Never posted before so please redirect to appropriate forum

Imaging my surprise this morning when I checked FaceBook for updates. In the uppermost right was an advertisement for Leerburg.

However down about 3 add was telling you how to get your dog anywhere and never leave them at home again.

This has been in the news lately and the issue is that these are not service dogs and quite frankly this is a health and safety issue and another excuse to enable ignorant legislation and not address the issue of people who opted for dogs instead of kids.

I leave you with the link to the Con http://www.servicedogregistration.org/

And a link to just one of the stories from today concerning this http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/08/21/despicable-epidemic-people-using-fake-service-dogs/

There was no way to protest the ad on FaceBook

Thank you
Robert

How to report:

http://www.ehow.com/video_12219209_notify-facebook-criminal-activity-facebook-account.html

http://www.facebook.com/help/www/181495968648557

http://ideagirlmedia.com/social-media/you-should-report-facebook-profiles-advertising-illegal-activities/



This has nothing to do with "people who opted for dogs instead of kids," in my mind.

Let's address the real issue here: blatant and disgusting flouting of the ethics and laws surrounding real need for and use of SDs.


I thank you for the alert. I think many here are on FB and can now be alert for this crap, as well as how to report it.

Connie

You are correct and I apologize for the kids and dogs statement. Sometimes passion gets in front of logic and I did not edit that out.

Thank you for the links.

Thank you
Robert

That's OK, Robert. We probably all do that when we are incensed. And this is a revolting scam that is indeed worthy of being infuriated about.

I hope reporting it becomes a goal .... a popular goal ....

Reporting advertisements isn't quite covered in most of those links. But the ad (I've seen it before and have tried to figure out how to report it) does violate FB policy. I'm going to try to figure out how to report it when I get back on a computer

When I brought this up last week, I was surprised to learn how many people were opposed to govt. regulation and identification of service dogs. Clearly, if the govt does not step in and find a way to monitor and educate people about service dogs, the fraud will continue to manifest itself in exponential proportions.

While I realize that many here are capable of determining and avoiding what is inappropriate and would handle a service dog with integrity, I also realize that the vast majority of the dog-owning public is not, or would tend to feign ignorance. I'm not sure that most people even care about integrity anymore.

 Quote: Duane Hull

When I brought this up last week, I was surprised to learn how many people were opposed to govt. regulation and identification of service dogs. Clearly, if the govt does not step in and find a way to monitor and educate people about service dogs, the fraud will continue to manifest itself in exponential proportions. ....

It's frustrating, definitely.

How DO we fix it, if not with regs and I.D.? I sure don't have another answer. (I didn't read much of the other thread, but I will now.)

A lot of industries self regulated before there was any legislative attempts. Even then, it is hard to expect the laws and regulations to be the most appropriate when the non-experts write them and lobbying is applied.

At the very minimum the people who work with Service Dogs in training and placing etc could provide a website that would help the public at large and business owners understand and address the issue.

Take the Q & A on this scam site, it focuses on the rights of the person from the ADA. It noes not quote the ADA very well but just enough to invoke the fear of one being discriminatory.

If a site talked Service Dog, how to spot them and what behaviors in the animal should not be present and then in lay mens terms explained what the ADA does and does not say that would be the first step.

The second would be not being bullyed into not calling the police and press when you challenge someone who feels they are in the right.

Just my random thoughts
Robert

 Quote: Robert A. Eggleston

At the very minimum the people who work with Service Dogs in training and placing etc could provide a website that would help the public at large and business owners understand and address the issue.

One major obstacle is that, unlike many therapy and assistance dogs, there is no cut and dried definition of what a service dog is or does, and no way to limit it. There are no criteria that are universal for all service dogs, so they cannot all be held to the same standards. Many people that need service dogs are capable of training them, and, for some very specific conditions, the handler must be a part of the training.

There is no centralized institution that works or certifies these dogs. The best we could achieve would be required registration in a database and a uniform method of identification. The registration process would need to be initiated with an application, attached to which would be a physician's or therapist's written recommendation for a service dog and proof of ownership of a suitable dog. The subject would receive official ID which could be required to be worn by the canine, and access to some hand-out cards that could be shown by the subject, upon request, explaining to any outsider why the dog is necessary and what accomodations must be made for the subject and dog.

There is more discussion here...
http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=33593&page=1

One thing I don't get is...

If a dog can ease the anxiety of a sociopath, why are we not seeing the same controversy surrounding other animals. I mean, if my cat or my hen calms my nerves, shouldn't I be able to take THEM into a nightclub, as well? I wonder if the Service dog site would take my money to register a lamb, and send me the official badge? Then I could post photos of my lamb in an airplane seat.