Fake Service Dogs trend

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/...ach-Purse-Is-Not-A-Service-Dog-327425491.html

People are increasingly buying "fake" service dog vests online for their pet dogs so they can bring their pets into stores and restaurants. I first became aware of this issue last year, and since then I've seen a few probable fake service dogs. Most recently I was on the sidewalk when I almost bumped into one; at first I tried to give it space thinking it was real but it quickly became obvious it wasn't. It wandered around everywhere, sniffed things at random, tried to wander away from its owner and just generally didn't pay much attention to its surroundings. At least they were outside, but I'm sure the owner takes the dog and its vest into stores as that's really the whole point.

Another issue is the confusion between service animals and Emotional Support Animals. ESAs don't have nearly as strict standards for what qualifies. Basically, if you have some kind of mental illness and the pet makes you feel better you can probably get a letter certifying it as an ESA. This woman stretched the limits of this issue by taking turtles, snakes and other random shit into stores and restaurants. (warning, it's long)

Here’s what happened at the Chanel boutique: “Hello. I’m looking for a pocketbook that will match my snake,” I said to a salesman. “Maybe something in reptile.” I shuffled Augustus from one hand to the other as though he were a Slinky.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, I have a thing against snakes, so let me get someone else to assist you,” he said, as if he were telling the host at a dinner party, “No dessert for me, thank you.”

A colleague appeared. “Wow,” he said, leading me to a display case. “We do have snakeskin bags back here. Is he nice? Does he bite?” The salesman handed me a smart, yellow python bag marked $9,000. “I think this would work the best. It’s one of our classics. I think yellow. Red makes the snake look too dull.”

Unlike service dogs I believe no one is required to allow ESAs into their establishment but apparently a lot of people think you have to.

Have you guys seen any of this bs going on near you?

 

[Zim]

Those are ridiculously small, though.

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I thought it would be bigger. That's what she said...

I actually never bothered to look them up. I kept thinking it was something the size of a pony or something and it always made me laugh trying to figure out why anyone would need something that big to help them out.

 

[Bugaboo]

I've never seen this happen personally. I worked at a Hilton for almost 6 years and there was maybe one time someone had a service dog that I sort of didn't think was a service dog. I couldn't prove it so there was nothing I could do and I could have been wrong though.

By the way here's a really strange fact. At Hilton you do a ton of online classes if you want to work at the front desk and each year they release a number of additional classes you have to take. About 4 years ago they released a class on how to accommodate people with service animals and one of the types of animals they included was, I shit you not, miniature horses. That's right. Evidently that's a thing. I would have paid money to see someone come in with a miniature horse as a service animal. It would have been the greatest day of my life. lol

Yeah Miniature horses are generally used by people who have allergies to dogs and they give them lil' sneakers to wear when they're on duty and it's adorable

 

[AnOminous]

ESAs do not have to be allowed anywhere in public. The only special rights ESAs have is being allowed into no-pet housing... even then, ESAs and service dogs have no official registry so you can just say your poorly trained dog is speshul to get around the rules.

I'd like to see a tard fight break out between special snowflakes with stupid ass animals and special snowflakes with imaginary allergies.

 

[Linako 2.0]

Why can't people leave their animals at home?

 

[Positron]

Why can't people leave their animals at home?

Because they are mentally children, spoiled children who insist they bring their favorite doll everywhere they go.

 

[XYZpdq]

Why can't people leave their animals at home?

Then they'll have to rely on themselves to be interesting.

 

[Cosmos]

I haven't noticed any personally, but it's actually very easy to distinguish a service dog from a regular dog. Service dogs are ridiculously well-behaved. You won't even know they're there unless you actually see them because they're extremely quiet, still, and obedient. They have to be, otherwise they'd be bad at their job. A dog that is acting like an actual dog (sniffing everything, getting excited, trying to explore, investigating other people, etc) probably isn't a service dog.

Why can't people leave their animals at home?

Right? I get the sinking feeling that these are the same kinds of people who leave their dogs in the car for extended periods of time.

 

[BadaBadaBoom]

Ohhhh boy, this hits me right at home since I need to deal with this crap EVERY DAY. People where I work are always brininging in their little shit dogs and trying to claim they are service animals despite them clearly being their pet. Here's the most recent update from the ADA on it though with some key points to mention:
http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm (it says 2010 but it actually is for 2011...also this wasn't even available till this year on their website.) Some key takeaways:

1. Only dogs are service animals (tiny horses have their own sets of rules.) So no, according to the government your fucking parrot and turtle are NOT service animals.

2. The little tags and vests people buy online? Those make no difference because you are not required to have them to prove they are service animals. Regardless of the dogs clothing, you are allowed to ask two questions about what the hell the dog even does to prove if they are a legitimate dog or not.

3. Here's the best revision: "Dogs whose sole function is to provide emotional support or comfort are NOT qualified under the ADA." This is a new line that was never on the old document. However it's good to know you can finally deny people who pull that card.

 

[AnOminous]

3. Here's the best revision: "Dogs whose sole function is to provide emotional support or comfort are NOT qualified under the ADA." This is a new line that was never on the old document. However it's good to know you can finally deny people who pull that card.

I really hate these asshats. Not just because they're annoying, but because now real blind people and the few others who legitimately need service animals have to put up with people assuming they're just special snowflakes because of the plague of these entitled shits.

 

[seagull]

The man who was the head of the Fire Life Safety (FLS) department at my university used to tell stories about emotional support animals.

The one that stands out was a girl who had a cat in a university-run apartment. Apparently, she had been able to register it with the university as an emotional support animal. FLS guy (or indeed any university worker with business there) was allowed to go in if the student permitted or was not there. He said he was never able to get in to inspect the place, because the girl never left.

Eventually, the girl dropped out. All the carpets had to be torn out because the cat had ruined them. I'm pretty sure she got charged with a pretty hefty cleaning and repair fee, so at least justice was served in some way. I still feel pretty bad for the workers who had to deal with that.

Overall, I really don't understand the appeal of dragging your pet along to go to university or on an air plane. Those are very stressful for animals, so why put your pet through that unnecessarily?

 

[Marvin]

Ohhhh boy, this hits me right at home since I need to deal with this crap EVERY DAY. People where I work are always brininging in their little shit dogs and trying to claim they are service animals despite them clearly being their pet. Here's the most recent update from the ADA on it though with some key points to mention:
http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm (it says 2010 but it actually is for 2011...also this wasn't even available till this year on their website.) Some key takeaways:

1. Only dogs are service animals (tiny horses have their own sets of rules.) So no, according to the government your fucking parrot and turtle are NOT service animals.

2. The little tags and vests people buy online? Those make no difference because you are not required to have them to prove they are service animals. Regardless of the dogs clothing, you are allowed to ask two questions about what the hell the dog even does to prove if they are a legitimate dog or not.

3. Here's the best revision: "Dogs whose sole function is to provide emotional support or comfort are NOT qualified under the ADA." This is a new line that was never on the old document. However it's good to know you can finally deny people who pull that card.

I want to print this out and have a couple on hand to give to retail employees when I go places. Or maybe business cards I can keep in my wallet. "You don't have to deal with this bullshit: A Guide"

 

[melty]

@BadaBadaBoom are you able to kick these people out? I've heard some stores are just afraid of lawsuits so they don't.

 

[Lefty's Revenge]

Just shut up and leave your dog at home when you go to Mcdonalds

I couldn't have said it better. I've noticed a growing trend here recently where dogs are virtually everywhere. Not only that but people expect that everyone will love their dog or find it cute and its really infuriating to me. My mom is afraid of most dogs and it seems like every goddamn place we go to on the rare occasions we can hang out someone has brought their fucking dog. I mean people are bringing their dogs into supermarkets, restaurants, and on one concerning occasion, the fucking movie theater.

The other day at work, one of my coworkers was openly complaining about tourists asking him to put his dog back on the leash and not let it run all over the goddamn beach. Like, what in the fuck makes you think someone wants your ugly ass dog potentially prancing around them while they're trying to relax. Stop being a cunt, and put your dog back on the leash.

I like animals, I really do. But I've grown to kind of resent dogs because alot of dog owners seem completely incapable of tearing themselves away from their dog for a few minutes and completely intolerant of anyone who also doesn't adore their dog.

 

[AnOminous]

I like animals, I really do. But I've grown to kind of resent dogs because alot of dog owners seem completely incapable of tearing themselves away from their dog for a few minutes and completely intolerant of anyone who also doesn't adore their dog.

That's almost as annoying as people's kids. But to some extent you have to excuse people being inordinately fond of their own children, as they're biologically programmed to do that, even if the kids are stupid and ugly, which they usually are. There's no excuse for doing that with dogs, though.

 

[KingGeedorah]

You guys just hate cute animals, admit it.

 

[melty]

If I could ban all children from every establishment but allow dogs I probably would, but @Lefty's Revenge has a point, a lot of dog owners seem very entitled and some people are afraid of dogs. I have had random peoples dogs jump on me, which I am okay with now, but I used to be very afraid of, due to a dog jumping on me and hurting me badly as a child.
What makes it extra stupid is that where I live is ridiculously dog friendly. I see dogs without leashes all the time and there are so many restaurants and shops that allow dogs and sell special meals/treats for dogs. Many places will have water bowls outside or free treats, etc. So it's not like there's no where to take your dog if you just really want Rocky to come to a restaurant and have a meal with you. I've actually thought more about getting a dog because there's just so much stuff to do with dogs here. So it's even more ridiculous that some people feel entitled to buying the fake service vest so they can take their dog to even MORE places.

 

[ShavedSheep]

Emotional Support Animals seems dumb. If you NEED an animal to live your life then it should be your responsibility to pay for animal housing and travel and not stink up some landlords apartment because you're a .

Actual Service Animals, however, serve a legitimate and quite important purpose and anyone who fakes this should really get cracked down on hard.

 

[Cosmos]

I feel like people are being kind of unfair to emotional support/therapy animals. I don't think that they deserve the same access that disability service animals get, but going so far as to call them dumb and unnecessary is unreasonable. There has been a ton of research dedicated to seeing if therapy animals (or even just animals in general) are helpful and the answer is a resounding yes. That's why there are entire volunteer services devoted to bringing animals (such as dogs, cats, and even more uncommon animals such as pigs and miniature horses) to places like psychiatric wards, retirement homes, hospitals, group homes, and even prisons. Think of it this way; if you were sick or lonely or old or depressed, wouldn't seeing a sweet, happy animal cheer you up?

Again, not saying that this should excuse someone bringing their dog to McDonald's, but to say that all emotional support animals are frauds is stupid. Also, therapy animals have to be registered with this organization, the process of which Wikipedia details here. And for people with their own personal emotional support animals, they have to meet the requirements of the federal definition of disability and have a note from a physician or other medical professional stating that they have a disability and that the emotional support animal provides a benefit them. So it's not as simple as saying "My dog is an emotional support animal!," there's a process that you have to go through to be qualified for that.

These idiots are taking advantage of both regular service dogs and emotional support dogs.

 

[ShavedSheep]

I feel like people are being kind of unfair to emotional support/therapy animals. I don't think that they deserve the same access that disability service animals get, but going so far as to call them dumb and unnecessary is unreasonable. There has been a ton of research dedicated to seeing if therapy animals (or even just animals in general) are helpful and the answer is a resounding yes. That's why there are entire volunteer services devoted to bringing animals (such as dogs, cats, and even more uncommon animals such as pigs and miniature horses) to places like psychiatric wards, retirement homes, hospitals, group homes, and even prisons. Think of it this way; if you were sick or lonely or old or depressed, wouldn't seeing a sweet, happy animal cheer you up?

Again, not saying that this should excuse someone bringing their dog to McDonald's, but to say that all emotional support animals are frauds is stupid. Also, therapy animals have to be registered with this organization, the process of which Wikipedia details here. And for people with their own personal emotional support animals, they have to meet the requirements of the federal definition of disability and have a note from a physician or other medical professional stating that they have a disability and that the emotional support animal provides a benefit them. So it's not as simple as saying "My dog is an emotional support animal!," there's a process that you have to go through to be qualified for that.

These idiots are taking advantage of both regular service dogs and emotional support dogs.

Sorry, I didn't mean having the animal itself was dumb, but that just saying it is necessary for emotional support, I don't think that should allow you to overrule the landlords wishes or bring it in a plane cabin.

 

[BadaBadaBoom]

@Marvin I always keep those papers on hand for that reason.

@BadaBadaBoom are you able to kick these people out? I've heard some stores are just afraid of lawsuits so they don't.

Oh yeah, you need to be super careful with people who pull this stuff since they seem to be ready the moment they walk in to threaten to sue. I don't usually kick them out until I see their dog acting up - even if it doesn't pass the service dog criteria. It's just nice to have the paperwork on hand in case they start pitching a fit when they are asked to leave.