[nagdu] Fake Service Dogs

[Debby Phillips]

Okay, I probably sound like a cynic, but here goes.  I have had 
dogs since 1981.  During my whole life as an owner of a dog 
guide, I have done my best to educate people.  I have answered 
questions on buses, given speeches to business groups, etc.  I 
talk to my neighbors if they ask me questions.  I know I'm not 
the only one.  I've been on TV news programs.  I don't think it's 
done one helluva lot of good.  I still get ask the same 
questions, still get asked for ID, (In Orlando was a hd example), 
and so on.  Actually instead of getting better, it's getting 
worse with every Tom, Dick and Harriet out there with their 
"service dog".  Half the time when I see other dogs in Spokane 
and the people with them claim they're "service dogs" I just 
don't believe them.  They just have these dogs that are silly at 
best, and just not well-behaved at worst.  Our Transit Authority 
has told drivers they cannot ask ANY questions, even though many 
drivers know the questions they can ask.  Many businesses won't 
ask either, even though they may know what to ask.  A guy here in 
Spokane was asked to leave Great Clips with his service dog.  
That's great, but now other businesses just won't ask.  There is 
no solution, as far as I can see.  People do not want to have to 
show ID cards.  So I predict that things will get worse and 
worse, and then we will be forced to show ID, whether we like it 
or not.  Either that or it's a dog eat dog world out there.  Our 
society has become basically out of control.  We don't want to 
offend anybody, we let our kids run all over the place and bug 
people in restaurants and stores, we let our dogs walk up and 
lick people, bother other dogs, etc.  So I guess the answer is 
that we will do nothing.  I guess all any of us who care about 
our dogs and want them to behave well in public can do is do the 
best that we can with our dogs, and if people don't like the fact 
that we correct our dogs on occasion, to heck with them.  And if 
some ill-behaved dog gets in my face or my dog's face, I'll just 
have to take things into my own hands and tell that person to get 
their scroungy mutt away from mine.  (And I'll tell you, my 
language won't be so nice).    Debby