[nagdu] Fake service dog gear creates problems for Americans withdisabilities

Fri Aug 9 18:18:54 UTC 2013

Marion,

Teehee! Okay, I will see if I can pull that off with a straight face 
next time it comes up. You'd better be good, or else! Maybe I should try 
looking like I'm worried for them, just letting them know for their own 
good... I'll practice in front of a mirror! /lol/

On 08/09/2013 10:31 AM, National Association of Guide Dog Users wrote:
> Tami et al,
> 	Perhaps one thing we can do is strike a little paranoia in the minds
> of the fraudsters! Many of them are likely ignorant of the service animal
> laws to begin with, so asking them, "Do you know what will happen to you
> when you get caught committing this fraud?" Even though the answer is
> "Nothing!" do they know that? Probably not! Remember the lines from "For
> What It's Worth".
>
> Paranoia strikes deep!
> Into your life it will creep!
> It starts when you're barely alive!
> Step out of line and the man will come and take you away!
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion Gwizdala
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tami Jarvis
> Sent: Friday, August 09, 2013 11:56 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake service dog gear creates problems for Americans
> withdisabilities
>
> Julie,
>
> Thank you! Couldn't have said it better myself. Hold the frauds responsible
> and penalize them for breaking the law. What a novel idea!
>
> I noted the article mentioned that there is no penalty for such fraud in
> Florida, and that seems largely true elsewhere. That seems worthy of
> hangwringing and moaning and, well, maybe even something to activate about.
> It's also danged inconvenient in the public education process...
> "You're committing fraud, you know!" I might say. It would be nice to add,
> "And do you know what will happen if you get caught?" Since the answer to
> that last one is, well, zilch, I am denied a very nice gotcha, and that is
> no fun for me. Also, it is kinda depressing because I know that I am going
> to have to keep hearing about how the problem is everything but the frauds
> themselves and trying to educate people about the law which can be broken
> with impunity. Sigh.
>
> I'll admit, I get pretty grumpy these days when I do an internet search
> involving the phrase "service dog" because I get a zillion links to
> companies peddling service dog gear and id and all that specifically for
> pets. Grrr! But in the end, it's the people who buy the gear and use it to
> commit fraud who are at fault for committing fraud. They seem to be the only
> ones popular opinion does not hold at fault, though.
>
> I'm with you on the behavior issue. If the dog is not a problem, then I
> can't bring myself to be upset about its presence or worry about whether
> it's a real service dog or whatever. If the person with the dog announces
> cheerfully that it isn't, loud enough for everyone to hear, I just mention
> the "F" word -- the 5-letter one with legal implications -- and that the
> business has the legal right to refuse the dog now that everyone knows the
> truth. A lot of the time, someone responsible in the business is standing
> right there, so I can figure they know now. I might even make a point of
> telling them directly that they can have the dog removed. Nothing happens as
> a result of this, but it is the business's decision whether to allow the dog
> to remain there. So I can't get uptight, since if I'm talking to the person
> it's because their dog is not a problem for my dog, so not a problem for me.
> Whaddaya do?
>
> Tami
>
>
> On 08/09/2013 07:45 AM, Julie J. wrote:
>> You know, it's not the gear that's fake and it's not the dogs that are
>> fake. It's the people who are faking a disability.  Why is the focus
>> in these stories always on the dogs and the gear?  The dog isn't the
>> problem, the people are.  The dog's don't decide to put on a vest, go
>> in the grocery and act a mess.  It's the people taking the dog that
>> need to be held responsible.
>>
>> And if the dog is well behaved why is it a problem?  Perhaps the
>> person has a disability that isn't readily apparent.  If the dog is
>> behaved, it isn't any of my business what type of service the dog
>> provides.  Sure there are going to be a few, a very small few, people
>> who don't have disabilities who take the time to train their dogs
>> appropriately to be in public.  Mostly though, it's obvious that the dog
> isn't trained.
>> That's what needs to be used as an indicator for removal.  Honestly it
>> doesn't matter to me if the person has a dog from a program, owner
>> trained or a well behaved pet, if it's not creating a bother to me,
>> then it's simply not a problem.  To me the problem is the ill behaved
>> dogs no matter where they came from.  People need to be responsible
>> for the behavior of their dogs in public.
>>
>> Perhaps if there were legal penalties for your dog disturbing the
>> peace in public, people would think twice about parading their ill
>> behaved pets in public. The owners would be held responsible for their
>> actions and that is how I see the situation being resolved without
>> infringing on the rights of people with disabilities.
>>
>> Anyway that's how I see the issue,
>> Julie
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: Ginger Kutsch
>> Sent: Friday, August 09, 2013 8:52 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users ;
>> New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: [nagdu] Fake service dog gear creates problems for Americans
>> withdisabilities
>>
>> Fake service dog gear creates problems for Americans with disabilities
>>
>> August 7, 2013
>>
>> By Kate Santich, Orlando Sentinel
>>
>> http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-08-07/features/os-fake-servic
>> e-dogs
>>
>> -20130807_1_service-dog-dog-walk-service-animal
>>
>>
>>
>> Public confusion, legal loopholes and shady Internet businesses have
>> led to an "epidemic" of fake service-dog certificates, vests and
>> harnesses for use on ordinary pets. And advocates for the disabled say
>> the issue is creating big headaches for those who truly need the canines'
> assistance.
>>
>>
>>
>> The problem has gotten so bad that Canine Companions for Independence
>> - the nation's largest breeding and training service-dog program -
>> launched an online petition this week asking the U.S. Department of
>> Justice to take action.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Unfortunately, people are trading on the fact these harnesses and
>> vests have become distinguishing marks of service dogs, so now you
>> find unscrupulous businesses who sell these things to people who want
>> to take their dogs into the store or restaurant or in the passenger
>> cabin of the plane," said Paul Mundell, national director of canine
> programs for CCI.
>> "It
>> happens all the time."
>>
>>
>>
>> On a recent flight to Orlando, where CCI has its regional
>> headquarters, Mundell said he watched a man with a toy breed of dog
>> walk off their flight to the baggage area, remove the dog's "service
>> animal" vest and leave the airport. "It was quite clear that he was
>> simply using the vest to get cabin privileges," Mundell said.
>>
>>
>>
>> Under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, state and local
>> governments, businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the
>> public generally must allow service animals to accompany those with
>> disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally
>> allowed to go. And inquiries are limited. When it's not obvious what
>> service an animal provides, workers may only ask if the service animal
>> is required because of a disability and what tasks the dog has been
>> trained to perform.
>>
>>
>>
>> Legally, they can't ask for documentation. And some say that fact is
>> being exploited.
>>
>>
>>
>> "There's no penalty for people in Florida who fraudulently claim their
>> dog is a service animal," said Paul Edwards of Miami, president of the
>> Florida Council of the Blind. "There are some of us who feel it isn't
>> unreasonable to ask folks to carry identification for dogs that shows
>> them to be a trained service animal - and most legitimate service-dog
>> organizations do issue those. The danger is that you may throw the
>> baby out with the bathwater."
>>
>>
>>
>> Some advocates, for instance, are concerned that doing so may put an
>> unreasonable burden on those with disabilities to "prove" their dog is
>> legitimate. But others say that, because of the fraud, humans are
>> already facing more hassles.
>>
>>
>>
>> "It has become an epidemic," said Kris Baker, 63, who lives in Orlando.
>> "And
>> what we're getting is the aftermath. Somebody will take Fluffy with
>> them into a restaurant, and the dog will bark or snap at someone or
>> poop on the floor. So when we come in with a legitimate dog, we get
>> the questions and the resentment. It's harder for us."
>>
>>
>>
>> Baker, who had polio as a child and has used a wheelchair for 30
>> years, needs her CCI dog to help pull her along when she gets
>> fatigued. The dog also opens and shuts doors, retrieves the phone,
>> picks up objects she drops and helps open the refrigerator and
>> cabinets. So when people ask her in ignorance, "Hey, where can I get
>> one of those vests for my dog?" she educates them.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "This is not something that is for pets," she said. "This is an
>> indication of training that my dog and I have been through. These dogs
>> are the brain surgeons of the canine world."
>>
>>
>>
>> Luke McGregor, a 48-year-old Delray Beach resident, also has to do his
>> share of educating. On a flight home from New York this week, McGregor
>> witnessed a woman who claimed to have an "emotional-support dog" that
>> whined and scratched at its cage throughout the trip - behavior
>> considered unacceptable in a legitimately trained service dog.
>>
>>
>>
>> Though he could do little more than roll his eyes at the scene, McGregor,
>> who uses a wheelchair and CCI dog, knows he'll be left to deal with the
>> fallout.
>>
>>
>>
>> "I'm already stopped in restaurants and grocery stores sometimes by
> workers
>> who say [wrongly], 'You can't bring that dog in here,'" McGregor said.
>> "There will be a time when the public is going to reach critical mass
>> regarding all of the alleged service dogs out there, and we will suffer
> for
>> it."
>>
>>
>>
>> Already, in 2011, the Department of Justice issued revisions to its ADA
>> regulations singling out dogs as the only legally protected assistance
>> animals. Before that, some people were claiming monkeys, snakes and other
>> creatures were helping them cope with disabilities. The department also
>> clarified the definition of a service dog as one that is "individually
>> trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability."
>>
>>
>>
>> But while some states have laws against residents pretending to have a
>> legally protected disability in order to gain access for their dog, most
> do
>> not. And there is no law against the sale of merchandise emblazoned with
>> phony "service dog" logos.
>>
>>
>>
>> A search of eBay under "service dog patches," for instance, reveals more
>> than 22,000 sellers.
>>
>>
>>
>> While some can certainly be used for legitimate purposes, advocates for
> the
>> disabled say many are not.
>>
>>
>>
>> CCI.org is seeking to get 10,000 signers in the next week to say the
>> problem
>> needs to be stopped.
>>
>>
>>
>> "That's the exact purpose of our petition," said Martha Johnson, a CCI
>> spokeswoman for the Southeast region. "We want to go to the Department of
>> Justice and say: 'Look at how many people agree this is a problem, and
>> something needs to be done.'"
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/julielj%40neb.rr.com
>>
>>
>> -----
>> No virus found in this message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 2012.0.2242 / Virus Database: 3209/6063 - Release Date: 08/09/13
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tami%40poodlemutt.com
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blind411%40verizon.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tami%40poodlemutt.com
>