[nagdu] {Disarmed} Fake Service Dogs, Real Problem | Cesar Millan

[Buddy Brannan]

Grrrrrr….

Here's a guide dog school representative saying that there *is* a "certified service dog", and the best way to get one os to go to a school. Wrong on both counts; schools are great, but there are plenty of well trained non-school service dogs. Plnty of awful ones too, but there are plenty of awful school ones, so… Oh, and let's not even talk about the whole "leave it to the experts, they know best" attitude.

Anyway, here's what I posted on another list about this subject. The references to a previous Email aren't very important. 

Hi Angie,

This points up a problem I've observed for a while now. Well, a couple of things, really. First, an observation. I observe that there are some service dog users (mostly from guide dog schools, though I suspect that this is not exclusively so) who believe that the problems outlined in your Email below would be solved by a nationally recognized service dog certification. I don't happen to be one such, for a variety of reasons that I won't enumerate here. Suffice to say I think that such a certification would create more problems than it would solve.

My second observation is that we, as a community, meaning service dog users, have done a pretty good job of educating business owners, and the general public, that we are allowed by law to be accompanied by individually trained service animals. However, there are two areas that we've not done as well in, and I commend you, Angie, for doing your part  to fill that void. 

1) As we know, the law states that we are allowed to be accompanied by a service animal individually trained, blah blah blah. The law does not confer any rights to the animal, rather, these rights are for the disabled person to be accompanied by the animal. Thus, when someone says "This is service dog, it is allowed to go anywhere in public", this statement is incorrect. It is the handler, not the dog, who has the right of accompaniment. My non-disabled sister would not have the right to bring Leno to her hair appointment because Leno was not specifically trained for her use, and, moreover, she doesn't have a disability. Put another way, Leno doesn't have the right to be anywhere that the general public is invited…without me. People often gloss over this distinction, but it's an important one, and especially important when we're talking about these people who would pass off their dogs as service dogs when they themselves don't have, and don't claim to have, any disabilities. So, we got half the message across, but, whether through our not communicating it clearly or willful ignorance, an important distinction is often missed…sometimes by us, and certainly by the general public. So, please, when educating others of your rights, be mindful of the distinction: your dog doesn't have any rights, you do.

2) In this respect, I think we've all fallen down on the job. Business owners do not understand that our rights to be accompanied by a service dog ***are not absolute***. We've done a great job, now people understand that service dogs are OK. Loud and clear. However, those rights are not absolute, as Angie illustrates perfectly below. As she also illustrates perfectly, this fact is not well, if at all, understood. Service dog or not, if our dog is disruptive or substantially alters the delivery of goods or services, that dog may be removed from the establishment. Of course, the business owner had better be able to document the nature of the disruption, destruction, or what have you, and it doesn't matter if your growling, lunging dog is service dog or not t that point. This doesn't give business owners the right to have your dog removed if it's ugly and messes with the decor or something like that. Point is, rights are important, both for us and for businesses. But as important are responsibilities, both for us and for businesses. I'm not sure how we can better educate on this, but I think we'll have to figure out how. 
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On May 24, 2013, at 11:04 AM, James Alan Boehm <jimmydagerman80 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello friends.
> I came accross this article and wanted your thoughts. I know may have pushed legislation that denies a companiy to ask for cerification of a service dog. One issue that has encouraged businesses and such to ask for verification is due to the fact that many abuse and claim their dog is a service dog- a dog who has no training. The dog will behave inappropriately,making it more difficult for those who have legitimate guide dogs. Further, the handler who takes his pet friend and claims the animal is a service animal, has no training themselves as to how to a service animal as well as the laws and do's and don'ts of public mobility. This makes it  again much more difficult for us I feel. Whay are your thoughts? Is there any programs or action being taken to try to make it more difficult for people to abuse the system?
> Best,
> James
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> DOG TRAINING
> Fake Service Dogs, Real Problem
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> By Brian Fischler
> 
> The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. That’s a very clear, concise definition.
> 
> So why does an online ad elsewhere read, “Identification for your service dog will reduce conflict. Get yours before the law changes!”
> 
> It’s never surprising what you can find for sale online. A Google search produced a multitude of different service/emotional dog kits for sale from several different small companies. These kits will provide tags for your dog claiming they are a service or emotional dog, identification for you and your dog as a service dog, and a service dog vest.
> 
> What is shocking is that even major online retailers offer links to companies selling these dog kits. Even more shocking is that anyone can just as easily purchase a harness for their dog of the type that a blind person would use with their guide dog.
> 
> It’s hard to comprehend that people would fake a disability to take their dog on vacation with them. “I receive plenty of calls from people who do not have disabilities, but are going out of town and need to take their dogs with them. They are looking to find out where they can get certification,” says Jose Lopez, director of communications for The Lighthouse of Broward County, Florida.
> 
> Becky Barnes, past president of Guide Dogs Users, Inc., has also fielded calls over the years from people looking to get their dogs certified as service dogs. To this, Becky explains, “The best way to get certification is to go through a proper training program. The law does allow for individuals to train their own dogs to be service dogs, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as the individual needs to be matched with the appropriate dog.”
> 
> Purchasing a service dog certification or an official looking ID through one of these companies doesn’t make your dog a service dog, and these companies are causing havoc for legitimate service dog handlers.
> 
> Lopez said, “People with legitimate service dogs are being questioned more than ever, and their fear is that they will have to carry around identification stating their disability.” Barnes added, “Currently, the ADA states that business owners are only allowed to ask if the dog is a service dog, and what they are trained to help with.” The current law doesn’t require service dog handlers to carry around any special identification.
> 
> Barnes also added, “I think the fear of service dog handlers is that they will be questioned even more. Right now our rights are very clearly stated by the ADA.
> 
> 
> Bev Klayman, manager of admission services for Guiding Eyes for the Blind has her suspicions about illegitimate service dogs. “I’ve seen dogs with service dog tags misbehaving and acting aggressively in public. The general public cannot differentiate between dogs that have been legitimately trained to be service dogs (and those that have not). These illegitimate service dogs are causing scenes and causing a bad representation of service dogs.”
> 
> One area where service dog handlers are running into a lot of trouble is with the airlines. With heightened security at airports, service dog handlers are receiving even more scrutiny. On a recent trip to the airport, Becky was told by the clerk at the check-in counter, “That’s not a service dog. Service dogs don’t wag their tails!”
> 
> It definitely is never dull for service dog handlers. You never know what you will hear next. Considering the times we live in, one would expect to get hassled at the airport, as a little bit of a hassle goes a long way to making us feel safe and secure. So you could imagine Jose Lopez’s surprise on a recent flight when he was flipping through the Sky Mall magazine, and what did he come across? An advertisement in the magazine selling a service dog kit to take your dog with you wherever you go!
> 
> Becky Barnes said, “Currently, these companies aren’t breaking any laws. “With service dogs there doesn’t seem to be a white and black area but a huge gray area.” She added, “Discussions have begun to make it a misdemeanor to misrepresent your dog as a service dog. Unfortunately, it is being taken as seriously as pirating music.”
> 
> [Note: while it is not illegal for companies to sell items to identify service dogs, in many states it is illegal for someone to pretend to have a protected disability in order to gain access for their pet dog in places where it would otherwise be banned. — Ed.]
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> Publish Date: September 19 2012
> Tags: Leadership, Dog Training, Americans with Disabilities Act, dogs, fake service dog, service dogs, Training
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