[NAGDU] Fake service dogs: a positive story

[Tara Briggs]

 Hi all, the recent discussion of fake service dogs has prompted me to tell a positive story I had on this issue. My husband and I enjoyed taking our daughters to a local kids museum. About a month or so ago, we met with another family and we’re enjoying a day of fun at the museum. It’s always a bit disconcerting when I am with my service dog and I hear another dog growling. That’s what happened. To make a long story short, while I was at the kids museum some people had come in with a supposed   service animal. The dog started growling and acting aggressively towards my dog. My friend and I went and talk to the staff and told them what was going on. Fortunately, the staff had made some observations of the situation. The family tried to say that my dog was the aggressive one. Thankfully, the staff clearly was able to observe this is not the case. The family was told that they had to leave with their service dog because they’re service dog  was acting aggressively towards another dog. They left. I was so thankful to the staff of this museum! Hopefully, it will be a long time, or perhaps never, before   that family thinks of taking their poorly behaved dog  into public again. Perhaps it is a service dog. However, it doesn’t get to be in public if it can’t behave. That is what we need businesses to do, they need to act like this kids museum. I think that businesses and people with disabilities who have well-behaved service dog should work together. We should start a social media campaign. We should have videos of well-behaved service dogs. This could include Guy dogs, dogs for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, assistance dogs for people who use wheelchairs, and psychiatric service dogs, oh, and we should include dogs for people with epilepsy. We should show those dogs  behaving well in public juxtaposed to dogs that don’t behave well in public. And we need to show videos of the businesses being welcoming to the service dogs  that are well-behaved and turning away the suppose it service dogs that are  not well behaved. Even if it’s a guide  dog. If the dog can’t behave out it goes!
Tara


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