[Ohio-Talk] Fw: [NAGDU] Texas residents with fake service dogs will be fined $1k under HB 4164

[Shane Popplestone]

Forwarded on behalf of nagdu.
This doesn't apply to Ohio, but it does show the steps other states are 
taking in regards to this issue.

Shane Popplestone
President of the Ohio Association of blind students
Co-chair of the ohio newsline committee
member of the Grater Akron Chapter
member of Ohio Association of Guide Dog users
spopplestone.nfb at gmail.com
234-716-2208
You can live the life you want!


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>From "Sarah Calhoun via NAGDU" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
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Cc "Sarah Calhoun" <sc-tico at att.net>
Date 9/15/2023 7:51:03 PM
Subject [NAGDU] Texas residents with fake service dogs will be fined $1k 
under HB 4164

Texas residents with fake service dogs will be fined $1k under HB 4164
Impersonating a service dog is detrimental to community, manager says.
By Zachary Taylor WrightSep 13, 2023
September officially kicked off
Service Dog Awareness month.
Coincidentally, a new Texas House bill has taken effect which raised punishments for those faking their
whiskered friend’s capabilities
— something a local training company says hurts the cause.
HB 4164, which passed both chambers and took effect on September 1, makes the false representation of animals as service animals a crime punishable by
$1,000 and up to 30 hours of community service. Both locals and legislators alike are saying the misrepresentation of service dogs has increased challenges
for those really in need.
“HB 5206 (a companion bill) should help restore the reputation that trained service dogs have earned and limit negative interactions that service dogs
experience,” Texas Rep. Vikki Goodwin (R-47) told the Texas Council for Development Disabilities.

Ada Brown, representing Service Dogs Inc., testified
in support of a legislative change to deter the impersonation of service dogs because they put her trained service animal in jeopardy, according to TCDD.
“If (my hearing dog) gets hurt, I’m out of commission,” Brown testified. “I can’t hear fire trucks or alarms. I can’t hear my children call my name. I
hear nothing without hearing aids.”
For those looking for help training a future service dog, there are plenty of facilities in San Antonio. One of them, Dog Training Elite, offers both in-home
and in-facility training.
Breaking the training into three phases, Dog Training Elite Facilities Manager Tammy Cheatham said all the training efforts start with obedience, “because
that’s the one that’s welcome out in public on a regular basis.”
Next, trainers take the soon-to-be service dog on a field trip to recreate real-life scenarios a person with disabilities might find themselves with the
pup. They go to malls, restaurants, and parks to acclimatize their four-legged friend to crowds without being apprehensive or reactive.
Finally, they teach the trainees task-specific actions which can vary wildly depending on what disability they’re helping with, Cheatham said.
She said there are mobility support dogs who can open doors, turn lights off and on or even do forward momentum pulls. These same dogs are taught something
called force fetch.
Jamie Leon sits with his son, Joshua, and his service dog, Shadow. Leon, who served as an Army medic for 15 years, was given Shadow to help with his PTSD.
“If you drop the leash, the dog can bring it back. If you leave your medication in a certain place, the dog can bring it to you,” Cheatham explained.
For those facing mental health struggles, there’s a multitude of services these trained dogs can do, including grounding activities, repetitive touch and
circling to help alleviate stressors or distract from triggers.

When asked how those who impersonate service animals are impacting the community in need, Cheatham didn’t shy away from a strong point of view.
“It’s wrong. What they’ve (impersonators) done is complicate the entire process for people who really benefit and have a need for a service
dog,” Cheatham said. “To have someone come up and say, ‘Is that a real service dog? Did you get your vest on Amazon? People are cruel. And people who have
a real need for service dogs don’t deserve that.”
Cheatham said the constant doubt and suspicions over service dogs caused by those pretending has led to cruelty, judgement and increased red-tape for those
who actually rely on their service animals day-in-day-out.
She urged those who encounter a service dog in public to be mindful and consider the person holding the leash. She even recalled one customer who she first
met walking on a cane as a result of her multiple sclerosis. The next time she saw the customer after training, she was walking without a physical support.

“Service dogs save lives,” she said. “They help reduce suicidal ideation. They help people reintegrate into society, and they provide a sense of comfort
as well as the task they do which absolutely change lives. Be respectful and try to understand that some people have needs that you can’t see. They are
just as important as those who have needs that you can see.”

Ending on a poignant note, Cheatham continued, “In all honesty, you wouldn’t walk up to a person in a wheelchair or someone who has one leg and say, ‘Wow,
how did that happen.’” She recommend you not ask someone with a service dog that question either.
article end
Sep 13, 2023By Zachary Taylor Wright
Source: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/service-dogs-house-bill-18360674.php?fbclid=IwAR2sCFegXRigL6ok4rD_iHSprKYeyftdwbqr7EHwdOadFwxisClkSK-MCJs


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