Fake service dogs

[release the hounds]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

But it's not illegal.

in some states it is.

[CharlieDog]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

in some states it is.

That's true, and I wish each and every one of them would get pulled over by the cops too.

[Saeleofu]

Honestly, if the dog is prescribed by a doctor, then nothing else matters to me.

Training and behavior matters. Just because someone has a "prescribed" dog doesn't mean it's okay for it to snark in my dog's face or bark like a maniac.

Gavroche is prescribed. I don't take him in public, because he's an asshole to other dogs and is shy around people.

[Saeleofu]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

in some states it is.

Then in those states it's also wrong and shouldn't be done.

[release the hounds]

Originally Posted by CharlieDog

That's true, and I wish each and every one of them would get pulled over by the cops too.

that's all? I wish I could shoot their tires out

[~Jessie~]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

in some states it is.

Most states

ETA: Didn't realize the map was so massive. Here's a link instead!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uzF7EI_afG...e+Map.+jpg.jpg

[Red Chrome]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

Training and behavior matters. Just because someone has a "prescribed" dog doesn't mean it's okay for it to snark in my dog's face or bark like a maniac.

Gavroche is prescribed. I don't take him in public, because he's an asshole to other dogs and is shy around people.

It's not MY job to enforce laws. If someone brings their prescribed SD in to a store. Well that's their right. If it misbehaves then they are opening themselves up for trouble.

I'm not going to police others on this issue.

[~Jessie~]

If I see a dog in a store where dogs aren't allowed, I'm going to assume that dog is a service dog.

If someone has a well behaved dog, I probably won't even notice them. By law, business owners/employees aren't supposed to ask more than a couple of questions:

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.

A badly trained service dog (or a faker with a badly trained pet) is probably going to be noticed more often (and more easily) than a well behaved pet.

I disagree with bringing pets into stores where they aren't allowed. It's something that I would never do.

However, I still stand by saying that I'd rather see a well behaved dog at a store rather than a badly behaved service dog. I'm not going to notice the well behaved dog (except to maybe think to myself that it's awesome and doing a great job), and most people are probably the same way.

I've seen some pretty bad service dogs (or fakers- who knows, I would never ask), and I think those are the ones who are doing the most disservice.

[JessLough]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

CharlieDog happens to be a service dog handler. She has every right to not want people to drag their pets with them to stores. I'm also a service dog handler, as is Romy, and several other people in this discussion. You need to get off your high horse and realize it's against the law, and you're not entitled to drag your pet with you. It's a pet, you don't NEED it to function in public. We NEED our service dogs to function in public. It's no different than a cane or a wheelchair.

Haven't you said that your SD doesn't go to work or school with you? I mean, if that's true, I assume you're functioning at work or else you wouldn't have a job. Therefore, the statement "I NEED my dog to function" isn't completely correct, nor is it the same as somebody who can't walk using a wheelchair, in your case.

[Flyinsbt]

Originally Posted by sassafras

What does being an arthritic retired gym teacher have to do with anything? She couldn't crate the dog for a few hours? Please.

It has to do with me not wanting to tell a semi-crippled old lady who is used to handling unruly kids that she is "selfish and childish". If you want to do that, go ahead, but I feel neither safe nor morally justified in doing so.

Have fun on your moral high ground.