[nagdu] Service dog scams putting people 'at risk'

Tue Nov 19 01:07:32 UTC 2013

So right Julie, he cries about others dog going nuts, but can't control his.  Maybe he needs a refresher course himself.  

I life with dogs that are not service dogs, but if they don't act in a decent manner, they don't get to go to the pet food store. 

The sad part is this country has become a country of blame, and not responsibility.  In other countries people take their pets to work, out to eat, but the animal has to be controlled.  It is funny how now you can get a service animal for everything. 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com> 
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 6:05:35 PM 
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service dog scams putting people 'at risk' 

I find it interesting that he complains about fake service dogs and in the 
same breath says that if his dog gets excited she will pull his arm off. 
Really?  To me that's not going to be fixed with an ID card. 

I agree that people are misinformed and some are truly reprehensible, but 
this whole ID thing is not going to fix it.   It's the behavior that's the 
problem, not where the dog came from or what breed it is or who trained it 
or how much it costs.  Even dogs from programs act a mess sometimes.  I 
owner trained Monty and have encountered a number of dogs from programs who 
have caused us difficulties.  I just want them to take responsibility for 
their dog and take action to control their dog.  Most do and life goes on. 

Anyway we've been over this 1,669 times and I haven't come up with anything 
new.  It's obvious CCI is on a mission to have mandated ID cards.  I wonder 
if the man in the article with the dog who will yank his arm off will 
qualify for one? 

Julie 

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jewel 
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 5:07 PM 
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List 
Subject: [nagdu] Service dog scams putting people 'at risk' 

Service dog scams putting people 'at risk' 

Raleigh, N.C. — Trained service dogs often act as the eyes, ears, arms or 
legs of their disabled handlers, helping them cross the street, get on 
elevators and do other daily tasks. But spotting a true service dog is not 
always easy. 

Some pet owners break federal law by buying vests for their untrained dogs 
to get them into restaurants, grocery stores and even on flights. A big part 
of the problem, experts say, is that anyone can go online and easily buy 
assistance dog vests, identification and supposed certification, even though 
none of it is required for a true service dog. 

“I think it points to the general slide of our culture into selfishness,” 
said service dog owner Kevin Korobko, of Cary. “A poorly trained ‘service 
dog,’ it just puts everyone around, for lack of a better word, at risk.” 

When Korobko goes into a restaurant or business with his service dog, 
Glenda, he says he prays that an imposter service dog doesn’t walk by. 

“When you throw into the mix an unpredictably behaved fake service dog, you 
know it’s just, it’s just asking for trouble," Korobko said. “If (Glenda) 
gets excited, she’s going to rip my arm off." 

Glenda was trained at Canine Companions for Independence. She was 
specifically matched with Korobko, who uses a wheelchair, to help him with 
numerous tasks, including retrieving his keys, pushing elevator buttons, 
picking up the phone and turning on and off light switches. 

Korobko and other service dog owners say they face increased questioning and 
discrimination, as well as serious safety concerns, as a result of imposter 
service dogs. 

“Why would you do that to someone who’s already at a disadvantage because of 
their physical limitation? Just because you can’t be separated from your pet 
for an hour?” he said. 

Korobko says he would like to see more regulation, including standardized 
identification for service dogs, which he could show to business owners. 
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, business owners can only ask two 
questions: Is that a service dog and what task is the dog trained to do? 

While some pet owners blatantly abuse the law, others are simply confused 
about it. Trained therapy dogs, for example, that work in hospitals, 
schools, nursing homes and courthouses, as well as emotional support dogs 
that provide comfort and companionship, do not have public access rights. 

Charlie Blackmon contacted 5 On Your Side after his dog, Zeus, was denied 
access to a flea market. Blackmon says he adopted Zeus from a rescue and was 
told that the dog was trained to be a service dog for someone else. 

Although Zeus was not trained to help Blackmon, he says the dog alerts him 
to take medication if his heart rate drops and will get help if he passes 
out. 

"He serves a purpose for me," Blackmon said, tearing up. 

During his interview with 5 On Your Side, Blackmon had to physically 
restrain Zeus from chasing after another dog and had to repeatedly tell him 
to sit. 

"Yeah, he's wearing a service vest. Yes, I guess in one sense you can say 
I'm passing him off as a service dog. And it's breaking my heart. I thought 
I was doing everything right," he said, crying. "I've talked to so many 
different people. Everybody tells you something different." 

The 5 On Your Side team helped Blackmon see that Zeus isn't fully trained to 
be a service dog. Although Blackmon was trying to do the right thing, not 
everyone has good intentions. 

A YouTube video posted March 4, called “Making a mockery of the service dog 
industry,” shows a man laughing as he takes his dog on a bus and into a 
restaurant. 

“I don’t feel like walking home, so I came up with an idea. I just went and 
bought him a muzzle, and now we’re going to try to get on the bus and make 
him a disabled dog,” the man says. “I’m just going to make pretend that I’m 
some burn out whose brain cells are fried from years of drug abuse and see 
if we can’t get on the bus. Well, I don’t have to pretend, but whatever.” 

The man smiles smugly into the camera as they ride the bus and says, “Good 
service dog.” 

“This service dog scam works pretty good,” he says, before finally being 
denied entrance to a movie theater. 

[embedded content] 

A WRAL News staffer recently observed a woman walking around a local grocery 
store with her dog, which she outfitted with a vest and identified as a 
service dog. 

“He is the best (expletive) emotional support … after my boyfriend broke up 
with me,” she said. 

Korobko says it’s situations like these that make him wary about being out 
in public. 

“It makes me think twice about bringing my dog out, which is a shame,” he 
said. 

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, only dogs can serve as service 
animals. A WRAL photographer saw "service monkeys" at the North Carolina 
State Fair this year. 

True service dogs are highly trained and become nearly invisible in public. 
They don’t jump, bark or eat off the floor. They quickly obey their handler’s 
commands and stay passive. Passing off a dog as a service dog is a crime and 
owners can be fined or, in extreme cases, face federal fraud charges. 

http://www.wral.com/service-dog-scams-putting-people-at-risk-/13111411/ 

Sent from my iPhone 
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