Fake service dogs

[Dogdragoness]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

I don't need to wonder, people follow laws they want to, and break ones they don't. I haven't met a person alive that is above this.

Exactly, if anyone here is without sin (as in, having NEVER broken a rule, policy or law EVER) then please, go right on ahead & cast the first stone.

I am NOT talking about those who knowingly fake their way into stores just so they can take their dog in, yes I think that we are all in agreement that this is wrong.

what I am not agreeing with is the adversity to people (me included) taking their dogs to "technically dog friendly" places even though they "arent allowed" (Not talking about Walmart here) I think they even should be allowed in resturants, beecause I mean I eat in the same house with my dogs & I havent died yet... we as a society IMHO need to get over ourselves. I have seen some people's hygiene practices & I have to say that any person who says that dogs are "too dirty" needs to look at their own species before saying that :/.

About the comment of "dragging my dog along" You make it seem as though it is a miserable time for them & they hate it ... when in fact, my dogs (cant speak for anyone elses, just mine) love going on outings with me, you should see them when i get their leashes, because they know they are going on a "car ride" to somewhere fun & exciting .

though I did tear a stupid lady a new one when she rounded the corner at PetsMart (back when I was younger & a WHOLE LOT less patient) & actually tried to order me & my dog to move so she could get by with her appearently dog phobic kid, my response was: "**** you, lady, this is Pet'sMart, not Toy's R Us" LOL.

[Romy]

Originally Posted by Dogdragoness

Exactly, if anyone here is without sin (as in, having NEVER broken a rule, policy or law EVER) then please, go right on ahead & cast the first stone.

Originally Posted by Dogdragoness

though I did tear a stupid lady a new one when she rounded the corner at PetsMart (back when I was younger & a WHOLE LOT less patient) & actually tried to order me & my dog to move so she could get by with her appearently dog phobic kid, my response was: "**** you, lady, this is Pet'sMart, not Toy's R Us" LOL.

Wait. What?

[Flyinsbt]

I think it's a little excessive to assume that every time someone takes a dog somewhere it isn't allowed that the goal of the person is to fake their dog being a service dog. Way back in one of my posts, I mentioned the Latino families I sometimes see in the grocery store with a couple kids and a little fluffy dog in their shopping cart. Are they deliberately faking a service dog? I highly doubt it.

In Florida, back in December, I walked with Tess into a cafe. I'm pretty sure that in Florida, as here, it would be illegal for my dog to be in the cafe as she is not a service dog. However, it was allowed for my dog to be on the patio, which is where I was going, I walked in to place my order rather than wait on the patio because it was way hotter in Orlando than we were acclimated for, my dog was panting heavily, and I wanted to get some water for her ASAP. I didn't figure she'd be mistaken for a SD; she wasn't wearing any kind of SD gear, I don't look disabled. I figured I'd be taken for someone who was either vague on the law, or just kind of rude; either of which was okay for me, as my priority was my dog's safety. And I don't think she was mistaken for a SD, the person I placed my order with shepherded us back to the patio pretty efficiently after I'd done so.

I deliberately broke that rule, not with the intention of faking anything, but with the intention of breaking a rule, that I figured I could get away with long enough to meet my goal of protecting the health of my pet.

How about another scenario? On another occasion with Tess, I was trying to pick up my vehicle from the tire place, it wasn't ready when it was supposed to be, so I was sitting in there, leafing through a magazine, with Tess lying at my feet. (on a down stay. They have popcorn there for people waiting for their vehicles, so I wanted to keep her away from it, and not have her notice it and start mooching.) As far as I know, there is no rule stating she can't be in there. I didn't see any such sign. However, I also didn't look super hard for such a sign. It's possible that there was a "no dogs" sign posted in a poorly chosen spot. So if there was actually a rule against it, my well-behaved dog could somehow have been mistaken for a SD, I suppose. (or even if I'm correct that it was not against the rules, the fact that she was behaving so well could have fooled someone into thinking that.)

Again, not an attempt to pass my dog off as a SD. If I think my dog is allowed where I am, even if she is mistaken for a SD, it's still not fakery. There was no such intention.

Unless someone tells you they are deliberately faking, or unless you are a mind reader, attributing motives is simply guess work.

[Greenmagick]

Originally Posted by Dogdragoness

my response was: "**** you, lady, this is Pet'sMart, not Toy's R Us" LOL.

Classy

[Shakou]

Originally Posted by Flyinsbt

Way back in one of my posts, I mentioned the Latino families I sometimes see in the grocery store with a couple kids and a little fluffy dog in their shopping cart. Are they deliberately faking a service dog? I highly doubt it.

It probably wouldn't bug me so much if people just did this rather then lying.

[sparks19]

Originally Posted by Xandra

no the goal is to take the dog somewhere, not to slight service dogs. If I saw a dog on a leash walking with someone at a market I would NOT think "oh a service dog" and I doubt many people would.

Totally nO horse in this Race for me but this stuck out...

You said you wouldn't think "oh dog in a place whete dogs aren't allowed would not equal service dog". Really? So you would see dog in dog forbidden place and think awww someone brought their pet? Or would you think that dog had a reason for being there or just not think anything of it because most places whrete you see dogs where dogs are not allowed would have a reason to be there other than PET.

You may not conciously think it but I would bet anything that somewhere you figure the dogs is there for a reason

[Romy]

Originally Posted by Flyinsbt

I think it's a little excessive to assume that every time someone takes a dog somewhere it isn't allowed that the goal of the person is to fake their dog being a service dog. Way back in one of my posts, I mentioned the Latino families I sometimes see in the grocery store with a couple kids and a little fluffy dog in their shopping cart. Are they deliberately faking a service dog? I highly doubt it.

In Florida, back in December, I walked with Tess into a cafe. I'm pretty sure that in Florida, as here, it would be illegal for my dog to be in the cafe as she is not a service dog. However, it was allowed for my dog to be on the patio, which is where I was going, I walked in to place my order rather than wait on the patio because it was way hotter in Orlando than we were acclimated for, my dog was panting heavily, and I wanted to get some water for her ASAP. I didn't figure she'd be mistaken for a SD; she wasn't wearing any kind of SD gear, I don't look disabled. I figured I'd be taken for someone who was either vague on the law, or just kind of rude; either of which was okay for me, as my priority was my dog's safety. And I don't think she was mistaken for a SD, the person I placed my order with shepherded us back to the patio pretty efficiently after I'd done so.

I deliberately broke that rule, not with the intention of faking anything, but with the intention of breaking a rule, that I figured I could get away with long enough to meet my goal of protecting the health of my pet.

How about another scenario? On another occasion with Tess, I was trying to pick up my vehicle from the tire place, it wasn't ready when it was supposed to be, so I was sitting in there, leafing through a magazine, with Tess lying at my feet. (on a down stay. They have popcorn there for people waiting for their vehicles, so I wanted to keep her away from it, and not have her notice it and start mooching.) As far as I know, there is no rule stating she can't be in there. I didn't see any such sign. However, I also didn't look super hard for such a sign. It's possible that there was a "no dogs" sign posted in a poorly chosen spot. So if there was actually a rule against it, my well-behaved dog could somehow have been mistaken for a SD, I suppose. (or even if I'm correct that it was not against the rules, the fact that she was behaving so well could have fooled someone into thinking that.)

Again, not an attempt to pass my dog off as a SD. If I think my dog is allowed where I am, even if she is mistaken for a SD, it's still not fakery. There was no such intention.

Unless someone tells you they are deliberately faking, or unless you are a mind reader, attributing motives is simply guess work.

It sounds like the way you handled it was pretty good. Because you'd already had her outside it was strongly implied that the dog was a companion.

When Strider was in training I had really good success just poking my head in and saying, "hey, is it okay if I bring my dog in?" Nobody ever said no for some reason. They often thanked me for asking. Even food service places where technically they weren't allowed indoors, but I figure it's their cafe and if they give permission and want to risk a health inspector waltzing through the door at that moment that's their lookout.

That gives the establishment the option of refusing (which they don't have when someone just walks in with an unmarked dog) and then they're aware it's not a SD. I think it's just overall polite.

One lady at an antique store was like "YES! I'd rather have a hundred dogs in here than most people's children."

[AdrianneIsabel]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

I don't need to wonder, people follow laws they want to, and break ones they don't. I haven't met a person alive that is above this.

No way, I have never broken any law, ever.

Truth be told anyone who has ever taken a dog into a place of business is actually only criminal of trespassing if said business owner denies access.
Legally speaking there is a difference between entering with a dog and claiming said dog is a service dog when they are in fact not.

We've all trespassed in one way or another, it is an interesting point no matter the moral right of the topic.

[Xandra]

Originally Posted by sparks19

Totally nO horse in this Race for me but this stuck out...

You said you wouldn't think "oh dog in a place whete dogs aren't allowed would not equal service dog". Really? So you would see dog in dog forbidden place and think awww someone brought their pet? Or would you think that dog had a reason for being there or just not think anything of it because most places whrete you see dogs where dogs are not allowed would have a reason to be there other than PET.

You may not conciously think it but I would bet anything that somewhere you figure the dogs is there for a reason

If I see a dog on a leash on an airplane or in a movie theater, I'm probably going to think there are some special circumstances because there's no way you could bring your big pet dog on a plane and it would be difficult and nonsensical to sneak one into a movie theater.

If I see someone walking a dog around a no-dogs market though, like in my post, or sitting on someone's lap in a pub, with no vest or anything... nope I honestly wouldn't think service dog. I'd think someone didn't want to leave their dog in the car or something.

... or like, when I brought my dog into the atm part of the bank at 1 am (the only time I've brought him into an establishment that wasn't a pet store)... yeah I don't expect any passersby thought "oh hey look at the girl with her service dog," I expect they thought "oh someone brought their dog into the bank." Or, even if they didn't articulate it in their heads, I imagine that's how they perceived it.

[Flyinsbt]

Originally Posted by Romy

That gives the establishment the option of refusing (which they don't have when someone just walks in with an unmarked dog) and then they're aware it's not a SD. I think it's just overall polite.

One lady at an antique store was like "YES! I'd rather have a hundred dogs in here than most people's children."

I tend to just take the assumption that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Though I wouldn't usually try to take my dog into a place where dogs aren't supposed to be, I used to do that with my bicycle when I used it for transportation. Just take it in, on the assumption that they'd tell me to put it outside if it was a problem.

And I tend to assume, if I see a dog without a SD vest in a place where dogs aren't supposed to be, that it's probably someone using that same theory. We have to remember that most people don't know the laws about SDs, and aren't likely to even consider that they might be mistaken for such.