BY WAYNE K. ROUSTAN
Sun Sentinel
Monday, May 9, 2011
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Owners and trainers of service dogs are increasingly angry at pet owners who pass their animals off as service dogs by using phony credentials.
The impostors go to the Internet to buy vests, ID cards and certificates for their dogs. The deception allows their pets to live in restricted housing, accompany them inside restaurants and hotels or fly for free in airplane cabins rather than in cargo holds.
“I don’t want to say it’s a scam, but it is a scam,” said Nick Kutsukos, 72, who runs Elite K9 Academy in Jupiter, Fla., and has trained service dogs for 40 years.
People who fake a disability and/or pretend their pet is a service animal risk at least a fine or, in extreme cases, federal fraud charges.
Getting certification is as easy as filling out a form online, sending in your money and a photograph of your dog.
You can pay from $20 to $300. An owner gets a specially marked dog vest or collar, dog identification tags or ID cards, a certificate, training DVDs, information CDs and other official-looking items. But none of it is required by law.
One website recommends annual certification, while another offers increasingly expensive bronze, silver, gold and platinum packages.
“There is no certification required, so there’s no such thing as a legitimate (document),” said Toni Eames, president of the Michigan-based International Association of Assistance Dog Partners.
“Anyone who sells you a certification is a scammer,” said Eames, who also is blind and has her own guide dog.
Given the time and money invested in training service dogs, disabled users and trainers are angered by those who buy or sell worthless service-dog items online for imposter pets.
Kutsukos, whose service dog helps with his seizures, said the fake certifications “make it difficult for people with legitimate service dogs to do things.”
A restaurant manager, for example, might think twice about allowing a legitimate service dog inside because of a bad experience with a fake service dog that barked or misbehaved.
The best way to tell if a service dog is legitimate is to observe its behavior, authorities say. Service dogs won’t appear restless or jump or bark. They will obey the disabled owner’s commands, perform tasks and lie down passively where instructed.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, protects the rights of the disabled, including their use of service animals. But there was confusion when monkeys, cats, ferrets and other critters were utilized to help people with special needs function in public places such as restaurants and hotels.
The U.S. Department of Justice last month amended guidelines to narrow the definition of service animals to dogs that are trained to perform specific tasks related to the owner’s proven disability.
Guide dogs are the most recognizable of service animals, having assisted the blind and visually impaired for more than 50 years, according to Jose Lopez of Lighthouse of Broward, which serves the sight impaired. He has had a guide dog for five years and is a consultant for guide-dog training schools.
“It’s a heavy gray area,” Lopez said. “Basically, everybody can print (certifications) from the Internet and say, ‘That’s my assisting dog.’ ”
Legitimate service dogs, of almost any size and breed, can be taught a variety of tasks that include alerting a deaf person to sirens or alarms, retrieving medication, warning of impending seizures and stopping autistic children from wandering off.
Under the new federal rules, dogs that provide emotional comfort are not considered service animals, yet dogs, monkeys, ferrets and other support animals still are allowed in airplane cabins under the Air Carrier Access Act, and in homes under the Fair Housing Act, Eames said, with appropriate proof from the owner’s doctor.
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The ServiceDogTags and others available online are a great BLUFF for those of us who need to somehow prove our Real Service Dog’s status or we get our rights violated………
I know when ServiceDogTags sent mine to me that they were confident I wasn’t one of these “PET Service Animal fakes” Although it isn’t required by them I did send them copies of medical documentation along with my order to Support my reason for having Sugar Gliders……
How about listing places or people WHO TRAIN SEVICE DOGS in my area……. New Hampshire???? I don’t think people necessarily want to be fraudlent, but have a need for a dog WHO IS quiet, obiedient, and helpful in easing stress when flying. I have a 5 pund 3 ounce Yorkie who behaves like a WELL TRAINED SERVICE DOG……… YES, I am one of those who printed forms and bought vests to accomplish my need to be calm when flying……… So, how about helping make her legal!!!!!
If your upset about people having “phony Credentials” I sugest you contact your congressman and have the Anericans with Dissabilities law changed concerning service animals…as it reads anyone with a dissability (and I put years into traing dogs as an intern for the sherrifs dept and 2 years witha private trainer and yet even though my dog is trained to retreive my phone..pick up anything I drop and bring me mt pills. Mt Multiple Sclerosis ended what was the besy part of my life. I have no familt left and I’m 52..My dog id as well trained as any service dog in the US but the trainers want an additional 500 dollars to certify him. On a low fixed income (enough for me and my dog) These cards were life savers. Not everyone is a scammer so quit your one sided bias about that witch you don’t know! Do people abuse the sysem…of course…Can you think of any system not abused? This provideda service I desperatley neded and could afford. Not everyone is a scammer my friend…..Maybe if YOU had a serious disease that took your mobility, lived in constant pain and had no on left you might find the need of a dog more than just a service but a life saver. I wouldn’t even want to be here without my companion bacause I’d have no reason to get out of bed. “Buddy” is my motovation in life and trained as well as any service dog you have. Don’t be a BIGOT!
To Sheila,
There is no real ‘certification’ for a service dog. Training is whatever is needed….which will be different for different disabilities.
Your dog sounds more like an ‘emotional comfort’ dog, which requires certification from a psychiatrist.
To Steve,
I agree, the complaints about fake service dogs seems to be on ongoing discussion on this blog. I have not yet ever seen a fake service dog. You are correct: there will always be those who take advantage of any system in place. “Fake” service dogs do not seem to be in abundance.
Having access to tags and vests helps so much! Even though identification is not required, many stores and businesses don’t seem to know that, and one gets tired of fighting that issue.
Sadly, the Fair Housing Act requires persons with disability to produce doctor documentation in order for dogs to live in a pet free environment. I am so amazed that the FHA is so far behind the Justice Dept ADA and the air carriers regulations. I was prohibited from bringing my service dog into our condominium until I proved the disability and the need for my dog. The board of directors at the condo were less than polite as one of them indirectly accused me of getting tags online to ‘fake it’. This is not a result of other ‘fake’ dogs: it is a resistance of some people who are unwilling to accommodate service dogs. Another board member recently complained to my husband because taking my service dog to the pool area (not into the pool) caused so many phone calls. She stayed under my lounge chair and did not move. I absolutely feel harassed by condo associations.
I recently purchased the service dog vest that was recommended on this blog and it has been extremely helpful.
Alice
I personally know individuals that have real disabilities and have trained their service dogs themselves. If you are capable, you don’t need to spend thousand of dollars to send your dog to an expensive training school, unless of course you are interested in a seeing eye dog. Many service dogs perform other functions and these dogs can be easily trained by their owners, since they have a special bond with their owner. My service dog is for asthma and I trained her myself. When she was a baby, it was almost as if she was born with that ability. Training her myself, at least I know the special love and attention she is getting. I would have never sent her to a school for training. You never know the techniques they are using, or the type of discipline. My dog has never been caged or jerked around or hit. She also understand sign language, helps me at night before I have an asthma attack – and I trained her to do all these things. Yes I agree there are some people trying to skirt the law, but there are also other legitimate owners. If you are capable, you can train your dog yourself. I believe the bond is stronger. Personally, I didn’t trust anyone else to train my service dog. She is well known by everyone in the town we live in and is treated like a rock star.
Sheila:
“the
Department’s definition of “service animal” in the final rule does
not affect the rights of individuals with disabilities who use
assistance animals in their homes under the FHAct or who use
“emotional support animals” that are covered under the ACAA and
its implementing regulations. See 14 CFR 382.7 et seq.; see also
Department of Transportation, Guidance Concerning Service Animals in
Air Transportation, 68 FR 24874, 24877 (May 9, 2003) (discussing
accommodation of service animals and emotional support animals on
aircraft).
“
I have moderate panic disorder, and my very well trained and sociable 5# Yorkie travels with me as my ESA. I used to pay for in-cabin fares and hotel fees (because I was embarrassed about my disorder and using a small dog), but after a few horrible experiences with airline and airport personnel, my long-time psychologist wrote me a letter (using the template provided on this site), and I bought her a vest and tag. Not one problem ever since. When people ask me “Is she REALLY a service dog?” I smile and say “I know she’s small, but yes she is. I have a disorder you can’t see.” And that’s that. I only use it for airlines and hotel accommodations. I don’t abuse it with stores or restuarants or other places. And traveling with her now is a breeze, and pleasant. On the other hand, I saw two dogs at Disneyland that I’m quite sure were not service dogs (older, very well behaved, but no ID and the man didn’t seem to know the difference between a therapy dog and a service dog), and that’s how problems happen. So how do we support and advocate the necessary and “out” the posers? I don’t know.
Some States have Service Dog In Training Laws that the ADA doesn’t cover. Some States require vests clearly marked Service Dog or Animal in Training…. So there is a market for some of the things you mention. There is just no regulation as to who can and can not buy them….
It’s not the dog that is certified but the handler and dog as a team. My dog and I were trained and certified as a team by an organization here in Phoenix that trains you and your dog for certification. We have spent a year of weekly training sessions as well as events and dialing training to get where we are today. We passed 3 exams over that period that earned us the right to our ADA service dog priveleges. It was a total of about 1-1/2 hours per exam. This group does not charge for this training. They cover everything from care of the dog, ADA laws, as well as one on one training with you and your dog. We certified about 3 weeks ago and Buddy now wears their cape and ID with pride.
I suggest that anyone looking for a group to search the web thoroughly. They are out there. A service dog is so much more than a vest.
I am a physically retired United States Marine who is having a problem with the va police with my service dogs. They have told me they will remove me from the va hospital if someone complains about them, even though they have their ID tags etc., and I only bring one in with me at a time, of course. I have told them they will have to arrest me if I am there for a Dr. appointment if they give me the order to leave the property, and I mean it. This is how the lovely people at the va treat some of us, any ideas from the group? Thanks in advance, Josh.
I travel quite a lot and simply put, I got tired of the looks, stares, rude comments and uninformed TSA agents, store managers, etc.. so I bought a bright vest (purple for PSD) with a “service dog” patch on each side. As a result, I would say that in the last year we’ve been stopped and questioned MAYBE 3 or 4 times. Another benefit is, my SD is a Scotty/Doxie mix (small but mighty) and because she’s small, people don’t always see her – or, people haven’t ever seen a small SD before. So although wearing a vest isn’t mandatory, it sure makes life a lot easier!
As far as people using a vest or phony paper, IDs, etc in order to have their dog with them – yes, there are people out there who are
bending/breaking the law – but in my experience, I actually run
into more “real” SDs than “fake”. For myself, I just try and move
through the days as smoothly as possible, educate when I have the
opportunity, and try to set the very best example that I can- in
the hopes that the path I leave behind may be even a bit smoother
for those with SDs/service animals that come after me.
Joshua,
Suggestion for you, pay a lawyer money to write a demand letter include in the demand letter that you want them to comply with FEDERAL LAWS. Force them to have to reply to you in writing if they say the same thing to you in writing then you have a pretty good discrimination case maybe……..
Also please see http://psychdog.org/veterans.html
@Joshua
I asked my instructor for advice concerning your situation, this was the answer: “two sides – sometimes three – to a story. Why does he have more than one dog? What complaints have been made against his dogs? Are they valid complaints? If so what did he do to correct them.”
Fill in the blanks for me? What actually went down?
I never would have imagined such a thing was real. I have heard of it on here but if I see someone with a service dog in public I “never” ask them if it’s a real one, I assume it is and forget it. Whenever I take my dog in the VA she is always treated with the same respect as I am by all the people there, she wears her harness and her ID tags and I have mine in my wallet. She has all of her shots, and goes to her doctor almost as much as I do (healthy care). Most of the negative comments come from poorly educated fools anyway. I do carry a copy of my doctors prescription with me in case I’m asked, but I never have been. Another thing to remember, is while there is no formal training for a dog to be a service dog (the ADA says that States, County and so on can’t supercede the Federal law), it should be mild tempered, not be aggressive acting and it wouldn’t hurt to go through obedience school. Sammie went through a school sponsored by a Veterans Organization although I paid for it and traveled there to work with her.
To Joshua:
I live in Columbus, Ohio and I have seizures. My dog Sammie knows when they are about to happen way before they do, and is trained to alert me, force me down, and get help.
If your doctor prescribed the dog for you contact him/her and get a copy. Get the appropriate vest/harness and a badge that shows what the dog does. Then get those little ADA cards to pass out. (I think you get about 50)
In the meantime along with the prescription, contact one of the Patient Advocates in your VA Clinic. Let them know your difficulties along with Dates, Names, Times and Circumstances and what was said to you. The Patient Advocate will resolve the situation right there and will not blow you off. If you can’t find a patient advocate go to the Disabled American Veterans officer in the Clinic and get help from them. If that fails go to your Team doctor, or the doctor who gave you the prescription. If that fails call 1-800-827-1000 the main number for the VA.
To Alice:
I am another person who has never seen a “FAKE” service animal. What I have seen are individuals whose disability is not visible.
To everyone:
I have a suggestion: Quit judging people! Even those with disabilities are quick to accuse others of faking a disability or passing off a pet as a Service Animal. Just stop it!
All this acrimony is only serving to make things more difficult for all us.
And quit trying to prove your service dog is better than someone else’s. If the dog is trained to meet needs of an individual with disabilities, then it is a service dog. Period.
I agree with this post.
” Another thing to remember, is while there is no formal training for a dog to be a service dog (the ADA says that States, County and so on can’t supercede the Federal law), it should be mild tempered, not be aggressive acting and it wouldn’t hurt to go through obedience school. Sammie went through a school sponsored by a Veterans Organization although I paid for it and traveled there to work with her.”
I have never seen anyone try to skirt the laws for service animals and I have never come across anyone with a fake service dog and don’t know why I read about it all the time ,it seems almost a weekly thing now, yet if it was so much abused as it appears to be in each case mentioned then why wouldn’t we see it more often in the newspaper or on TV,etc. I have been a 100% combat disabled veteran and have had my current service dog for 7+ yrs and hope he will be around another 7 more and I have never had a single problem with going to any VA appts, all the doctors and nurses in all the clinics know me by first name and my service dogs name as well everywhere we og from the grocery stores, restraunts, airplanes, motels, etc, if anyone ever asks I just show them the ADA law and a copy of the rules and they allow me to continue on.
To answer one person asking why someone has a need for 2 service dogs that is an easy answer, some service dogs can’t learn certain tasks while others can and sometimes it takes 2 to cover all your needs or you may have an older service dog and need to train a new one and I have learned from training my own that the new service dogs in training learn from observing the older ones and copy what they see/do and I have had 2 living in the same current rental house at once with one being a service dog and the other in training and I have never had the need to have more than 2 but we have had 2 at one time on several occassions and it is nothing illegal about how many you have, if you have 5 and they are all trained legally then you can have 5 as long as you don’t require having a kennel license where some localities have restrictions on owning dogs/animals over 3?
Other than this though anyone can have more than one at a time and no one can say it is illegal to do so at anytime either.
In my experiences it is the uneducated or the uninformed that cause problems or have the most problems/experinces and haven’t been properly educated on the service animal laws/requirements.
I live in sothern Florida where it is extremely hot all year round and I don’t put my vest on my dog during the 6 hottest months and only have a service tag we use purchased from here and we have only been approached on entry a few times and when I point out the tag they say ok, I do try my best to frequent the same places as much as possible so they are aware of my service dog and me being 6′ 8″ tall walking with a solid white shepherd/arctic wolf hybrid makes people stand back and stare in awe everywhere we go and some are frightened by the mere type/ size of mine >110 + lbs and will intentionally go around me and not come close and I like that because I don’t have to be concerned that someone might get in my way and cause me to fall, 4 spinal cord surgeries + 25 other surgeries would scare anyone regarding any type of fall and I have had people’s children come up behind us and pull on my dogs tail and only one time has he ever growled and that was at the DMV after someones kid wouldn’t stop doing it after more than 20 minutes and if I had someone doing that to me I would be growling too, otherwise my service dog is as docile as they get/can be and has been trained to avoid human contact as much as possible, he won’t bark or growl at anyone outside my home and will steer me around people when ever possible and this has been a good thing because I wouldn’t want him to nip anyone and he has never even come close dispite the 100′s of times he has been touched without my permission and even with the labels on his vest when worn,people still don’t seem to read or care what they may state and risk being bitten,
I know many smaller breeds of service animals that would bite if they had what mine has been thru but trained ours with a strong influence to avoid human contact if at all possible and he will shy away from anyone putting their hand out and will go behind me and sit placing myself between the person(s) and himself so we avoid any such contact.
I have only had 2 embarrassing moments with any of my service dogs and that was going to the bathroom on the floor inside a grocery store and one time inside a pool service/maintenance company and not a swimming pool>and on both occassions, I didn’t allow the managers/employees to clean it up, I insisted that I did and did do it each time as should any service animal or not owner should do and then we continued on doing our looking and buying,etc. Not one time has this ever happened inside a restraunt on airplanes, or anywhere else and mine go with me everywhere I go, if mine is not with me then I can’t go anywhere, it is that simple and I still have not once in 21 yrs of being disabled ad in need of a service animal have I come across a service animal that was not legit, I just don’t know why some people seem to see this more often than others and don’t even understand the reasons they have for stating they know what they are saying as being true as well.
I think people should mind their own business unless they are a business owner and then need to question the laws,otherwise no one has reason to stick their nose in anyone else’s business and should be ashamed when doing so especially if they feel they know the laws?
If anyone here knows of any circumstances involving a fraudalent service aimal they should contact the proper authorites and they should be 110% sure they are right before doing so or they can find themselves involved in a harrassment lawsuit for doing so if not warranted and I have had to do so on 2 seperate occassions and won both times, if you suspect one being fraudalent you better be darn sure or risk being sued because they are trained for far more things than blindness and 95% of the population doesn’t even know this, and today 75% (according to ask.com) are being used for disabilities other than blindness and this is why I question those who think they are seeing all of these fraudalent service animals walking around.
It is a felony and criminal act to even try to pass one off and if anyone is doing so would deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and if so many were fraudalent I think it would be in the media if it was any type of serious problem.
four years ago I was attacked on the street near my home early in the morning. I was choked from behind then rolled over and raped. My neighbor exiting his house scared the attacker off. He was caught and I am awaiting his trial four years later (he has been in jail since that day) I was given a german shepherd that I was socializing for the police department and have not missed a nights sleep since and he has never let me outof his sight. I spent a year making him a service dog. I have him for emotional support and am careful not to abuse the priviledge. People who knew me said if I could have a service dog they could too and have abused it .Would they like to trade the attack as I would gladly trade back to the way things were.
I don’t look like I have a disability. People assume I am training the dog for someone else, like guide dog puppies.
I had a stroke and it affected my balance. If I keep my head down I do ok, but my back/neck get sore that way. If I use my dog then I can walk with my dog I can keep my head up, look around, and move my head around without falling.
When we are out and about I often get asked about my dog. I am pretty open, I figure if they start to understand hidden disabilities it may make it easier for others later.
He wears a bandanna (we have a vest if needed) for ID, has a tag, and I have cards for both of us. We have never been denied access, if we are asked all I have had to say is “he is a service dog” and it is all ok.
My experience mirrors Linda’s. A few people have given me dirty looks or made a snotty comment to the person next to them, but for the most part, people are mostly curious. My disability is balance related and, like Linda, many people think I am training my dog for someone else. When people comment that I don’t look disabled, I have learned to smile and say, “Thank you. My dog and I work very hard so my disability is not noticible.”
Like Jon, I have a dog that is unusual and draws alot of attention. I have had a few incidents with people touching or distracting my dog. The most maddening was a man who kept whistling for my dog and calling “Here boy. Come here.” Luckily, my female dog knows to stay right by my side. She just looked up at me and rolled her eyes.
I must admit, I am getting a bit sick of this whole “fake service dog” thing. Yes, people will abuse any system. It is true that anyone can order vests, patches, packs, tags, etc. (yes, even the completely unnecessary “certification”) that can identify their dog as a Service Dog, regardless of whether or not they actually perform some service for a disabled person. In fact, I have ordered much of Cura’s gear online. While I know that I am not required to have these things in order to be granted access to places with Cura, having them makes life SO much easier.
Cura is owner trained (under the tutelage of professional trainers) to perform a number of vital functions for me that allows me a level of independence and freedom that I had not had for years (disabled since 1993, got Cura in 2009 — 16 years of significant limitations that were alleviated when I began training my own Service Dog). On top of that, it is likely that when the time comes for me to think about retiring Cura, she and I will train her successor because the program I went through gave me the skills needed to train my future Service Dogs (and my trainers are awesome, so if I run into a problem they would be happy to help if I needed it).
I am not alone. Many individuals train their own dogs either because they can not afford the prohibitive costs of paying for a dog, they do not meet the qualifications of the programs that are out there, there is no organization out there that trains for the service they require, they do not wish to wait years to get their companion, they need a Service Dog to perform skills unique to them so a “cookie cutter” dog will not be trained to do what they need it to do, or any combination of these things. Requiring some kind of Certification implies that there is a SINGLE SET of criteria that all disabled people require of their Service dogs and that criteria can be tested. Now, how EXACTLY can a dog be tested to see if they can detect a seizure? To do so, would require the person testing the dog to observe the dog alerting to the medical condition followed by the occurrence of that event. To my knowledge, seizures can’t be anticipated in a way that would allow the dog to be tested. Sometimes seizures can be induced, but are we REALLY going to insist that an Epileptic attempt to induce a seizure so that their dog can be certified? (I SO hope the answer to that question is NOT yes since I know a person who actually stops breathing during a seizure — I mean ACTUALLY COMES CLOSE TO DEATH! In such situations it would be ridiculous to induce a seizure!) While my disability does not bring about a near death experience, there are some things that Cura does for me that can’t really be “tested” and these are actually the more important functions that she performs.
Just because there are unethical people out there that abuse the system does NOT mean that those of us who are legitimately disabled should have to pay the price. Many of us have limited funds and could never afford to fork out the money that organizations require, even if they qualify for a dog trained by them. Negotiating everyday life is already quite a challenge for many of us — must we make it more difficult just because there are unethical individuals out there that try to buck the system? I say NO!
The last two years of my life have been dramatically improved because I now have a Service Dog. I intend to have one for the rest of my life and I WILL train my own dog for as long as I am able to do so. I wish people would be respectful of those of us with disabilities and not flout the law — but the solution is NOT to penalize those of us with disabilities. Instead, punish those individuals that break the law and present their dogs as Service Dogs when either the person is not disabled or the dog is not trained to address a disability.
Recently, when Cura and I were taking our first airplane trip, a Flight Attendant commented on how wonderfully behaved Cura was and shared that earlier in the week, she was on a flight where a person in First Class was traveling with a Service Dog that “bounced all over the cabin the entire flight”. Her final comment was: “We can tell . . . ” A true Service Dog will be obvious by its behavior — certification is not required to determine if a dog is trained to address a person’s disability. (Having said that, Service Dogs have their “off days” just like people do!)
Just a brief comment on how to respond to an access challenge . . . It took me quite a while to come up with a response to the legitimate “what does your dog do for you” question that did not give away private and personal medical information. But, I finally did manage to come up with wording that answered the question (one that businesses are perfectly within their rights to ask according to the ADA) while maintaining my right to privacy. There are many hurdles that we, as disabled persons with Service Dogs need to overcome, but I do not believe that the way to overcome any of them is to require certification of ANY kind.
**stepping off my soapbox**
Blessings from Cura and her Mom!
This is a response to the hostile posting about “FAKE SETVICE ANIMALS>
I am a Psychologist who works with clients to find or train service dogs for their own needs. I find it objectionable when a “trainer” feels that these are fake service dogs. Far from it. The process of working with a dog to become a service dog for an emotional issue can produce signifiacnt imporvement in all domains of functioning.(Supported by medical research)
I have 45 years of animal training experience, It is entirely legitimate for people to work with an animal and be legitimate without purchasing a “certified” service animal.
I do believe that some service dogs are best trained by “professional trainers” (Now this is a problem with authenticity also).
AS a licensed psychologist, I can only claim competency in areas where I can prove this.
I wonder about huge fees for trainers who complain about illegitimate service animals.
Dogs and other animals are not robots. They may bark or react to stress and tight quarters.
I would suggest developing some insight and tolerance for the excessive stress that travel might pose for service animals instead of expressing hostility toward individuals who might be less expereinced in mantaining the training in their service animals.
My next project to to have self-trained service dogs paired with Veterans with PTSD. They will have access to legitimate documentation from me, as a Psychologist.
I will not resort to some certified trainer for these animals. I will be able to develop individual training plans for the selected dogs with the client who needs them. If individuals need a consultation about indiviudal service animal documentation, please see a mental health professional and include information from this site.
LRMAC
I know I sound like a broken record, but I will state again that many
people advocting for certification, training by “professionals”, regristration, public access testing, etc. stand to make a financial gain. Thousands of dollars to have a “professionally trained” service animal? Give me a break! My dog is trained by me for me and I seriously doubt that a professional could have trained her any better.
My very first job was working with the Circus…I graduated high school when i was only 15 and in the town where i lived we had a theme park Circus World…I became the first Snake Charmer…but i was soon working with all sorts or exotic animals…i had such a love for all creatures great and small……..and in later years I was part of Masters of the Wind, the Birds of Prey program at Cypress Gardens (another theme park in Central Fl) . We worked with the training and educational shows for Owl, Eagles, Hawks and Falcons.
Later on I studied herpetology under Bruce Schweddick and joined the Reptile Discovery program when it came to Cypress Gardens. I was one of the few who worked with the raptors as well as the reptiles…and although challenging I loved every minute of it. I was doing educational shows at the park, at local schools, promotional tv shows at MGM and Universal studios and working with the park veteniarian who had also been the vet for the Circus.
About 8 years ago my life changed drastically and for reasons i wont go into here i devolped a staff infection close to my brain. I had myclonic epilepsy as a child but had not been troubled by siezures for years, now they were occuring daily. several times a day! Around this time i was given a dog to be a companion, a wonderful 7 month old Catahoula Leopard dog who a month after I had him climbed in the shower with me where i was laying unconcious because of having a siezure there and stood over me until i woke up, he blocked the water from my face so i didnt drown ..even tho all the hot water ran out and he was shivering…to this day Fishbait hates cold water. But he stayed there and saved my life.
I had never trained a dog before but I understood plenty about animal behavior …I had studied it many times in the last 35 years of my life. And I knew I had something very special in this dog. We became a team…and I trained my own Service dog. I had already noticed little things …like if i was cooking Fishbait would come push me away from the stove and I would turn it off and go lay down, he would lay down with me until the siezure passed. If it was a bad siezure he would go get my son, or someone to come be with me. He came to me at a time when my siezures were bad……..and he learned just when I needed him the most. I got online and I found out everything I needed to learn on Service Dogs and what the laws were….and me and my dog learned everything together. When i was put on disability Fishbait went to court with me, he rides in the ambulences he stays in the hospital, we have done many presentations on Service Dog Awareness in our community, he has been thru Chemo with me and today I have been siezure free for almost 3 years.
When I first got Fishbait almost 7 years ago, I was at a point in my life when I was afraid to go anywhere because of my siezures. I was homebound …and I wont say that it was easy afterwards either. Because it wasnt . I had to continue to educate myself …its only thru knowledge that we are empowered, after all….One of the most fulfilling aspects of working with Fishbait was to get involved in doing the Service Dog Awareness Presentations….we started out doing those for Adults with Developemental Disabilities, Kiwanas, Local Girls Scout Troops, and other groups within our community….we also worked with the Domestic Violence Shelter to devolope a cirriculum for women with service animals to stay in the shelters.
My dog may not have been trained by one of the 150 Accredited Schools in the United States, however, of all those schools, fewer than 30 work with Seizure dogs, and NONE of them can train a dog to ALERT some one of an oncoming siezure….they can only train a dog to RESPOND in certain behaviors after a person has a siezure. And while I may not be Accredited by these Programs, I do have 35 years of Animal Behavior and fieldwork with various spieces under my belt.
I also have an owner-trained service dog, and I too got my dog’s vest and “do not pet me” patches online. I think owner training is an incredibly viable option for people with animal training experience as well as people who want to gain the necessary skills to train their dogs by working with a professional trainer. I think this is actually a better option than a program trained dog in a lot of aspects. I was at the doctor’s office not too long ago with my owner-trained dog, who was lying patiently by my feet when a woman with service dog identified as a program dog from one of the ADI schools in my area came into the waiting room and the dog lunged at my dog who didn’t move. A nurse helped the woman regain control of her dog (her disability make physical restraining difficult) and the dog was barking and refusing all commands. Ben looked at me the whole time, waiting for instruction. When the lady had finished settling with the front desk the nurse handed her back her dog (who was still quite worked up) and she commanded the dog to open the door, and the dog did not. she asked 7 times before eventually someone else did the dog’s job for him. So, I think owner training is vital as it teaches you the skills to maintain behavior standards as let’s face it, a dog is not a machine. It has the ability to learn. And while that’s great at the service dog school, as what they are learning is obediance and disability mitigation, what they can learn from their disable partner is that they aren’t as good at training and discipline as the trainers at the program and the dog then becomes unruly and the handler hasn’t got enough skills to fix it on their own. On the same time, I have seen definate “fake dogs” Two for sure. One girl lied to her landlord and said she had a seizure disability in order to get her dog in who had no training whatsoever. She actually told me she just wanted to get the dog in her apartment. Another would be a woman who walked her “certified therapy dog” thru wal-mart and the dog while impecably well behaved, was a therapy dog. Not a service dog. Ergo it had no access rights by law, but she was able to get thru it due to her dog’s attire. So, in conclusion, I think the issue is not about being able to buy a vest, as, yes, anyone can do it. It’s not about having a well-trained dog, as your dog can be the love child of rin tin tin and lassie, but if you haven’t got a disability, you haven’t got a service dog, and it’s not that program dogs are better than owner trained dogs, because, well, the ones i’ve seen are not…It comes down to integrity. Integrity of the owner-trainer to hold themselves and their dogs to the highest standards (because let’s face it…we’re fighting an up-hill battle against a society that believes only in the end result, not the process, and puts way too much faith in a name.) Integrity of the non-disabled pet owner not to flaunt a purposefully and necessarily vague law as well as the integrity of a service dog program that you can’t just stand behind your name, you must stand behind your dogs, and your handlers. I know most owner trainers, pet owners, and service dog schools have Integrity, and it’s the small minority that do not. But that small minority is a pain in the ass!
I also trained my own service dog. He is a 5 lb Yorkie and I owned him for 4 years before I started training him as a service dog. He naturally accepted the role and is a perfect gentleman wherever we go. I am a disabled veteran with PTSD however mine is not related to combat. I was raped and sexually harassed while serving in a predominately male career field in the late 70s. I was told to keep it quiet and not ruin anyone’s career. The results years later lead to anxiety, depression and many other issues too numerous to mention. I’m also 80% disabled and 100% unemployable. My Dr prescribed a service dog because I have a problems taking medications for anxiety the side effects are awful.
Since Minute and I have been working together as a team I am able to go more places with less anxiety attacks and much less stress. I enjoy myself more and feel like I have my life back.
I think its ridiculous that people would pretend to have a disability to get a vest but I also think that people should be able to train their own dogs for their own condition considering having a dog professionally service dog trained costs thousands of dollars that most of us dont have.
Carol ( or anyone else with this information) – I was wondering how you went about training your dog as an asthma dog, I have severe asthma and am in need of desperate help and I cant find anywhere of how to go about the training for this and I really dont have the money for a professional. If anyone has the info on this please help me. It would be greatly appreciated. As well as how to train a dog to help with anxiety. Thank you!
I am a pet owner and a restaurant owner. Unfortunatley, anyone can put a vest or tag – purchased online – on their pets and declare them a “Service Dog”. So, now I have pitbulls, chihuahuas, akitas, rottweilers, shih-tzus, etc. coming in who are very obviuosly NOT trained service dogs. If I ask the owner to take their dogs out onto the patio, they scream at me and threaten to sue me. Then they tell me that they take their dogs to schools, hospitals – so they can take them anywhere. That is a “Therapy Dog” and they are not allowed in restaurants or grocery stores. But most of these dogs are not even that. This fast-growing group of people who think they must take their doggies everywhere with them have ruined it for the truly legitimate service dogs. Because of these people I have customers complaining and leaving. Many are allergic or fearful of dogs. I’ve had dog fights, constant barking, dog poop, marking, kids crying, customers yelling at me to get the dogs out, and one local business had a customer severly bitten in the face by a “service dog”, which resulted in a massive law suit to the store. But if these people have these “tags” on their pet, the A.D.A. says I have to let them in or they will sue me. Since people are abusing a law that was supposed to protect those who truly needed assistance, there now needs to be strict regulations put into place to protect legitimate “service dogs” and owners, business owners and other customers. If anyone reading these comments is guilty of what I have described above and your dog is not a highly trained “Service Dog” and you do not truly need your dog to assist you, then shame on you for ruining it for those who do. You probably park in the handicap areas too.
@ Pam,
Under the ADA law you have the right to have a Service Dog (fake or real) to leave if they are barking, pooping, trying to attack people or displaying any disruptive behavior and said dog owners are also financially responsible any damage they do.
Most of the time these dogs are fake, but they can be poorly trained Service Dogs as well. You are protected under the law and do not have to put up with these types of behaviors. You need to look up ADA service dog laws and do some research you can even order a CD for training employees about ADA law.
As far as Therapy dogs go, NO they do not have the same access under the law and are not covered by the ADA. Companion or emotional support dogs are no longer covered under the law as of March 15 2011.
So if someone says that they have a therapy, companion or emotional support dog you can have them removed.
If you educate yourself on the ADA law then you will know how to deal with these issues, however don’t go after the real Service Dogs because we do have the right to our SD’s. When called out a faker will make a big deal but they won’t sue and go to court because they will have to prove the dog is a SD.
Fakers make it hard on real SD’s and one day the government will end up having a certification like the UK and Canada do, BUT they should never charge for it because the disabled don’t have a lot of money, it would make it a hard ship.
Oh and Pam there is no ADA dog tag for SD’s, people can buy fake tags on line. Some service dog organizations give out ID tags that have their program info on it, but there is no ADA dog tag.
Here is a link to a front page story out of Phoenix. You be the judge of this service dog foundation and how they treated someone who raised over 20 thousand for a dog. Person didn’t get the dog, nor their money back. I hate government getting involved in everything however, when you can get so called foundations giving people the shaft…There needs to be some regulation!!
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/valley-woman-denied-service-dog-company-keeps-her-20k
I’ve been trying to report a fake service dog where I live at Boca Bayou, but don’t know where to report it to! Boca Bayou is a no pet community (sad, I know!) but there is a woman with a small maybe 5 pound grey shaved dog.I confronted her since it does its business by my ca a couple of times a day, and she claimed it was a “service” dog. One look at the animal says other wise. The office over here said she has “papers” stating this is a sevice dog and therefore cannot deny her. Any suggestions?
regina 11.09.11 at 7:43 pm
I’ve been trying to report a fake service dog where I live at Boca Bayou, but don’t know where to report it to! Boca Bayou is a no pet community (sad, I know!) but there is a woman with a small maybe 5 pound grey shaved dog.I confronted her since it does its business by my ca a couple of times a day, and she claimed it was a “service” dog. One look at the animal says other wise. The office over here said she has “papers” stating this is a sevice dog and therefore cannot deny her. Any suggestions?
Regina, it doesn’t matter whether it is a service animal or not. If the owner of this animal is not cleaning up after it, then the animal has now become a health hazard to you and the other residents of your community. Have the Association approach the animal owner with the rules ( That they may have to make) and either abide by them or face fines and court action. If you live in a regimented community with rules such as no dogs and you have an association and you also pay fees, then there should also be a lawyer for the assocoation to keep these matters straight.
My daughter has a debilitating chronic neurological disorder. She has had brain surgery and vertebrae removed. On Monday we will see a neurosurgeon in Seattle to see if further surgery will help her. Being upright and performing normal everyday tasks causes constant pain and pressure in her head and eyes, crushing spinal pain and joint pain to name just a few symptoms. If just getting ready isn’t enough to set her off, going out into public places causes so much stress and anxiety, which in turn causes more pain, that we often have to come home long before we have done everything we intended. Ironically, visits to her Pain Management Doctor are particularly stressful and painful because we have to travel 70 miles, then she has to be upright in the waiting room and for the appointment and still face the 70 mile trip home.
This week she also saw a pain psychologist. When he asked what helped relieve her pain she told him laying down and her Yorkie, Harley, made her feel better. He said we should make Harley her service dog and gave me the task of researching this.
Harley is my daughter’s constant companion, he gives her a reason to live, he calms the anxiety caused by her condition which eases her pain. He senses her emotions and comforts her with affection and keeps her stress levels down. Separation causes great anxiety for both of them. If it were not for him she would never do anything. She makes herself walk him almost every day; she can only do it because her focus is on making HIM happy. She is physically very fragile yet in crowded places people bump into her because she looks “normal”. While out she often suffers anxiety and panic attacks which increase her pain level to a point where she often has to leave to throw up. Although Harley does not perform physical tasks for her (yet) he does help her to lead a more normal life and I fully expect her to have more endurance once she can take him with her into stores other than pet stores. I feel he would also offer a level of protection for her; when people see he is a service dog they may be more considerate knowing she does have a disability.
I have spent the last two days researching. Yesterday I came to the conclusion that we could buy the Service Dog Accessories, get a letter from her pain psychologist and that would be it. When you go to http://www.freemypaws.com Lindsay clearly says Violet is her Service Animal yet she only gets “anxious, unsettled, depressed at times” and because her dog goes anywhere with her she can do anything because Violet keeps her calm and confident. Lindsay has no underlying physical disability so considering the rules, I would think this would be an “emotional support” situation. However, I do not consider my daughter’s case to be a “mental health” situation since she has an actual physical disability that causes the “emotional” problems which when triggered cause so much physical pain she unable to function.
While looking for a sample doctor’s letter today I came across your website that states that an ESD does not have the same rights as an SD so not having Harley as her Service Dog would completely defeat the object. I feel like my brain is going to explode with all this information and I am spending way too much time on it. Can anyone clarify this “gray area” that we seem to be in? Thank you.
I have a dog that helps me at home. She is not yet a service dog but I am working with my doctor and my family to get her certified (Public Access). There are people who have “fake” service dogs, but technically, I have a service dog too. She may not be able to go to the supermarket with me but when I’m at home or taking a walk, I bring her with me. I think people should worry less about if the dog is actually certified, and instead, worry about if that dog is helping that person live a better life. I have a disability that people can’t see, and I don’t see why someone would even consider my dog to be a service dog, yet she helps me get through my day. If I decided to use a vest, I wouldn’t be using a “fake” service dog. The ADA says that if you have a disability and your dog is trained to do a specific task and behaves in public situations (my dog does all of those things). That dog can be a service dog. There is no “special training” required. As long as my dog helps me live a better life under the ADA, I have a legal service dog. I will certify my dog anyway because I want some papers for any complications at work but thats it!!! So for all of you people that are overreacting… STOP.
A member of the condo board that Nick Santino said pressured him to euthanize his pit-bull — a decision that drove him to suicide — says the condo board is NOT responsible for his death.
Board member Marilyn Fireman says she is sorry that Santino is dead, but says it has nothing to do with the building’s no-pet policy. She tells the NY Post, “You just assumed that [his suicide] was a result of a board’s decision.”
Fireman did concede Santino routinely complained about the building’s anti-dog policies.
Santino’s sister tells the paper the family is holding off on funeral arrangements until the dead dog’s ashes are brought home … saying, “They’ll be buried together.”
Santino had his beloved and healthy pit-bull Rocco put to sleep on Tuesday, Santino’s 47th birthday. A few hours later, he overdosed on pills.
In 2005 I had a fusion at C5, C6 & C7. The cadaver bone graft I received was not FDA approved (Google stolen bodies Fort Lee, NJ) and you will read a true story that sounds like it came from a Stephen King novel. I’m a receiver of this bone graft where bodies sat out decomposing up to 54 hours, there was no refrigeration and there was not a surgical suite. I now have Cervical Dystonia (my neck doesn’t want to support my head so it leans to the right. I have intense Migraines that can come suddenly and they are so intense, if I’m out I can’t drive home. I started noticing my Australian Shepherd sticking real close to me and not leaving my side and then the migraine would come. If you look at me you would think nothing was wrong with me. Besides the Cervical Dystonia and Migraines I have Anxiety attacks and suffer with PTSD. Since we have noticed her sticking close to my side before my migraines, I’m having her trained as service dog so we can get “our” timing down. So I can listen and understand her and for her to give me a que like pawing me in time for me to get home and get medicated. Unfortunately there isn’t a service patch for Neurological Disorders. Wouldn’t she be considered a service dog? I’m not trying to scam anyone but I don’t like being stranded in the grocery store or running errands and the migraines hit me and I have to stop and try and get in touch with my husband to get me and leave my car where ever I am. My Neurological Surgeon, Neurologist will not allow me to go back to work so I have been on disability since 2008 due to the validity of the bone graft. Some are collapsing, people are getting Lymphomas, Hepatitis, STDs, etc. I have to get tested every 6 months for this, BOTOX injections in my neck and around my entire scalp along with trigger point injections and facet injections. I have limited movement of my neck so I drive with special side mirrors. My Aussie is coming along with training fine, I had already done a lot of obedience with her just to give “us” both a job now we have to get the timing right for letting me know before the migraines come, which usually involve narcotics and migraine medication. So would she be considered a service dog in training? If so where can I find a patch for Neurological disorder also the nerve at C7 was damaged so my right arm stays numb and it is hard to grasp things that is our next task but since I have migraines daily at some point and time it takes priority. The BOTOX only last a 1 1/2 months and I can only get it every 3months.
Your help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Rita
powell1161@yahoo.com
Hi Rita,
Yes your dog would be considered a service dog in training..a medical alert dog, you can get her a vest and some patches that say SDIT and medical alert SD, work on her socialization, she should have no fear or aggression issues. Your dog has to be able to handle all the stuff that will come her way when in public ie..children running up, loud noises, floor polishers, people trying to pet her and so on.
I would find a trainer and get all basic obedience and advance obedience down, your dog has to have a great recall and listen to you.
Get your obedience first, you can also get a good canine citizenship test/cert. The American Kennel Assoc. does them
Start out taking your dog to dog friendly places, like home depot
pet smart etc…I would not try anything big like the mall until you see how your dog does in different stores first.
you can teach your dog to pick up items that you drop and also get your husband when you need help or get the phone for you etc.
The video Team work I and II are great for training, talk to some trainers in your area also.
And remember some states do not allow SDIT the same access rights as full SD’s…check your state laws and know your ADA rights for SDs
Hope this helps and good luck,
There is no such thing as a certified or registered SD..it is not required by law, not in the US..if you have/need a Service dog you need to know and should know the ADA law regarding them. As of March 2011 only dogs and miniature horses are accepted under the law, and comfort dogs and emotional support dogs are not and do not have the same access rights. A note from one’s doctor does not make a service dog. Service dogs should be well trained to public access and trained to do tasks for the disabled person, calm and undercontrol, I have an invisable disability and use a service dog. there are many types of invisable disablilities….MS, RSD, Fibromyalgia, Brain injury, heart conditions, PTSD and more. Slapping a vest on a pet dog does not make him a SD.. a person knows if they are truly disabled and a faker is a faker
Rita,
I also should mention to you that by law a person/store employee can not ask you what your disability is..that is your medical info and they have no right to that…but they can ask you if the dog is a service dog and what task your dog does, so for you all I would say is medical alert and then any other taske you teach our dog, you can tell them. Good luck with training
I am a retired police officer and worked on a k-9 security squad for several years. I have a Service Dog a 100lb German Shepard. She is by nature and training a very kind and intelligent dog. I am a permanently disabled type 1 diabetic. I am also Hypoglycemic unaware . This means I do not feel the usual warning symptoms at the onset of very low blood sugar. Heavy sweating and cold pale skin is another symptom I have trained my Service dog to “activate” when my blood sugar drops. 60 mg/dl. or lower. At the onset of low blood sugar the body emits a specific chemical signature. When the blood sugar continues to drop I become less able to help myself. Loss of Co-ordination, vision, speech and mental acuity follows. My Service dog will whine constantly and constantly give me her paw to tell me I need to check my blood sugar immediately. If I am sleeping my most vulnerable time, she licks at my face and pounces on my chest. If I do not wake up she goes to my roommates room and wakes him.
My Special Dog Hannah has saved my life several times. Recently
I bought a vest with small detachable zippered bags where I keep a Glucagon Injector and a EPiPen, Insulin and syringes. Hannah travel’s with me wherever I go keeping my vital medications within arms reach.
I have never had her credentials questioned since I Purchased her a red vest embroidered with “Medical Alert dog” United States Service Dog Registry .
It is not a scam to join a service dog registry. The Dog Handler must sign an oath that the dog meet all the requirements 0f an Obedient Dog and makes oath that the Dog has been trained and is capable assisting the Handler with his/her disability.
The system is not perfect and people will abuse it. The best way to spot a phoney is to observe the interaction between the dog an the handler. Also, it is a felony to commit fraud.
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