[nagdu] Are we in search of a solution without a problem?

[Julie J.]

Thank you!

The two dogs I've been around that were questionable were noticeable because 
of their behavior. One of them was wearing a walking harness used for pet 
dogs, available at any Wal-Mart, Target or pet store.  the other dog was 
under a table, so I don't know what it was wearing.

The problem isn't the gear, it's the people who decide to break the law. 
They know they are doing something wrong and they don't care.  We need to 
pass laws that will inspire them to care.

It's the horrid behavior that is disruptive.  It's the behavior that is 
noticed first.  It is the behavior that requires dedicated effort to produce 
and that frauds won't commit to.  the whole reason people are passing their 
pets as service dogs is to take a shortcut.  they don't want to pay the pet 
deposit, hire a dog sitter, sit in the outdoor patio at a restaurant or cut 
their evening short to get home and care for their pet. They sure aren't 
going to spend the months or years that it takes to train a service dog.

A vest or harness or fancy tag does not make a service dog.  the training 
does.  The DOJ's business guidance on service animals is very clear that the 
dog must be individually trained to perform tasks to mitigate the 
individual's disability.  If it was the gear that made the difference the 
DOJ would have said that the dog must wear gear that identifies or makes it 
a service dog.  Jeeze, I could put on a white coat and hang a stethoscope 
around my neck so I could be a doctor and get paid a lot more, if that is 
the way it worked.  BTW, white coats and stethoscopes are available for 
purchase on the internet.

I see the problem as twofold.  First businesses don't know they don't have 
to put up with the crazy ill behaved dogs.  They don't know they can ask the 
handler to remove the dog.  Second, there is a lot of fear of being sued for 
discrimination.  Businesses choose to put up with a beast of a dog for 30 
minutes rather than face a possible long drawn out adventure through the 
court system.

We've done a really good job of educating businesses on our civil rights in 
allowing service dogs.  Now we need to educate businesses on their rights to 
refuse ill behaved beasts.

Julie








-----Original Message----- 
From: Aaron Cannon
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 7:45 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] Are we in search of a solution without a problem?

Hi all.

The recent petition from CCI that was forwarded to this list made some
assertions:

"When untrained pet dogs are somewhere they shouldn’t be, it can
create all kinds of problems that make business owners think twice
before allowing the same access to legitimate service dogs and the
people who need them.

"This outrageous and potentially dangerous fraud only adds to the
discrimination often faced by people with disabilities who actually
need assistance dogs.

"Legitimate service dogs require years of expert training to perform
specific commands like picking up dropped items and opening doors that
benefit people with disabilities – many of them U.S. veterans who are
injured while fighting for this country. These dogs provide calm,
reliable assistance to their human partners and help them live more
independently.

"Now is the time to crack down on service dog fraud and end the online
sale of fake service dog certification products. Please don’t allow
the benefits of a service dog to be taken away from people who need
them."


First, has anyone actually seen some evidence, anecdotal or otherwise,
that this is as big a problem as they claim it is?  Has anyone been
denied access because someone else used a fake ID card?  Honestly
curious, as I have no information either way.

Second, (and now I am being a bit sarcastic) did anyone's dog receive
a few years of expert training?  Did it concern you that your dog took
over 6 times longer to train than the average?  What sorts of amazing
things can your dog do with all that expert training?

Third, does anyone else get a bit suspicious when people or
organizations start appealing to "think of the children" or "think of
the service men and women" arguments to make their case?

Fourth, has anyone seen anything that might indicate that the benefits
of service dogs are in danger of being taken away from "those who need
them"?

There are other issues with this petition which I'll address in
another email, but in short, I'd think carefully before signing.

Aaron

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