PSA: This post is meant to dispell some myths floating around this group about Service Dogs that serve their disabled owners in the U.S. The troika of Federal laws that govern public access for Disabled citizens accompanied by their Service Dogs The Americans With Disabilities Act ( ADA ), The Fair Housing Act ( FHA ) and The Air Carrier Access Act ( ACAA ). The ADA covers access areas open to the general public that do not generally allow animals for Service Dog teams ( or miniature horses trained as Service Animals ). The FHA and ACAA cover housing access and air travel access respectively, these two acts contain language granting limited access to owners of Emotional Support Animals ( ESAs, basically a glorified pet ). As I am confining my comments to Service Animals, I will not be discussing ESAs further. So, what is a Service Dog? The ADA ( ada.gov ) defines a Service Aminal as a dog ( or miniature horse ) that is individually trained in tasks that mitigate their owners disability. **** The key takeaway from this is: A Service Animal is trained to perform tasks that mitigate their owners disability... Therefore, a dog that is not trained to perform disability mitigating tasks does not meet the definition and is not an Service Dog. Even if your dog is task trained to mitigate a disability, if you. yourself, are not disabled, it is not a Service Dog and you cannot take your dog into an area where Service Dogs only, are allowed since your dog is a pet. Legally, a Service Animal is classed as a piece of medical equipment. The Service Dog is a Working Dog, like dogs used by the Military, Law Enforcement and agriculture... The Service Dog is NOT a pet and will not become one unless career changed or retired from service. The Service Dog team enjoys public access privileges, not the Service Dog itself. This is not my personal opinion, it is the United States Federal Governments opinion. If you have a problem with it contact your U.S . Representative or U.S.Senator to complain, not me. Clear as mud? Legally, businesses can ask a Service Dog Owner two questions. 1. Is that a Service Dog? 2. What tasks is the dog trainec to do that mitigates your disability? The business cannot as for ID, documentaion. That the dog demonstrate its tasks, or what the owners disability is. The dog is also not required to be in vest, harness. Collar, or leadh identifying it as a Service Dog. If the dog is not housebroken, or is out of its owners control and the owner does not take effective action to regain control of the dog the business can ask the owner to remove the dog and return without it to receive goods or services without the dog. Let me make the following clear. THERE IS NO TEST, ID OR CERTIFICATION THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.... Therefore, any Service Dog registry has no legal standing and is a scam used mostly by the Non-disabled to take their pets with them where pets do not belong, or new Service Dog owners that dont know any better. No, and I mean ABSOLUTELY NO Service Dog Owner will let their Service Dog get and stay overweight.. Extra weight shortens the Service Dogs life and its working career.. We spend WAY too much time, love and energy on our Service Dogs to want to negatively impact our Service Dogs. You may ask why I give a flying fig and am sharing this information with the group. I am visually impaired and have been a Service Dog ( Guide, naturally ) for fifteen years, and an Owner Trainer for four and a half years. So myths, ignorance and outright lies raise my ire.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 22:55:06 +0000
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