MOBILE
Skeptical of service animals
February 21, 2012
I don’t want to stomp on the Americans with Disabilities Act, but when is enough enough?
I met a woman at a local grocery who had a very unruly dog on a leash. I said “Really? A dog in a grocery store?” She turned around and declared her pet a “service animal.” I asked what service this pet was trained to do, and she proceeded to get nasty and tell me it was none of my business.
My problem: Anyone with a dog can claim their pet is a service animal by simply saying it is so. According to the ADA, “A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.” People are within their rights to ask what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
The Department of Justice’s ADA website has received complaints that people with impairments that wouldn’t qualify as disabilities are “claiming that their animals are legitimate service animals” to get the animals into hotels, restaurants and other public places.
It’s time people started asking questions when they see a dog in the grocery store or restaurant and stop being afraid of offending someone.
Yavett States
Airway Heights
Bravo. I applaud your speaking out. Now if everyone would ask all of the perfectly able bodied people climbing out of cars in handicap parking spaces. I swear half the parking lot at Costco is for non-handicapped lazy people with some flavor of scam going on.
Interesting conspiracy theory, but every handicap isn’t necessarily visible to the idiot masses.
A dear friend of mine was born with a serious heart defect. She cannot walk very far but she looks just like any other healthy 30 year old. I guess Notapatriot is one of those people who give people like my friend the evil glare when she parks.
Interesting, I’m guessing most “get government out of our lives!” people are the ones who would complain about service animals, I have no opinion either way but I strongly support seeing eye dogs.
“get government out of our lives!”
Unless we don’t like who it is you want to marry.
Unless we don’t like your dog.
Unless we don’t like where you parked your car.
Unless we don’t like what you are doing with your uterus.
Unless we don’t like what kind of sex you are having.
Unless we don’t like that garden gnome in your yard.
Unless we don’t like what you do for a living.
Unless we don’t like the drug that was prescriped for your use.
And in those cases (and more) we want the full force of gubmint to be used to interfere with YOUR life.
Interesting viewpoint. It may be within your right, but it is none of your b.i. business.
What harm did the dog do to you? You seem very insensitive to legitimate needs of people with service animals.
With that said, there is abuse of this privilege. I don’t think there are federal laws regarding service animals, although I could be wrong. I do know that several years ago, my son walked into an agency or police station in Oakland, CA and registered his dog as a service animal. I think it was granted on the grounds that his dog provides emotional security for him, or some such nonsense. My son has never been diagnosed with any mental illness, at least not that I am aware of.
Regardless, my son can legally take his dog on airplanes (for free) and into restaurants, stores, and hotels. He’s been denied access plenty of times, but it’s come in handy plenty too.
There is a legal difference between a service pet and a companion pet. Many people, including owners, confuse the two. A companion pet can reside with you, but to go everywhere in public it would have to be a service pet.
Dennis Patterson—Deer Park
My Pitt Bull provides a great service, he keeps the creeps at bay, does that count?
all the comments are frightening to me. I have an invisible handicap~my spine is degenerating,and I have severe asthma. I use a MOBILITY dog. I agree, there are some who abuse the system, but even “unruly” dogs may be actually working!! they are trained to alert to seizures, to take medicine, for hearing, etc. Why don’t you all read up on the ADA website for the LAW?? (there is no such thing as a service pet, there are pets, and there are service animals, but not the same) and the Federal law supercedes any state law. I often use my dog to advocate for service dogs, but sometimes he is tired, and I prefer that people leave him alone! His focus is on me, not you, or your child. Most of the time, because he is in a vest and wearing ID, I have no problems. Others prefer not to id their dog,it is NOT required. The top reasons for service dogs are blindness, deafness, mobility, epilepsy, autism, and a whole spectrum of ailments. Remember, some questions are an invasion of privacy, would you want to stand in the supermarket and tell someone your medical history? More compassion people!!
Exactly what rosehips said..What did the dog do to be “unruly”..Was the dog biting people? Barking in the store for no apparent reason? Or was it simply standing there “in your way”? Fact of the matter is that most, if not all reasons behind having a service animal are medical reasons and last time I checked, anything medical is to be kept between doctor and patient unless the person wants to share the information. So mind your own business!
In Washington a service animal may also be a horse, wait till you see a horse take a dump in the produce section, might change a few minds on this subject.lol
I agree that the service animal thing needs to be controlled more. Some people have allergies. No one wants poop in their world. By the same token no one with a legit disability wants to be bothered by others. I would think that those that have legit animals would label them so others would leave them alone. But alas many don’t. And to those of you that think you can intimidate service animal users–-think again. Spokane Municipal Code Title 10 chapter/section 10.03.075 talks to this situation and intimidating a service animal or animal user is a crime!!! Yes, it is a misdemeanor if caught. Other crimes against these animals and users are listed as well. Go about your desire to control this situation knowing the full scoop!
haha mary, the “whole scoop.” :)
A business may ask two questions to a person with a Service Dog:
1) Is this your Service Dog
2) What tasks does your Service Dog do
Horses — the only ones allowed are Guide Minatures which usually only weigh around 100 lbs and are about 24 - 27 inches tall..
I have a Service Dog and basically — Most people don’t even realize I have one — He’s pretty lay back when he’s sound asleep under a table.. You can have business who are rude even if you have a super friendly Service Dog.. They’ll try to shove you out the door — calling your dog dirty (he gets a bath once a week), etc.. OR you’ll have a customer who hates dogs and will follow you around the store cussing you out that a dog doesn’t belong there.. and then you have to find a manager to get that person kicked out..
Yavett, I hope some day to run in to you at the grocery store or a restaurant with my dog and I hope you have the nerve to approach me and question me about my animal. See, because you don’t own the store or restaurant, that makes you nothing less than the harasser of the disabled and if you approach me, as a non owner, I’m going to verbally, and loudly, put you in your place. Then I’m call the cops and the DOJ. We have enough to deal with as disabled Americans. I don’t need, nor tolerate, ignorant, self-righteous, intrusions into my personal life. Speak up next time you see a guy in a chair with a big white dog….