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I was never in the service but I went through a horrendous divorce many years ago. When I was married my husband was very abusive and it took a long time to get the courage to leave. When I finally did the divorce was a nightmare with death threats, no money to use and him constantly following me. I had a restraining order against him and it got so bad I tried suicide. When it was finally over it took years of therapy to get my life back and even that didn't help. I finally go a little Maltese and she really helped me a lot but I still had the nightmares and constant panic and anxiety attacks. When my precious Maltese had to be put to sleep when she was 14 years old I got another one but this was was different, she was destined to be my service dog. Her name is Princess Shalimar. She is also a Maltese, so she is small. She is the best thing that ever happened to me. She has completely changed my life. I never knew that you didn't have to be in the service to suffer from PTSD. Princess has been trained to to much the same tasks that your husbands dog does. She brings me my medication, she can pull the emergency cord that my apartment complex has in my bedroom to alert the office that I need help. She can prevent a panic attack. She can lead me to a safe place and keep others away from me. She can even take me home by herself, she knows the way from every corner around my apartment complex. If it were not for Princess I probably would not even be here today and I know that she is the reason I get up every morning. She is the reason I smile and I know that she was brought into my life so I had a second chance at life.
I was never in the service but I went through a horrendous divorce many years ago. When I was married my husband was very abusive and it took a long time to get the courage to leave. When I finally did the divorce was a nightmare with death threats, no money to use and him constantly following me. I had a restraining order against him and it got so bad I tried suicide. When it was finally over it took years of therapy to get my life back and even that didn't help. I finally go a little Maltese and she really helped me a lot but I still had the nightmares and constant panic and anxiety attacks. When my precious Maltese had to be put to sleep when she was 14 years old I got another one but this was was different, she was destined to be my service dog. Her name is Princess Shalimar. She is also a Maltese, so she is small. She is the best thing that ever happened to me. She has completely changed my life. I never knew that you didn't have to be in the service to suffer from PTSD. Princess has been trained to to much the same tasks that your husbands dog does. She brings me my medication, she can pull the emergency cord that my apartment complex has in my bedroom to alert the office that I need help. She can prevent a panic attack. She can lead me to a safe place and keep others away from me. She can even take me home by herself, she knows the way from every corner around my apartment complex. If it were not for Princess I probably would not even be here today and I know that she is the reason I get up every morning. She is the reason I smile and I know that she was brought into my life so I had a second chance at life.
Several years ago I volunteered at a domestic violence shelter. I don't remember the exact study, but it was determined that women and children who went through significant domestic violence, show symptoms of PTSD at the same level as Vietnam vets. I'm glad you got out, and that Princess is such a big help to you.
I have a wonderful Service Dog named Freedom, he is a Golden Retriever. I am wheelchair bound and blind and we have been a team since 2003. Freedom was in training from the time he was 8 weeks old until he was 18 months old; we train a little bit every day.
The Service Dog school made us pass a rigorous test before we graduated and we pass are-certification test annually. One of my tasks was to take Freedom through the crystal and porcelain department in a fine department store (now THAT is a test!!).
I know that there are people who think that a guide dog is a hindrance in places that are unfamiliar to them but the dogs are capable of guiding us safely through public spaces (both my safety as well as the public as I am in a power chair), they can find doors, elevators as well as a a whole myriad of other services.
Service Dogs in hospitals are covered not under the ADA but under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, section 504. So, yes they are allowed in hospitals but there must be common sense - visiting someone who has had surgery is not a good idea!
Since I am often hospitalized I am grateful that the staff allows my DH to bring Freedom when he visits (but he only comes when I am in a private room).
I despise when people try to pass off obviously untrained dogs as a Service Dog. This practice makes it that much harder for legitimate teams to go about in public.
I admit I get twitchy when someone asks if Freedom is my Service Dog since I am obviously disabled and Freedom wears a clearly marked Service Dog cape- but I answer politely since I treat others in the manner in which I like to be treated. The business owners have the right to question a Service Dog team and I hope that such questions might deter people from passing off a pet as a Service Dog. Unfortunately, some people have no shame!
I have a wonderful Service Dog named Freedom, he is a Golden Retriever. I am wheelchair bound and blind and we have been a team since 2003. Freedom was in training from the time he was 8 weeks old until he was 18 months old; we train a little bit every day.
The Service Dog school made us pass a rigorous test before we graduated and we pass are-certification test annually. One of my tasks was to take Freedom through the crystal and porcelain department in a fine department store (now THAT is a test!!).
I know that there are people who think that a guide dog is a hindrance in places that are unfamiliar to them but the dogs are capable of guiding us safely through public spaces (both my safety as well as the public as I am in a power chair), they can find doors, elevators as well as a a whole myriad of other services.
Service Dogs in hospitals are covered not under the ADA but under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, section 504. So, yes they are allowed in hospitals but there must be common sense - visiting someone who has had surgery is not a good idea!
Since I am often hospitalized I am grateful that the staff allows my DH to bring Freedom when he visits (but he only comes when I am in a private room).
I despise when people try to pass off obviously untrained dogs as a Service Dog. This practice makes it that much harder for legitimate teams to go about in public.
I admit I get twitchy when someone asks if Freedom is my Service Dog since I am obviously disabled and Freedom wears a clearly marked Service Dog cape- but I answer politely since I treat others in the manner in which I like to be treated. The business owners have the right to question a Service Dog team and I hope that such questions might deter people from passing off a pet as a Service Dog. Unfortunately, some people have no shame!
Your post makes many excellent points! Thank you for posting
melaniej65, I appreciate your post. I am not obviously disabled until people try to speak with me. If I can see their mouths and there is not much background noise, I am able to understand and answer; if the person doesn't have "good lips", mumbles, or turns away or down while speaking to me, I am lost. If I am fortunate to be able to understand whoever is speaking to me, it can actually work against me, as then I am not perceived as "deaf". Since my service dog is a pomeranian, he is already looked at with scepticism. I have to decide whether to attempt to further explain my situation, which I am under no obligation to do legally, or risk being told to take my "pet" and leave. Because vests and badges can be bought unscrupulously online, it doesn't really matter if Teddy is wearing one or not. Even when I have shown our ID I have still been questioned by a certain place. It takes a patient manager, one who is willing to wait and observe my dog's behaviors in his place of business, to see that Teddy is indeed doing what he is supposed to do.
I was told in one store by a manager that he was required to ask ALL service dog owners if their dogs were SD, even if it was obvious. Seems silly to me, if it's blatantly obvious, but if it's the store's policy to do this so they can say they are not being descriminatory, then I understand their point. It does make me a bit ansty too, though, because my first instinct is to think that either I or Teddy did something wrong to make them think he was NOT a service dog, and it puts me on the defensive. If I get myself into the mindset that they do it as routine, then it's not quite so bad. It is sad that they even need to question, though...
I too, would like very much for these scammers to be caught and prosecuted and a system be put into place to prevent people from registering their dogs as service dogs unless they are truly doing a service for a legitimate disability. I certainly would not mind Teddy taking a hearing assist dog test, getting a paper certification, and yearly renewal if this becomes a requirement.
I have a second dog that I am getting ready for service, but is not "certifiable" yet, as she still reacts to dogs she doesn't know. We are working on that, but otherwise, she is just about "there". She cannot go everywhere with me, but I allow her to "shadow" Teddy when we go to two particular home improvement stores, and pet stores that don't care if people bring their dogs in. She learns how to walk next to the cart, sit quietly while I shop, and ignore other shoppers when they try to pet her (the hardest one!). If she reacts to another dog, we deal with it, and usually an associate will be there to help if needed (like to tell me where the other dog is, or is headed so I know where NOT to go for a while). She has no service ID, and I don't try to pass her off as a service dog. The stores know she is shadowing Teddy and learning from him, and find it fascinating to watch them move together through the store. Teddy pays little or no attention to her, and she doesn't bother him. She knows he has a job to do, and seems to want to learn. (At home, she has also caught on to the touch alert very quickly, and has shown to be an excellent hearing assist dog around the house too!) It has been only two months since I purchased her, and I believe she will be ready for service by April, far sooner than many dogs who go through training alone. At the appropriate time, I will order her vest and ID, and will take her out "solo" to stores, restaurants, etc. that restrict animal access to service dogs only. Incidentally, next winter she will hopefully become the mother of Teddy's offspring, and I envision raising some wonderful service pom puppies before sending her out to another person who needs her!
Hopefully by then people will be more aware that service dogs come in many sizes, shapes, and breeds, and are blessings to those of us with various disabilities who depend on them. Legitimately.
I am constantly amazed at the wide spectrum of services that an Service Dog is capable of performing. It is wonderful that you are so close to having another dog trained!
My Freedom will be retiring very soon and I will be getting another dog from the same place that trained Freedom. I am thrilled that they are allowing me to keep Freedom as the retired dog is usually surrendered to the agency - it would have broken my heart since we have been together for so long. I know he will be confused when he is left behind as another dog follows me out of the home.
Service Dogs give so much to their humans and I know that Freedom will be pampered in his retirement in ways that have been denied to him as an active SD.
OMG! I'm the thread beginner and never thought the topic would escalate to this extent. I have the most empathy for those of you with disabilities who need your dogs. And so glad I inadvertently started something which needed voicing.
What this thread was about was people who use false, or really no information to obtain "service dog" credentials to allow their dogs entrance to restaurants. SCAMMERS.
Leagally, restaurant owners pretty much have to take the word of the dog's owner. If you and your dog present as disabled or normal, tell us it's a service animal, we cannot ask why. The area's very grey.
That's why it pissed me off enough to start the thread when I discovered the abuse/scam paid-for-license.
I have blind friends who rely on their dogs to get through the basics of life, as some of the rest of you do with other disabilities. And I have learned the extensive training service dogs go through. Only 5% make it?
Those of you with real disabilities are suspect because of the scam IDs. They need to be stopped!
Leagally, restaurant owners pretty much have to take the word of the dog's owner. If you and your dog present as disabled or normal, tell us it's a service animal, we cannot ask why. The area's very grey.
As a business owner, I am legally allowed to qualify the 'Service Animal' claim. It's a misconception that you have to accept the claim of a Service Animal by the person without any qualification. If you are not familiar with the Rule of 3 for Service Animals, send me a DM and I'll provide the questions and reference links.
Although its public knowledge, I don’t like posting the questions and answers because I am not going to help the scammers gain knowledge to continue their scam.
I also have no qualms of reporting suspected fraud to our state agency on disability affairs. They have an investigator whose job it is to determine if someone is violating state law by presenting a non-service animal as a legitimate Service Animal. You may want to inquire to see if any governmental bodies “police” these activities in your area.
I may get shot down for this....bring it on...service dogs should be granted licenses from state agencies, not unlike a drivers license, a regulatory body that enforces the laws and has strict rules regarding eligibility for ADA privileges. Because the current standards have no real evidence or verification requirement of TRAINING for the dog as a service dog. Even people who have driving privileges have to pass a test. Anyone can put a rope on a dog and call it a "Service Dog".
We have gone way over the line on not wanting to "offend" people with disabilities, so now every dog gets a pass if the person says the dog is a "Service Dog".
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It is sad that they even need to question, though...
