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After reading about this "certification" I'm inclinded to have less sympathy than I did when I first saw the OP. There is a storm brewing with these "service dogs/cats/hamsters/goldfish" that needs to be addressed and nipped in the bud SOON.
I do agree with that, and OP aside (or included?) it's definitely become a growing problem.
We have a no-dog policy at the library where I work, since non-service animals aren't allowed in government buildings... although most of us employees are dog lovers, so occasionally we'll bend the rules if you're holding the dog & not staying long. But there's this one woman who comes in with her "service Pomeranian," who supposedly cured her of agoraphobia. Maybe the dog did, maybe it didn't, but all I know is that he sure doesn't behave like a service animal! She lets the thing run all over the place, often not paying attention as she uses our computers, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's peed inside once or twice.
I've spent time at the Guide Dogs for the Blind center (in San Rafael), where I learned about training and handling guide dogs... and believe me, they would never behave as this little Pomeranian does. So I'm guessing it's certified through one of those "scams," and it irks me how she passes it off as a service dog. Makes real SDs look bad, and also complicates the issue for disabled folks who really need them. I absolutely concur, stricter enforcements are necessary here.
And i know many friends who have pitbulls as pets, they are no more dangerous then those friends who have german shepards, or Rott's etc.
I have been around many as pets, they lick you to death, love to play, are great with children, the ones we hear about, are all negative storys.
A couple months back there was the story of a pitt who pulled a baby to safety, of course we did not hear about that. That is not news.
You want to know something, i have friends who have little dogs, who are more vicious when you go into the home then these pitt's i still say it is all how a person raises and treats their dogs.
Too many pitt's have been know to go to the wrong homes, and used for the wrong reasons.
I have a friend who has nothing but pitt's no problem ever in the whole 9 years i have know them, why is that, by now they should have gotten themselves into trouble. Right.
Pffft!
Are you aware that there is an almost 1 in 10,000,000 chance of being killed by that dog! Are you just going to accept that risk that is less than being struck by lightening?!
I' m not naive and foolish like you. I live in the real world where everything is frightening and dangerous. A world filled with an endless parade of demons each more terrifying and deadly than the last.
After reading about this "certification" I'm inclinded to have less sympathy than I did when I first saw the OP. There is a storm brewing with these "service dogs/cats/hamsters/goldfish" that needs to be addressed and nipped in the bud SOON. We are going to hear more about this as time goes on.
This is a a dog. How is this anything like "service goldfish"? Please.
I do agree with that, and OP aside (or included?) it's definitely become a growing problem.
We have a no-dog policy at the library where I work, since non-service animals aren't allowed in government buildings... although most of us employees are dog lovers, so occasionally we'll bend the rules if you're holding the dog & not staying long. But there's this one woman who comes in with her "service Pomeranian," who supposedly cured her of agoraphobia. Maybe the dog did, maybe it didn't, but all I know is that he sure doesn't behave like a service animal! She lets the thing run all over the place, often not paying attention as she uses our computers, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's peed inside once or twice.
I've spent time at the Guide Dogs for the Blind center (in San Rafael), where I learned about training and handling guide dogs... and believe me, they would never behave as this little Pomeranian does. So I'm guessing it's certified through one of those "scams," and it irks me how she passes it off as a service dog. Makes real SDs look bad, and also complicates the issue for disabled folks who really need them. I absolutely concur, stricter enforcements are necessary here.
I have no patience for poorly trained service animals. The said thing is that it takes away from those who are well-trained because people don't take them seriously anymore.
I have a deaf-blind friend whose guide dog is completely out of control. My deaf-blind friend's dog growls at children and jumps around. If I were the owner, I would have sent him back for training a long time ago. I have another blind friend who held on to her guide dog for way too long before retiring her, because she was really unsafe as a guide dog. Her guide dog was leading her into streets and crossing her diagonally. It's so bad sometimes that it's embarrassing to be with them. Both of their dogs were officially trained at a real schools for the blind, and were probably very well-behaved at one point. Both of my friends really are totally blind and not scamming anyone with their service animals or disability.
But it's the owner's responsibility to keep up their training. Owners are told that they need to keep their dogs "on the ball", so to speak. Neither of my friends really do/did this. I love my friends dearly but I can feel people judging their service animals and having the same kind of feelings you expressed here in your post. They should have done something about it a long time ago, or should retire their guide dogs and apply for new ones. Luckily, because they're guide dogs for the blind, no one questions their service animal status.
I can totally see if they were seizure dogs or psychiatric dogs, people would be making fun of how they "miraculously cure" her and so on. Emotional disabilities are just as real and can be just as crippling as physical ones. Dogs that serve their owners for psychiatric reasons should be just as highly trained and taken just as seriously by the general public as guide dogs for the blind and helping paws for the quadriplegic.
There are extremely well-trained service animals out there. I have a friend who is mute and in a wheelchair and all she has to do is give her dog a certain look, and he knows what to do. He also responds to sign language, and also has been trained for what to do when she has a muscle spasm attack. She can't move at all when this happens because she's stuck in a state of seizing and has no control over her body. He knows to pull her back to her dorm and knows how to get out the key and swipe the card and everything. He knows how to get someone's attention, even in a non-emergency. (Since she's mute, she can't just call out someone's name, so she gets him to bark--once, not too loud--just enough to get people to turn around.)
It really varies on the dog. Service animals, who are well-trained, and doing what they are meant to be doing, can be lifesavers to people with all kinds of disabilities. Please don't let a few bad experiences with poorly trained animals take away from that.
Of course, there are some people who aren't really disabled or who don't really have service animals, who say that their animal is a service animal. Those people really get on my nerves because they give a bad image of service animals. Unfortunately, the ADA also protects those people because you're not required to show proof of an animal's service or your own disability if asked on the spot. But as someone who is blind and was formerly deaf as well, I had many friends and family tell me I should just say my pet dog is a "service animal" to get him into establishments. I never did this because even if I was totally unscrupulous, he wasn't anywhere near trained well enough, and I wouldn't have trusted him for a second with being responsible to guide me. Don't get me wrong--he was a great dog--but he was way too ADD to have my life in his hands. Secondly, I didn't want to lie about that because it gives a bad image of people whose service animals really are trained to a high degree.
People always ask me why I don't get a guide dog. I almost got one too, when I was deaf-blind and about to live alone. Thank God I didn't. This thread pretty much sums up why. I can walk a dog three times a day and feed them and bring them to the vet (I already do that with my pet dog) but I can't deal with people's ignorance.
I do agree with that, and OP aside (or included?) it's definitely become a growing problem.
We have a no-dog policy at the library where I work, since non-service animals aren't allowed in government buildings... although most of us employees are dog lovers, so occasionally we'll bend the rules if you're holding the dog & not staying long. But there's this one woman who comes in with her "service Pomeranian," who supposedly cured her of agoraphobia. Maybe the dog did, maybe it didn't, but all I know is that he sure doesn't behave like a service animal! She lets the thing run all over the place, often not paying attention as she uses our computers, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's peed inside once or twice.
I've spent time at the Guide Dogs for the Blind center (in San Rafael), where I learned about training and handling guide dogs... and believe me, they would never behave as this little Pomeranian does. So I'm guessing it's certified through one of those "scams," and it irks me how she passes it off as a service dog. Makes real SDs look bad, and also complicates the issue for disabled folks who really need them. I absolutely concur, stricter enforcements are necessary here.
this is my concern with the op and the dog mentioned. not that it is a pitt bull. I could care less what breed the dog is. I do care however that there are many places where you send in 20 bucks and your dog is "certified" the "registry" mentioned in the op is on a list of known scams in this. I have no patience for people who skirt the rules so their beloved dog can go where other dogs can't.
the court will get to the bottom of the issue if this truly is a service dog or not.
here is their website. it is pretty easy to get your dog certified. there is no training other then to click the box saying your dog is trained and that you have one of the disabilities listed. I would bet out of all the dogs registered with this service you might find one or two "real" service dogs, the rest are pets with owners who want to take them anywhere and everywhere and this just gives them an excuse to do so. http://www.nsarco.com/disabilityconfirmation.html
This is a a dog. How is this anything like "service goldfish"? Please.
I'm not making this stuff up..from the NSAR website:
Quote:
We also specialize in registering dogs, cats, and other animals as Emotional Support Animals (ESA) for people with emotional or psychological disabilities.
Recently a girl pushed to have her pet allowed in a college dormatory because it helped her with depression. College kids with pets in a dorm...that's actually the stuff of my nightmares and this kind of stuff is happening a lot and there is no good reason for it. Obvioiusly pets help us all with depression, which is why pets are so common, but so what?
Pitbulls are dangerous dogs. I would not want one sitting next to me at a restaurant or on public transit. This man should get a yellow lab or something. Much more friendly, and they don't have a reputation for mauling children.
Pit Bulls are the most abused dog in this country, and we wonder why they attack people? A dog behaves exactly the way it was trained.
A dog that is abused will attack people/animals, regardless of breed. I saw a yellow lab that a guy trained to be in dog fights. That lab was more dangerous than 99% of pit bulls out there. Get a pit bull, leave it on a chain alone starving in a yard for a few years and ob course it will be dangerous. Just like any other breed in the same situation would be.
I just want to address the discussion as to whether or not this dog is an actual "service animal" or not. If you would read the article I do believe it states that this dog was specificially trained to help him for two years after he had a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, so yes, in this instance, I would say there should be no question at all but that it is a genuine service animal.
I hope he gets his dog back and that the council all gets voted out at the next election.
I just want to address the discussion as to whether or not this dog is an actual "service animal" or not. If you would read the article I do believe it states that this dog was specificially trained to help him for two years after he had a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, so yes, in this instance, I would say there should be no question at all but that it is a genuine service animal.
I hope he gets his dog back and that the council all gets voted out at the next election.
jess I have read the article several times now and watched the video. no where that I could see did it say the dog was trained for several years. the dog may have been with it's owner for several years but the article did not state the dog was trained as a service animal, only that it is registered as one. the registry in fact is suspect at best. when an owner goes on line and checks a box that says I have a disability and my dog can sit and be well mannered is not a service animal. it is a companion animal with a fake patch.
I hope the courts can find out the truth as no service animal should be taken away from their owner. however pretending your dog is a service dog when in fact you just filled out a form on line and paid your 60 bucks is pretty low indeed.
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