A lot of them don't have the right temperament to be out in public," 
>> Michaels said. "So, when I go in with my dog to a grocery store or a 
>> restaurant, often times these kinds of dogs will lunge and growl and snap

>> at my dog."
>>
>> But snapping dogs aren't the only problem. "I've seen a lot more 
>> suspicion from people where they automatically assume you are trying to 
>> pull something over on them," Michaels added.
>>
>> Lt. Dan DeSousa of the San Diego County Animal Shelter told 10News that 
>> California requires all service dogs wear a special tag, which can be 
>> obtained at your local animal shelter by filling out a form. The only 
>> problem, DeSousa said, is that there is no way to follow up on the 
>> answers.
>>
>> DeSousa said that when someone applies for a service dog tag the only 
>> question they have to answer is if the animal is trained to perform a 
>> task for the person. There is no way to verify that what they're saying 
>> is true.
>>
>> "Doctors notes and disablities, that's off limits to us," DeSousa said, 
>> "we can't ask about that, so we have to take people at their word."
>>
>> So far this year, the county has issued the most service dog tags --  
>> 43 --  to labradors. Chihuahuas came in second with 37 tags, beating 
>> golden retrievers which had 25.
>>
>> Also curiously high on the list: yorkshire terriers, pit bulls, and pugs.
>>
>> "There are people who want this tag just so they can take their dog 
>> wherever they want to, so they can take it into the stores, restaurants 
>> and things like that," said DeSousa.
>>
>> "A lot of people really just don't see anyting wrong with it I guess," 
>> Michaels said. "They just really don't understand how much it hurts 
>> legitimate service dog teams."
>>
>> Having a fake service animal is a misdemeanor fraud punishable by six 
>> months in jail or a $1,000 fine but the San Diego Sheriff's Department 
>> told 10News that it has never been enforced.
>>
>> Right now it is simply too hard to tell whether the canine is a con.
>>
>> The U.S. Justice Department is currently looking to tighten the rules for

>> service animals. The new guidelines under review would exclude reptiles, 
>> amphibians, rodents, farm animals, ferrets and rabbits. A final decision 
>> is expected by the end of the year.
>> Copyright 2009 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not 
>> be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
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