Fake Service Dogs......

[dcpnz]

Emotional support animals =/= service animals

I am stunned that restaurants, museums and public transport providers put up with and allow the emotional support animal racket.

Service animals are covered under ADA and can pretty much go anywhere.

If someone tells you its an emotional support animal and presents some vest or certificate then tell them to GTFO unless you're a landlord/apartment manager or an airline in which case Fair Housing Act or Air Carrier Access Act apply.

Local rag article with decent discussion about these issues as result of recent incidents

http://www.aspentimes.com/news/16928...ght-on-service


Other thing I learned recently is that ADA service animals can only be dogs (or in limited circumstances a miniature pony ???).
So anyone claiming rights for a snake, cat, turtle, iguana or whatever else under ADA is full of s#%t.

[BigDaddy]

As a serial abuser, I agree...

Just kidding, but I do take my man almost everywhere. He's a certified therapy dog (and AKC good citizen, for whatever that's worth). The main thing is, he is super chill around people and I always ask if it's ok if he comes in. I never insist or pretend he is exempt from any rules, so I'll happily tie him up or put him back in the car.

That said, with permission, my guy goes into Home Depot, the bank(s), lumber yards, sports stores, etc. He gets treats at all of those places. I'll tie him up on the patio when eating, but I always ask if it's cool. Our area is very dog friendly and he has enhanced many lives and provided a lift for so many... it's really great.

I've never actually even put his vest on, but I wear my tag when we visit various nursing homes or senior centers. The vest covers half his torso, so it makes it hard to pet his soft coat. I think it looks silly, and I would never try to pass him off as a service dog. Those animals are amazing and the people they serve really need them.

There does seem to be a gigantic uptick in "therapy dogs" though... so I laugh when I hear it now. Whatever floats your boat. He's just a cool dog and 99% of the dogs we encounter are cool, too. That's good enough for me.

[The AD]

it doesn't affect my quality of life at all.

That's how I see it, but I can imagine it would be different if I were a business owner, etc. I think the morons who don't control their animals are very much in the minority.

[old goat]

Couple with a Great Dane walk into a small restaurant in France--indoors. Dog curls up under the table. The restaurant cat goes up to the dog, sniffs around, and walks away. No response from the dog. The problem in the US is that we don't train our dogs (or our children but that's another thread).

[liv2ski]

^^^It would be pretty hard for my guys to ignore a new cat and they live with a cat. Dogs are dogs and cats were meant to be chased, but not hurt or at least that is how my two are off leash. On leash they are chill. And people with their service dogs is pretty lame unless your fucking blind. While I wish more public areas allowed dogs, I am not pretending my guys are some emo support so I can bring them in.

[mtngirl79]

And people with their service dogs is pretty lame unless your fucking blind.

Well that's awfully ignorant. Service dogs can detect an imminent seizure (as was mentioned), alert a deaf person to sounds that may mean danger, pick up dropped items for a person in a wheel chair, detect low blood sugar in a diabetic..... and the list goes on.

Dogs are amazing.

My job puts me amongst lots of service dogs, real and probably fake but it's not that often that they cause an issue. It's annoying some days, just because it's a hard annoying job sometimes.

Most of the fakers are mentally ill people that pretty much have nothing. So what if they want to bring their dog with them. If it's a problem it can be asked to leave.

[stfu&gbtw]

How about somebody with a blind service dog? No shit... I couldn't make that up if I wanted to. There's a person down in town who has a "service dog" that needs at least as much accommodation as the person who owns the dog.

[DasBlunt]

I'm on the front lines of this. I drive a city bus. Currently I have regulars who are "hippy travelers"...not the good kind, the gypsy-thief kind....who roll onto my bus with a pitbull and know all the phrases. "It's a service dog" "helps with my anxiety"...whatever. We get to their stop and this pitbull goes bounding off-leash out into the world wherever we stopped....walmart, pharmacy, grocery store. Pretty sweet.

I have another shitshow regular who is a baby mama for a prisoner in the local prison. Her service dog is a purse chihuahua. Drinking water and dog piss on the bus seats for everyone so she can carry a dog around to her appointments and shopping and whatnot.

It's fucked up. I see this every day and it sucks.

I'm not really surprised that you're a bus driver. LOL.

And none of us are surprised you chimed in just to make fun of Yetiman......

[doughboyshredder]

And none of us are surprised you chimed in just to make fun of Yetiman......

Go back to your hole shithead.

[BmillsSkier]

As a serial abuser, I agree...

Just kidding, but I do take my man almost everywhere. He's a certified therapy dog (and AKC good citizen, for whatever that's worth). The main thing is, he is super chill around people and I always ask if it's ok if he comes in. I never insist or pretend he is exempt from any rules, so I'll happily tie him up or put him back in the car.

That said, with permission, my guy goes into Home Depot, the bank(s), lumber yards, sports stores, etc. He gets treats at all of those places. I'll tie him up on the patio when eating, but I always ask if it's cool. Our area is very dog friendly and he has enhanced many lives and provided a lift for so many... it's really great.

I've never actually even put his vest on, but I wear my tag when we visit various nursing homes or senior centers. The vest covers half his torso, so it makes it hard to pet his soft coat. I think it looks silly, and I would never try to pass him off as a service dog. Those animals are amazing and the people they serve really need them.

There does seem to be a gigantic uptick in "therapy dogs" though... so I laugh when I hear it now. Whatever floats your boat. He's just a cool dog and 99% of the dogs we encounter are cool, too. That's good enough for me.

THD allows dogs (any) in all their stores.

My Border Collie loves trips to THD because he gets a waterfall of treats from the associates. He's also smarter than the entire garden staff but that's another story.

[BigDaddy]

THD allows dogs (any) in all their stores.

My Border Collie loves trips to THD because he gets a waterfall of treats from the associates. He's also smarter than the entire garden staff but that's another story.

Ha ha... probably true, especially a Border Collie.

It was actually because of THD that I got the idea to train him as a therapy dog. We encountered a group of disabled kids who were on an outing and they were all so interested in Otis. I asked the chaperones if he could say hello and it was amazing how they lit up and how much Otis enjoyed it. It was clear how good he was, too, and so I am now just the handler of a rock star, but living vicariously.

Dali Lama says the highest form of life you can attain, is to be a dog owned by a poster on TGR.

[BmillsSkier]

Ha ha... probably true, especially a Border Collie.

It was actually because of THD that I got the idea to train him as a therapy dog. We encountered a group of disabled kids who were on an outing and they were all so interested in Otis. I asked the chaperones if he could say hello and it was amazing how they lit up and how much Otis enjoyed it. It was clear how good he was, too, and so I am now just the handler of a rock star, but living vicariously.

Dali Lama says the highest form of life you can attain, is to be a dog owned by a poster on TGR.

Thats a great story!

And to the Dali Lama quote, truth. Gunga la gunga.

[Meadow Skipper]

Dali Lama says the highest form of life you can attain, is to be a dog owned by a poster on TGR.

Yeah, ask the Lama how I can come back as my own pet. My pets are living the dream, nothing's too good for them.

[ill-advised strategy]

I'm not really surprised that you're a bus driver. LOL.

It's a pretty good job. I like it. Union shop, ski 5 days a week. I'm outside but not working in the weather. I can do my job when I'm sore or tired and I'm not tied to a desk. It's probably somewhere between a million and a billion times better than you think it is....because you're a dumbass.

[Jethro]

The main scam here is people saying their pet is an "emotional support animal". This is a status recognized by the Fair Housing act, and only deals with housing. It allows people to have a pet in a no dog condo/apartment/housing complex. People claiming their ESA's are Service Animals are scamming the system. When it comes to public spaces, the only act of congress recognizing animals is the Americans with Disabilities Act, which only recognizes trained service animals. Emotional Support Animals have NO right to public spaces where pets are prohibited. There is possible exception for airline travel however

Dcpnz mentioned it.. Airline carrier access act

The only way this will stop is if people start demanding for certification for Service animals, to be produced on demand. It will take an act of congress. No ESA's period. Your failure to deal with stress isn't a disability. Not that it matters, but I also have a completely useless psychology degree

[mtngirl79]

It doesn't matter what the law reads, what matters is what the people who would be/could be sued are comfortable enforcing.

If the animal is behaving appropriately, we ignore it.

[Jethro]

I think it might take random citizens making people uncomfortable with their ESA scams to start some change. If someone works at a coffee shop, they can legally only ask if the dog is a service animal, and what it is trained to do. As a customer of a coffee shop, I can ask any question I want. I can hound the person for an answer. As long as it is not seen as harassment. And a customer can ask the management to remove any animal which is behaving poorly. Valid service dogs will be perfectly behaved virtually all the time. ESA's have no training, as pets or service animals. The poorly behaving animals will always belong to the ESA scammers. Exlax cookies are the answer.

See the link to the Aspen times article above, where customers demanded the dog get off the couch

[mtngirl79]

Many disabilities are invisible, and the vast majority of suspected "fake" service dogs are carried around/sit on their owners lap.

We require them to be on the floor or their owner. If the dog wasn't doing anything wrong and you were harassing the owner, I would ask you to leave.

[Timberridge]

From videos I've seen, dogs are very good drivers too.

[Harry]

Not trying to make this PolyAss, but...

Ivana Trump got busted with a phony service dog in a fancy restaurant.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...0/pets-allowed

[ill-advised strategy]

It doesn't matter what the law reads, what matters is what the people who would be/could be sued are comfortable enforcing.

If the animal is behaving appropriately, we ignore it.

word from someone who knows ^^

[Bunion 2020]

It's a pretty good job. I like it. Union shop, ski 5 days a week. I'm outside but not working in the weather. I can do my job when I'm sore or tired and I'm not tied to a desk. It's probably somewhere between a million and a billion times better than you think it is....because you're a dumbass.

I don't think the last sentence was required. Seemed like common knowledge to me.

[TBS]

And people with their service dogs is pretty lame unless your fucking blind.

How about veterans with severe PTSD having a dog that's trained to always have their humans back, and can sense when they are melting down and move in to help? Is that lame?

http://tbbf.org/

[Jethro]

Many disabilities are invisible, and the vast majority of suspected "fake" service dogs are carried around/sit on their owners lap.

We require them to be on the floor or their owner. If the dog wasn't doing anything wrong and you were harassing the owner, I would ask you to leave.

Fair enough. You can ask if they are service dogs though, and if not you can ask them to leave. The ADA doesn't recognize ESA's, legit or not. I get tired of dogs running around in places where food is served. I don't like untrained, or barely trained dogs snapping at my kid

[mtngirl79]

Fair enough. You can ask if they are service dogs though, and if not you can ask them to leave. The ADA doesn't recognize ESA's, legit or not. I get tired of dogs running around in places where food is served. I don't like untrained, or barely trained dogs snapping at my kid

No I cant. I am instructed to not say anything unless the dog is misbehaving.

Do tell, though. How many times have you or your kid been snapped at by a fake service dog? How many run around unattended in resturants?