Speaking of ethics...

http://now.msn.com/fake-therapy-dogs-seen-in-new-york-as-owners-get-fake-tags

 Quote: Duane Hull

Speaking of ethics...

http://now.msn.com/fake-therapy-dogs-seen-in-new-york-as-owners-get-fake-tags

Not just NYC either -- I saw some scoff-law (whose dog I know for a firsthand fact was rescued as a stray off the street) leading his Totally Untrained beastie around wearing a SERVICE DOG vest, so he can take it everywhere with him ... I presume you can buy those bootleg badges from various unscrupulous vendors at flea markets & online (you're required to demnonstrate the Service such a dog provides, but I bet this guy is never challenged to do so).

we see this from time to time up here on the mountain .

we don't allow dogs up here for a number of reasons , but occasionally someone will pull the " service dog " card and get one up here . if they've been able to bamboozle the ticket agents , there is not much we can do once they are up on the hill , but i'll usually go seek the person out and engage them in conversation .

more often than not , it is bs . you just have to ask what organization the dog is associated with , what specific skills the dog has , what particular condition the person has and how the dog helps .

the stories start getting muddled , and if you just ask to see some accreditation , the whole thing falls apart .

i have met a genuine one though , where the dog was there to assist an epileptic youth .

typically , there are the little " bag " dogs , so we just inform them the dog must remain in the bag at all times , which they are usually happy to comply with , since that is where the dog spends the greater part of its' life anyway .

Not sure what the article was trying to say. A therapy dog doesn't have any rights associated with ADA law. If people are lying that their dog is a service dog, then why aren't they being fined/jailed for breaking federal law?

Also, if you believe someone is lying about having a service dog, call the ADA and report them.

 Quote: SamanthaTopper

Not sure what the article was trying to say. A therapy dog doesn't have any rights associated with ADA law. If people are lying that their dog is a service dog, then why aren't they being fined/jailed for breaking federal law?

Also, if you believe someone is lying about having a service dog, call the ADA and report them.

What I got from the article is that most people aren't familiar enough with the regulations to challenge these scabs. Moreover, the chances of getting the information needed to report a fellow patron are practically nil. It's not like you can confront them and say, "Hey, I'm going to report you you to the ADA. Can I get your full name and address?"

The thing is, you can't ask them what the disability/med condition is, just can ask if they have one but you can ask the what the dog is trained to do and you can kick them out if the dog is misbehaving or filthy.

To me its important that people with disabilities are allowed to train their own dog if they want. It would be nice if the dog/handler team was required to be evaluated once and registered...but then again public places can already kick them out if they don't behave or are not well groomed.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

The thing is, you can't ask them what the disability/med condition is, just can ask if they have one but you can ask the what the dog is trained to do and you can kick them out if the dog is misbehaving or filthy.

You can kick them out if you own the business. The guy at the next table has little recourse, and 99.5% of people aren't concerned enough to get involved.

If the owner of the establishment isn't familiar with the ADA and/or is unclear about the difference between a service and a therapy dog, said owner may be reluctant to confront the handler, as that would mean exposing him/herself to the possibility of violating someone's civil rights. That's why people choose not to get involved in so many situations.

 Quote: SamanthaTopper

A therapy dog doesn't have any rights associated with ADA law.

Even a certified Therapy Dog has no Service Dog rights. When Therapy Dogs are in a public place, it is because they were INVITED to be there to work with people that frequent that establishment. My 2 Therapy dogs go to the Police Dept, the Fire Stations, the college library, the public library, some of the public schools, and various nursing homes.

When I was training them, I went to the owners of several local businesses- the grocery store, the theater, the mall, etc- and got permission for my dogs to be there. I had to demonstrate that my dogs were well behaved before I was allowed access to these places.

Until there is a central agency that regulates the testing and certification of Service Dogs, I think I prefer to err on the side of caution and allow that the dog is a Service Dog. People with true Service Dogs should not be denied the use of their dogs, or continuously hasseled because of a few jerks that abuse the laws.

I know that many little "purse dogs" don't look like Service Dogs, but there are little dogs that alert to food allergies, or blood sugar changes, or epilepsy- a dog does not have to weigh a certain amount in order to be an alert dog. And those dogs save lives....

Just a thought.....

Just as an aside, while training Drift and Caterina, I got hasseled just about every day when I took them somewhere- not by employees, but by the general public. It got to be really old, and I would not want a disabled person to go through that. Some people can be really mean and nasty....

I remember when I had permission from the parks department to lay short tracks for Toni in the public park where dogs are not normally allowed (I jumped through a LOT of hoops for that!). Toni never went anywhere near people, she never made any messes, she never barked, and was always on lead. Typically were were in and out within an hour. I had the police called on me 5 times. Even though I had permission, and it was great experience for Toni, I stopped going to the park because it was just such a pain. Nobody ever talked to me or asked what I was doing, they just called the police.

 Quote: ian bunbury

more often than not , it is bs . you just have to ask what organization the dog is associated with , what specific skills the dog has , what particular condition the person has and how the dog helps .

the stories start getting muddled , and if you just ask to see some accreditation , the whole thing falls apart .

I'm assuming you're in the US and subject to ADA. Just ignore me if you're not.

The dog does not have to be associated with an organization. They do not have to explain their personal medical history to you. They do not have to have any "accreditation", ID, special vest, etc. They can be trained by their handler.

The only thing you can ask is if they are disabled and if the dog assists them with their disability.

I hate fake service dogs because my dog Tanner used to assist a woman with a mental illness. One of the reasons she stopped taking Tanner out is because she was constantly harassed by people who thought he was a fake. The anxiety from the harassment put her right back to where she was without him. He seemed to know he had a job to do with her and was very well-behaved.

I still have his "Service Dog in Training" vest and have removed the service dog part so it just says "in training". I have been told by people that it's great that I could take him into stores with me. When I explain that I'm not disabled so he can't accompany me they just kind of look at me and ask "but isn't he a service dog?". Very few people actually know and understand the ADA regulations.