# Fake service dogs



## Terry Devine (Mar 11, 2008)

Just saw this in the local paper. I have seen more than my share of dogs in baby carrages, but have not really experienced any fake service dogs.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/l...-dogs-provoke-resentment-possible-rule/nTD9C/

Terry


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

interesting article terry--thanks for sharing it.


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## Laura Bollschweiler (Apr 25, 2008)

I have seen pictures posted on Facebook of at least three Schutzhund dogs wearing service dog vests at the airport waiting to board on their way to either Schutzhund competitions or seminars just this last year alone. The three owners were very open about faking it for whatever reason, whether distrust of airline personnel or to save money. I saw a picture a few years ago of competitors during a national SchH event with their dogs, both wearing service vests, at the bar with them. 

Laura


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## Dana McMahan (Apr 5, 2006)

I've turned down a handful of pet owners who want to "certify their dog" as a service dog so they can take them anywhere. I had done it in the past with my dog to get extra socialization in and over time realized its not worth the risk for people with REAL disabilities for me to take advantage of it. Yes, a lot of sport people take advantage of this and it always scares me when the dogs you hear of them taking on planes are NOT social dogs. Its just a matter of time before an accident happens and it comes back on the hosting organizations and hurts the sport.


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## Jesus Alvarez (Feb 6, 2009)

Laura Bollschweiler said:


> I have seen pictures posted on Facebook of at least three Schutzhund dogs wearing service dog vests at the airport waiting to board on their way to either Schutzhund competitions or seminars just this last year alone. The three owners were very open about faking it for whatever reason, whether distrust of airline personnel or to save money. I saw a picture a few years ago of competitors during a national SchH event with their dogs, both wearing service vests, at the bar with them.
> 
> Laura


I've seen plenty of photos on FB of dogs, from various venues, wearing service dog vests to travel by plane with their handlers to a trial.


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## dewon fields (Apr 5, 2009)

I see it weekly at our airport. passengers come thru w there emotional support dogs. Give me a break. Some dogs I've seen are dog/human aggressive also.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

dewon fields said:


> I see it weekly at our airport. passengers come thru w there emotional support dogs. Give me a break. Some dogs I've seen are dog/human aggressive also.


 I'll have to brush up on the current SD laws but a couple years ago "emotional support" wasn't a valid reason to consider a dog a service animal.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

PTSD is reason for emotional support. Mind you though, they must have a letter from their Dr. or prescription if you will.

I also have read that a person with a disability and dog can be asked three questions not two as the article states. 1- Are you disabled? 2- Is that a service dog? and 3- which can be answered with very little explanation, What is your disability?

Anyone with a disability and service dog should always carry ID for dog and prescription stating that this person is in fact disable. 

If the dog can not behave, then he and the person can be asked to leave just like anyone that can't act as they should in a public place.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Howard I just pulled this up and you and I both are right. There's a fine line here.

How “Service Animal” Is Defined

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act.

Some State and local laws also define service animal more broadly than the ADA does. Information about such laws can be obtained from the State attorney general’s office.



This too I just found out, I was wrong in my first post. These are the questions that can be asked.

Inquiries, Exclusions, Charges, and Other Specific Rules Related to Service Animals

When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.
Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations within the room or different rooms in the facility.
A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken. When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, staff must offer the person with the disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence.
Establishments that sell or prepare food must allow service animals in public areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.
People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be isolated from other patrons, treated less favorably than other patrons, or charged fees that are not charged to other patrons without animals. In addition, if a business requires a deposit or fee to be paid by patrons with pets, it must waive the charge for service animals.
If a business such as a hotel normally charges guests for damage that they cause, a customer with a disability may also be charged for damage caused by himself or his service animal.
Staff are not required to provide care or food for a service animal.


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## Amy Swaby (Jul 16, 2008)

You're not allowed to ask what a persons disability is I know that much is ADA law, there is no certification process for service dogs either they just have to provide one of the services listed by the ada. 

Only dogs and miniature horses can be service animals and that bit changed recently before it could be anything from a snake to a monkey to a bird. Not any more.

ADA covers all businesses except housing so technically an apartment complex can deny housing to someone with a service dog though most wont


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

I see this a lot in the various protection sports, and other sports, and do NOT agree with it. I'd love to see the laws changed so there was a way people who are faking service dogs could be caught, without infringing on the rights of legitimate service dog owners. 

I know some people that use service dogs think having some sort of official certification is an infringement on their rights, but you have to go through a process to get a handicapped parking permit. You have to go through a process to get a drivers license. There are many things you have to go through some sort of official process to get certification or a license for, and in some cases you have to recertify on a regular basis. I don't see why this would have to be any different. If there was some sort of process, it would really cut down on the fake service dogs. Which would benefit the users of real service dogs, since if people run into enough fakes, it's going to color their view on real ones.


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## Ariel Peldunas (Oct 18, 2008)

I've also seen a number of handlers slapping a vest on their dogs in order to be able to travel with them in the cabin of an aircraft ...to and from trials or just to travel for personal business. I don't think it's right and I certainly agree that there should be a way to verify the purpose and certification of a service animal without infringing on the rights of the disabled. As it stands, those who take advantage of the service dog laws are creating potential issues for those who legitimately have a reason to take their dogs everywhere.


Three times, I have traveled with my dog in the cabin of an airplane. On two occasions, I was traveling as a cadaver dog team for a search or certification. On the other occasion I was deploying overseas and it was expected my dog would be traveling in the cabin with me. For the two stateside flights, I called the airline ahead of time and got permission to have my dog in the cabin as Delta allows both service and search dogs to fly with their handlers. I brought copies of my certifications and a letter stating why I was required to travel with my dog ...they never asked to see either. I used a harness that said "Search and Rescue" ...not "Service Dog." Unfortunately, I almost missed one of my connecting flights because the day prior a "service dog" had attacked one of the flight attendants and she didn't want my dog on the plane for fear that she would be bitten again. I muzzled my dog in order to be able to board, but I couldn't help but wonder if the dog from the day prior could have been an imposter and was just making trouble for those who truly have a need to fly with their dogs.


I understand the hassle and worry associated with flying a dog as cargo, but it's a matter of integrity. I drive just about everywhere I go with my dogs and if I don't have an expressed need to bring them with me, I leave them at home if I fly anywhere. It's a shame so many people don't think twice about taking advantage of this system.


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## Kim Cardinal (Oct 28, 2011)

Very interesting article! I'll refrain, from exposing some SAR dog groups (that I know around my coordinates), that do this very thing (throw a vest on a dog, and get el-primo seating on aircraft). This is blatant abuse of the travel industry, and completed disrespect to all true bonafide "service" dogs in general (I won't comment on their lack of getting certification from a tasking agency, or adhering to training standards). As well, it's a total disrespect to those who invest the training hours and time, into shaping a dog, into a service dog (regardless of their respective utilization...be it seeing-eye, hearing, etc.).

I agree, with some of the posts stating that all handlers & dogs must carry I.D., clearly stating what the dog is being used for.


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## Lisa Brazeau (May 6, 2010)

Question: Why is it so hard to travel with a dog, anyway? 

Frontier stopped taking dogs as checked baggage or as cargo as of this month. Delta still does but it's $175, each way, often making her ticket much more expensive than mine, and she gets NO peanuts. American Airlines charges $275 each way for her as cargo, and it makes the logistics of timing our flights a nightmare.

It takes me 2.5 hrs to fly to California, but 20 plus hours to drive (and it's much more expensive to drive with gas/hotel/time off work). As you can see, I'm slightly incentivized to slap on a vest and put her in a down stay at my feet. I have never done it, but damn....


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## Craig Snyder (May 7, 2012)

Kim Cardinal said:


> Very interesting article! I'll refrain, from exposing some SAR dog groups (that I know around my coordinates), that do this very thing (throw a vest on a dog, and get el-primo seating on aircraft). This is blatant abuse of the travel industry, and completed disrespect to all true bonafide "service" dogs in general (I won't comment on their lack of getting certification from a tasking agency, or adhering to training standards). As well, it's a total disrespect to those who invest the training hours and time, into shaping a dog, into a service dog (regardless of their respective utilization...be it seeing-eye, hearing, etc.).
> 
> I agree, with some of the posts stating that all handlers & dogs must carry I.D., clearly stating what the dog is being used for.


No SAR dog should be riding cabin unless they are going on a actual mission or required training/certification event. They should have identification and agency papers. And they should be traveling in some type of uniform with identifying emblems or insignia, even if it's just a polo shirt. Very few SAR teams should really need to fly. The exception would be the FEMA handlers and their trainers. And I know they would have paperwork.

I wouldn't trust any airline transporting my dog or any SAR dog for that mater in the hold. 

I would call out a team member, (or team), for doing the service animal thing if I ever knew of it. It should be deserving of a formal complaint to whomever in the state monitors or works with SAR teams.

Craig


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## James Kotary (Nov 14, 2012)

Those that abuse the system to have their beloved pet fly with them or be allowed in a restaurant is disturbing. I understand the laws to protect disabled persons' rights, but what about the rights of the owners of businesses? They should be able to ask for certification. My grandmother has to put a place card in her window when parking in a handicap spot, isn't that like asking to see documentation? Some laws are ridiculous and filled with double talk that really if you look at it the time and money put into writing the law was just wasted!


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

I had a less than fun experience this weekend with what the owner claimed was her "service dog". I think in an attempt to keep it from getting quarantined after it snacked on my leg while I was responding to a call. Animal Control told her they would reconsider the quarantine AFTER she showed them a doctor's note stating her need for a service dog, plus proof that the dog in question has actually been trained as a service dog. (She stated for blood sugar problems).

Possibly not a fake service dog, but a poorly socialized service dog!


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

mel boschwitz said:


> I had a less than fun experience this weekend with what the owner claimed was her "service dog". I think in an attempt to keep it from getting quarantined after it snacked on my leg while I was responding to a call. Animal Control told her they would reconsider the quarantine AFTER she showed them a doctor's note stating her need for a service dog, plus proof that the dog in question has actually been trained as a service dog. (She stated for blood sugar problems).
> 
> Possibly not a fake service dog, but a poorly socialized service dog!


 
Thats the whole problem, credentials and credibility....there isn't any.....


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

This is ridiculous. Right now my mother's handicapped permit expired but instead of the doctors signature on the form we have to take her to the DMV to get a new photo ID. So she no longer has a handicapped tag.

The DMV is barely handicapped accessible, certainly not easy to maneuver in a wheelchair, is a long wait and we just can't put her through that so we have to drop her off at the curb and park in the boonies. Her disability is pretty darned clear (can't talk, paralyzed on one side, old)

But anybody can take any yapper dog anywhere and claim it is a support dog.

I am disgusted and outraged. I don't mind legitimate service animals and think they should have rights but why should a disabled old woman in a wheelchair have to face more challenges for access than someone sneaking in their pet.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Simular but two different issues Nancy. I agree with you. Some things we can't change but if I were you I'd put up a big stink. Doubt we would get very far but sill I would. I'm sure they will say that they are complying with the law and have things set up for handicap people. 

Don't misunderstand me. I agree with you.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Just one more case where Government involvement gets in the way of common sense. The Government makes all sorts of rules and laws forbidding discrimination of service dogs and then doesn't allow you the right to verify it actually is a service dog or
provide identification to real service dogs. I mean really, you need a doctors letter to get a handicapped parking sticker but not to bring a dog into the cabin of an airline?


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

and I try not to judge when I see young apparently fine folks bebopping out of cars with the stickers then two old folks with canes wobbling in from the dark corners of the parking lot because they would not think to ask for special privelege while the young ones don't think twice about using granny's tag.

I know that issues are not always readily apparent with people or with dogs but that kind of abuse is why folks like my mother get shut out because of the need to go in an get the photo ID..punish everyone for the excesses of the few. The stupid tags have your name on them, that should be enough! There really should be a way of determining when a dog is really necessary. 

It all has to do about lack of consideration for others I think. Sad comment on society.


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

A friend of mine got accosted by an older man because of her handicap tag. She was early 20s and didnt look like she should have a handicap-thought she was borrowing granny's tag. Till she showed him the horrific scars on her legs from a crippling car accident. She walked kind of normal only because she was too tough to let it show most of the time, but she hurt bad constantly. She still worked full time in an active job bacause she loved it. Couldnt begrudge her the shorter walking distance while getting groceries. 

When I am on patrol and see people parked in handicap spots without appropriate tags, we have a nice chat. Sometimes even an invite to discuss it further with the judge! Lol


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

That is what I mean. Appearances can be deceiving just like they can be with the dog folks. There needs to be more control over issuing permits of either type. .... but they need to make them accessible to get for those who really need them.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

fake labels on dogs is a growing problem, but with that said, it probably just takes better training for the people who have jobs that deal with them.

the laws are weighted on the side of the person with the disability, and probably should be, but that doesn't prevent common sense from working thru it....unfortunately workers can be as stupid as the fakers; idiots on both sides :-(

but BIG fines for fakers might help too; otherwise people will try and get away with whatever they can if the risk is minimal

if you have any sense of what a trained dog/handler look like, it's EASY to spot a faker and i will go out of my way to harass the heck out of them. not too many over here in public places since even legit service dogs still don't have unrestricted access, but i do see these types on our navy base. 

it's funny to watch how they melt into the woodwork when a mwd van rolls by //lol//


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## Jill Lyden (May 25, 2011)

I agre that faking it is wrong, just plain wrong and I don't do it - but on the other side of the coin the US is just plain too anal about where dogs can go. If a dog is well behaved then they should be allowed as a matter of course and asked to leave if they are out of control.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Jill
what you are saying would apply in a more perfect world of responsible dog ownership, but :
.... aren't most kept dogs pets and aren't most pets out of control ???

i'd say dogs in the US have a lot more freedom and access than most other developed countries


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Another thing too is that a lot of cultures have issues with dogs as being "unclean" animals and other folks have serious animal allergies.

Where do THEIR rights play in?

I would like to take my dogs anywhere too...but if it is so bad that you don't want to take your own dogs to Petsmart, imagine what it would be like elsewhere. And who to enforce? Police officers whose budgets have already been cut to the bone...I want them worrying about the bad guy, not some stupid pet owner.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

rick smith said:


> i'd say dogs in the US have a lot more freedom and access than most other developed countries


Could be, but I think it depends where you go. In many European countries dogs are allowed to accompany their owners in pubs. 

Anyway, I'm not really sure exactly how big an "issue" cheating with non-service dogs really is, or what ramifications (if any) are had by this issue. Anyone have any nationwide statistics?

As far as those people who have allergies or religious issues, they would still have these issues whether it's a legitimate service dog or not, so I see that as a non-issue. 

I always find it ironic when people who's disabilities may be very easy to see, start judging others, questioning whether or not another dog is a legitimate service dog, just because the disability of the owner is not readily apparent to them. I've even seen people be critical of emotional support or psychiatric service dogs because they personally don't see this as a legitimate reason for someone to have a service dog, I guess they think only physical disabilities warrant having a service dog. 

The rules on airliners have tightened up a bit. For a psychiatric service/emotional support dog to fly in the cabin of a commercial airliner, the person must provide a letter from a mental health professional, on letter head, no more than a year old.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i think anyone who has a trained service dog for any type of disability should have, as a minimum, a dog who will walk beside the person with NO leash tension and be pretty much neutral to the world around it but responsive to their owner. this basic level of training and temperament is pretty easy to see

when a dog is constantly pulling and/or looking around everywhere BUT at the owner, even when the owner calls the dog and gets ignored, it is hard for me to consider this a dog trained for ANYTHING. 

that is what i have seen with dogs wearing service vests and harnesses, but maybe my definition is too strict for what some service dogs are required to do in order to qualify as a service dog these days.

but glad the rules have been tightened a bit


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