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Saturday FloridaSND
Service dog laws in the ADA were created with a group that included service dog handlers at the time. Their input was vital, because people who do not have a service dog really don’t know what it’s like to have one, and what barriers were there or could be put in place to owning one.
Service dogs, for example, do not have to be trained by a ‘professional’ or organization, you can train your own dog. Many times the organizations have years longs waiting lists and can cost $30,000-$40,000. This means that people have to manage without that particular medical device; and yes, legally, they are a medical device, for years, IF they can afford or get one funded. It means that the poor, many Vets, etc. would be priced out of having a service dog, especially when you consider that the average working life for a dog is about 6-8 years (this can be extended for a smaller dog like Sophie sometimes). And of course a service dog is often no the only medical device a person needs, but it is one that insurance never covers.
So what is a service dog? According to the ADA:
“A. Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.” (ADA FAQ)
Service dogs don’t need a certification or registration because it does not exist under US law. Yes, there are places you can buy those things online but.. .
“There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.” (ADA FAQ)
Unfortunately, many people who have service dogs are denied access rights, because business and employees don’t understand and/or enforce the ADA. Many companies have their own policies, but those policies do not usurp Federal Law.
So what rights do businesses have?
”A. In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific 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 are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.” (ADA FAQ)
Also if the dog is being a disturbance, and the owner doesn’t get their dog under control, they can be asked to leave. It doesn’t matter if it’s ‘legally’ a service dog, or someone passing a pet as a service dog, if the dog is a disturbance, it can, and should, be asked to leave if the owner doesn’t get it under control. If places of business actually did this, people passing off pets as service dogs wouldn’t be a problem. If the pet is behaving as well as a service dog would, it’s not really an issue anyway.
And yet, service dog owners deal with situations like this:
Yes, even guide dogs:
She has a service dog for FND, her symptoms are a bit different than mine, but Sophie does some of the same tasks, like deep pressure.
But that’s just businesses, then there’s the general public. Some of them have some knowledge of the ADA but think that they get to be the service dog police, when they are just another customer.
This dog’s crime? His butt was “a little too close” to the woman, probably because she backed up towards where the service dog was because she *didn’t realize it was there*.
This one makes me mad, and I hope her family files charges against the boy who literally jumped onto the dog’s tail. Abuse of a service dog is a *Federal* offence.
This is what it’s like when someone follows you and your service dog around the store, sometimes they’re yelling at you the whole time, sometimes they just follow. It’s creepy, and it’s scary, because you don’t know what they are going to do. This has happened to us a few times, one lady was screaming the whole time that our service dog wasn’t allowed in the store, management removed her and had her trespassed. But we’ve had people follow us through Walmart and the Dollar General because they got mad they couldn’t pet Sophie.
It’s so common that there are *multiple compilations* of service dog harassment videos out there.
I repeat, STAFF can ask the questions about a service dog, if it isn’t apparent. Your average Joe, cannot. Usually we, as service dog handlers, try to educate when we can. Sometimes though, we just want to get done with our shopping and go home, because we’re in pain, or anxious, or we’ve already educated 20 other people that day, etc. Sometimes when we try to explain or educate people, they just get more belligerent and start yelling, or ask for documents that don’t exist.
Some people have tried to push for a national certification or registry. We, as handlers, mostly push back against that. We don’t have money for a ‘test’ for our dog, or a certification or registry document (and you know the government will want their money for that). Some tasks are also more difficult to test for, like an asthma or seizure alert dog. Sure, we could ‘fake it’, and most of our dogs would just give us the side eye and huff at us LOL. And it’s not ethical to force people into a medical crisis to test the dog. And every test would have to be different, there’s no standard commands to teach a service dog. Every medical condition and need is different, even within the same disability.
Personally, I think the ADA should be taught in every high school, as part of health class at least. Disability is the only minority anyone can join at any time. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, or middle class, it doesn’t matter the color of your skin. All it takes is ONE moment in the wrong spot, or someone else drinking and driving, or some medical emergency, and anyone can become disabled. We use the term Temporarily Able Bodied when referring to people without a disability, especially when they’re being ableist.
Here’s some science for you:
And here’s some music posted on behalf of my other half and all the other Trekkies on DKOS (I admit their costuming isn’t the best):
That was a very long, but needed diary. Do you know anyone with a service dog or do you have a service dog? What has their or your experience been like? If you have questions about service dogs, feel free to ask away and I’ll answer the best that I can.