[nagdu] Are we in search of a solution without a problem?

[Aaron Cannon]

Hi all.

The recent petition from CCI that was forwarded to this list made some
assertions:

"When untrained pet dogs are somewhere they shouldn’t be, it can
create all kinds of problems that make business owners think twice
before allowing the same access to legitimate service dogs and the
people who need them.

"This outrageous and potentially dangerous fraud only adds to the
discrimination often faced by people with disabilities who actually
need assistance dogs.

"Legitimate service dogs require years of expert training to perform
specific commands like picking up dropped items and opening doors that
benefit people with disabilities – many of them U.S. veterans who are
injured while fighting for this country. These dogs provide calm,
reliable assistance to their human partners and help them live more
independently.

"Now is the time to crack down on service dog fraud and end the online
sale of fake service dog certification products. Please don’t allow
the benefits of a service dog to be taken away from people who need
them."


First, has anyone actually seen some evidence, anecdotal or otherwise,
that this is as big a problem as they claim it is?  Has anyone been
denied access because someone else used a fake ID card?  Honestly
curious, as I have no information either way.

Second, (and now I am being a bit sarcastic) did anyone's dog receive
a few years of expert training?  Did it concern you that your dog took
over 6 times longer to train than the average?  What sorts of amazing
things can your dog do with all that expert training?

Third, does anyone else get a bit suspicious when people or
organizations start appealing to "think of the children" or "think of
the service men and women" arguments to make their case?

Fourth, has anyone seen anything that might indicate that the benefits
of service dogs are in danger of being taken away from "those who need
them"?

There are other issues with this petition which I'll address in
another email, but in short, I'd think carefully before signing.

Aaron