[Nyagdu] dogs being passed off as service animals

[Margo and Elmo]

Cheryl, yeah, we've got a lot of folks these days trying to pass off animals 
as service animals.  You gave the correct information concerning what can be 
asked and what cannot be asked.

the fact the people walked away to me signifies that these animals were not 
service dogs.

Now, sometimes, hearing dogs for deaf persons can be small dogs.

also, and I don't know if this is still fact but people used to be able to 
carry a small dog in a carrier, but, of course, one isn't allowed as much 
carry-on stuff, so, don't know about that one.

margo andElmo
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
To: "New York Association of Guide Dog Users" <nyagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "New York Association of Guide Dog Users" <nyagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 7:38 AM
Subject: [Nyagdu] dogs being passed off as service animals


> On my way home from State Convention.  When we flew from Buffalo to 
> Baltimore before traveling on to Long Island, very tired you might say, 
> there was not but 2 people passing there dogs off as service animals, one 
> was a small chuwawa sorry can't spell that and one was something my 
> husband didn't even know what it was.  Anyway both dogs were in harness 
> and off the people from the airport asked me a question at the baltimore 
> airport who by the way lives near me and support the GDF foundation.  I 
> think she knows that laws or what a service animal is and was annoyed that 
> anyone these days pass off there dogs as service animals so there pet gets 
> a free ride sitting with there owners on the plane. I can understand 
> sometimes because below the plane the dogs can get sick and die, but then 
> the passenger on some airlines are allowed to purchase a seat for the dog.
>
> But anyway, this lady that was talking to me asked me with all these new 
> service dogs around and she know because she is a Nurse, said, I know we 
> are not allowed to ask the disability of the person who used the animal 
> but there are so many people out there with them know how does one go 
> without pulling ones hair out of there head or not knowing, I said by law 
> you cannot ask what the disability is but you can ask what function the 
> dog does, meaning our dogs are our eyes they guide us. some other dogs are 
> trained to do  other tasks.  Both these people got mad and walked away I 
> guess these people were not service animal owners, and the people at the 
> airport as well were very happy to hear this.
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> Treasurer
> National Federation of the Blind
> Greater Long Island Chapter
>
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