[nagdu] Fake Service Dogs

Michael Hingson mike at michaelhingson.com
Tue Aug 4 01:35:19 UTC 2015 

Vivianna,

Thanks for your post. I disagree that it has to be all dogs allowed in or none.

We have a law, but there has not been enough nor proper education. NAGDU has applied for a grant to help fund education efforts specifically about this kind of thing. What we need to do is to get people to know the law and assert their legitimate rights. 


Best Regards,


Michael Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Vivianna via nagdu
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 6:29 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Vivianna <irishana at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake Service Dogs

I fear that this is what will cause us all to have to show some sort of certification in the future.
it won’t be to long before someone gets bit by one of these fake service dogs.
or, for a guide dog get attacked by one and end up having to be retired.
it will have to go one way or the other.  either, all pets will be allowed everywhere or, only certified service dogs will be allowed.
a couple weeks ago, a friend of mine told me about a situation in the office building where she works.  she does not have a dog but, several folks in the building have various types of service dogs.  this man had a mastiff and was bringing it around telling folks that he was training it for his PTSD.  the dog was really misbehaved and, sure enough, within a week, it had attacked one of the other service dogs.  the man was told that he could not bring it to work.
yes, i know that folks can just make up a fake identification card and present it when asked.  but, businesses can also call the number on the card and see if the person is truly a graduate of that school.
i really hate that this has to happen but, people are really abusing the rules and, something has to give.
personally, i’d rather see less dogs in public.

Vivianna

> On Aug 3, 2015, at 7:58 PM, Tami Jarvis via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Also, I think guide dog users are assumed to know more about the law, which is not always true. But I've ended up in the role of "resident expert" in the city as well as here in the small town. If business owners or people actually making a determination whether to allow a certain handler to be accompanied by a certain dog, then I'll tell them the law as best I can and refer them to resources where they can find out more for themselves. If it's just some busy body asking me about a third party, I give them shorter shrift, though I do tell the basics of the law. The handler must be disabled, the dog must be trained to do work related to the disability, the person's disability status is none of my business any more than it is yours... If the questioner mentions specific behavior, I can discuss that... Doesn't mean it's not a real service dog, whether it should be doing whatever it is or not. Sometimes they're so vague about it all that I can't help but think they're just being nosey to be nosey, which I find a little irritating. I also tend to assume that these third party reports are not terribly accurate, though I can't be sure, either way, since I'm not there. Oh, well.
> 
> I do think it's important to be informed of the law, not the myths, especially if you are one of those approachable people who will be asked and asked again. If businesses know that they have some rights and where to find information about what to do about handlers of problem dogs, I think it's all to the good. If they still choose to do nothing about a handler with an ill-behaved flea bag... Well, it's their business.
> 
> Tami
> 
> On 08/03/2015 04:00 PM, larry d keeler via nagdu wrote:
>> I get asked a lot as well even though I live in a slightly larger 
>> town. This is because I do community work as well as control my dog. 
>> And, am a approachable person, I think!
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Miranda 
>> Morse via nagdu
>> Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 6:46 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Cc: Miranda Morse
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake Service Dogs
>> 
>> They are asking me because I have a service animal and they do not 
>> know where to turn for advice. We take for granted sometimes that 
>> everyone knows where to find the answers to questions like this. The 
>> people who approached me where asking on behalf of business owners in 
>> the area. I live in a small town so this is not such a standard thing 
>> and some people are not as approachable as others.
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Star Gazer 
>> via nagdu
>> Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 4:58 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Cc: Star Gazer
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake Service Dogs
>> 
>> 				I wouldn't either. Honestly, this sounds like a cat fight to me.
>> Why Miranda are you being contacted by "other people" about this 
>> woman? I'd just tell these people "She is an adult, you can approach 
>> her the way you did me" and refuse to engage in further conversation on that topic.
>> Frankly, I'm disturbed that you haven't done so already.
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J. 
>> via nagdu
>> Sent: Monday, August 3, 2015 5:15 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Julie J. <julielj at neb.rr.com>
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake Service Dogs
>> 
>> If it were me, I'd go with Michael's advice.  Help the businesses to 
>> understand that they can ask if the dog is needed because of a 
>> disability and what task/s the dog does.  If she can't answer those 
>> questions with a yes and something that she had to have trained the 
>> dog to do, then she can be refused entry.  I wouldn't get into any sort of disability evaluation.
>> If she says she has a disability, then she does, unless a judge finds 
>> otherwise.  If the dog isn't behaved, then she can be asked to remove it.
>> Licking, interacting with other customers or their meal, poor 
>> grooming to the point of being a health hazard are all grounds for 
>> the dog to leave, in my humble opinion anyway.
>> 
>> I think all you can really do is to help the businesses understand 
>> their rights.  It might help to print out that recent FAQ that the 
>> DOJ just put out.  Business owners like to see stuff in print from an 
>> official source.  I think it helps them accept it as legitimate and 
>> feel more confident in following through.
>> 
>> There is a lady here, in my town, who has a dog for her psychiatric 
>> condition.  I've run across her twice.  the first time in a 
>> restaurant, where the dog was standing at the end of it's leash in 
>> the middle of the aisle.  the second time was just a few weeks ago in 
>> Wal-Mart.  I had Monty with me.  Apparently her dog was at the end of 
>> his leash, trying for all he was worth to get to Monty.  I didn't 
>> realize there was another dog, until my
>> 
>> son told me in the next aisle.   We went on about our shopping and didn't
>> encounter her in the store again.  I suspect she was making an effort 
>> to keep her dog away.  Personally, I'm not enthused with her dog's 
>> behavior, but neither do I think it's so horrendous that she should be asked to leave.
>> 
>> My dogs aren't perfect and I'd hope that I'd get the same sort of 
>> compassion.
>> 
>> Julie
>> Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is 
>> now available! Get the book here:
>> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Miranda Morse via nagdu
>> Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 3:45 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Cc: Miranda Morse
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake Service Dogs
>> 
>> The woman says that she trained the dog herself and many people who 
>> know her claim that the dog is not a service animal. Many are even 
>> skeptical about whether she has PTSD. Needless to say this woman's 
>> reputation and past is not the most desirable.
>> The dog barks in public, licks people's glasses, begs for food and 
>> licks merchandise in stores. The dog also smells and has fleas or 
>> some type of allergy that makes him scratch constantly.
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of larry d 
>> keeler via nagdu
>> Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 3:35 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Cc: larry d keeler
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fake Service Dogs
>> 
>> What I have observed is that yes, it probably is a service dog. 
>> Having said that however, I have met lots of people with ptsd who for 
>> some reason don't require the dogs to behave!
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Miranda 
>> Morse via nagdu
>> Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 4:18 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Cc: Miranda Morse
>> Subject: [nagdu] Fake Service Dogs
>> 
>> Hello, In the last week I have been approached by two different 
>> individuals at different times about a woman in town who has PTSD and has a service dog.
>> Their claims are that it is a fake service animal because of the way 
>> it acts in public. It is a great dane and I have seen it in public 
>> before and I would tend to agree.
>> 
>> I would appreciate any suggestions on how to address this matter?
>> 
>> Miranda
>> 
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