[Njagdu] Don't fake it with Fido

[Ginger Kutsch]

Don't fake it with Fido 
Falsely claiming pet as service animal could cost you
Senior Lookout Anne Springer 
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/lifestyle/x1503764467/Dont-fake-it-with-Fido

You love your dog.

Wouldn't it be nice, when traveling, to take him right on the airplane
instead of putting him in a crate in the cargo hold? Or, wouldn't it be nice
to be able to take him anywhere you want, and rent any apartment you want,
without worrying that someone will tell you he's not welcome?

A lot of people feel the same way. The problem is that they may be trying to
accomplish those things by breaking federal law, and there are some
questionable companies making it all too easy for them to do so.

If you think having a service dog is as easy as buying a service dog
certification card and vest, beware! According to Service Dog Central
(http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/), a community of service dog
partners and trainers, "There are criminal penalties for falsely claiming a
pet as a service animal. These penalties can range from a small fine, to one
over $1,000 or a few days in jail up to a year in jail, depending on how the
offense is committed and where. In some cases, the dog is confiscated and
the owner may have a lengthy court battle to get the dog back."

Legitimately disabled people who are paired with a service dog, whether they
trained the dog (not many people have the skill to train a dog to do complex
tasks that are sometimes required of these dogs, but it is not illegal for a
dog to be owner-trained), or whether the dog was professionally trained, are
feeling the heat from business proprietors and others who are now routinely
confronted with pet dogs that aren't really service dogs. This is unfair to
disabled individuals with real assistance animals, and is largely due to the
number of pets that are causing disruption to those businesses because they
really don't have the high level of training necessary for service dog work.

While it's frustrating for businesses who think that a person might be
trying to pass a pet off as a service dog, it's important to realize that
just because a person doesn't look disabled they still might be, and they
should still observe the law when asking if a dog is a service animal.

Aside from fines, or the possibility of having a pet confiscated, people
should understand that such fraud is becoming a nuisance and threat to
legitimately disabled people who need a service animal.

If you are tempted to "certify" your dog over the Internet (service dogs are
not required to be registered or certified), or to get a service vest for
your pet, don't do it! A vest does not make your dog a service dog. If you
are not disabled, or your dog is not individually trained to perform tasks
that mitigate a real disability, you are violating the law if you say he's a
service animal.

If you are involved in a legal dispute over whether your dog is a service
dog or not, you may be required to provide proof in court, so it is prudent
not to try to fake it with Fido.

The most important reason not to do it, though, is to preserve the ability
of legitimately disabled individuals to live as independently as they can
with the help of a real service dog.

Anne Springer is the public relations director of SeniorCare Inc., Cape
Ann's local area agency on aging. To reach SeniorCare, call 978-281-1750.