[nagdu] Liars use phony vests and ID tags to get fake service dogs into posh New York restaurants

[Ginger Kutsch]

Liars use phony vests and ID tags to get fake service dogs into posh New
York restaurants

By TARA PALMERI

August 12, 2013

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/they_re_licked_H9js6NfMXjSAbkkCYu97NI

 

The city's craziest, most badly behaved sons of bitches can run wild in the
most elegant eateries in town - as long as they're masquerading as service
dogs. 

 

I borrowed my mom's wacky golden retriever/poodle mix "Hampton'' for a day
to check out The Post's recent report that dog lovers are decking out their
pooches with phony vests and fake ID tags to get them into fancy restaurants
and shops.

 

The first stop for our party of five - Hampton and four human pals willing
to lie for him - was Orsay on Lexington Avenue.

 

Hampton - showing off his phony "service dog'' patch we had specially
embroidered - happily slobbered as he wolfed down an 8-ounce salmon filet.

The 3-foot-tall, 70-pound pooch showed his appreciation of the cuisine by
pawing nearby tables and jumping on their occupants - as a manager nervously
looked on. 

 

"Does he have papers?" a grossed-out patron asked while Hampton strutted
through the dining room, sniffing around for scraps. 

 

But the maitre d' couldn't ask, because the Americans with Disabilities Act
prohibits businesses from demanding a canine's credentials. It also doesn't
allow managers to ask its human companions about their "disability.''

 

We then took our act to a bakery, a grocery store and a Starbucks on
Lexington. where Hampton blocked entrances and jumped on customers - but he
was still welcomed in.

 

We also learned a lot depends on the dog's personality. 

 

A colleague and her phony "service dog,'' Cyo, got a warm welcome at Le
Cirque, where waiters even brought a bowl with water and ice cubes.

 

Cyo just sat quietly under the table wagging his tail. He was also welcomed
at Calvin Klein's and Barneys, where he charmed everyone.

 

No one batted an eye as Cyo checked out the shops' offerings.

 

But at the Juice Press on Third Avenue, a clerk at first said that dogs were
not welcome. But she quickly backed off when Cyo was identified as a service
dog.

 

Mayor Bloomberg's girlfriend, Diana Taylor, criticized owners who falsely
claim they're with a service or therapy dog as she unveiled a dog run in
Tribeca last week. 

 

"It's going to ruin it for people that actually need service dogs,'' she
said.

 

"It's unfair for people to take advantage of a system put in place to really
help those who need it.''

 

Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland