ANOTHER rant!

OK.  ANOTHER rant.  I must be in a cranky mood lately.  I saw a news story that made my blood boil.   It seems that 19 states in the US are cracking down a big problem - fake service dogs.  FAKE service dogs!  What kind of human would put a FAKE vest on a dog and PRETEND that it is a REAL service dog?!   I mean REAL service dogs undergo months and months of training - and they perform a variety of tasks for humans with hearing, sight, and physical challenges.  They can also alert others if their human has a specific physical problem like seizures or low blood sugar.  Hey - maybe I can get a service dog for my seizures... But I digress.

REAL service dogs perform tasks that improve the quality of life of the humans they live with.   And to THINK someone would try to simply buy a FAKE vest and pass their dog off as a REAL service dog is downright.....AWFUL!!!!!  The challenge with the REAL dogs is that there is no national certification or registry that will prove a REAL service dog IS the REAL deal.  So it's hard to create or enforce laws around this.  In the US, apparently, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not allow places, which allow service dogs,  to ask any questions about what kind of disability the human has.  The business can ask what tasks the dog does - but cannot ask about the specific disability the human has or for any kind of documentation on the dog. Interestingly, dogs that provide "emotional support" are not covered under the ADA.  I think because the training for these dogs is quite different from service dogs.  And while service dogs are allowed in many environments, emotional support dogs may not be allowed in.  It seems that there needs to be some kind of registry for all of this - so that working dogs who help humans can continue to do their jobs.  And dogs who are NOT trained, cannot be mistaken for one.

None of the dogs in this house would be able to be service dogs.  Imagine me walking with a visually impaired person - and seeing a rabbit....  Clearly those dogs have LOTS and LOTS of training.

Anyway, paws up for REAL service dogs.  And may the humans who try to pass off their untrained dogs as service dogs...well...may you....ummmm.... let's see.....ummmmmm.....step in poop!  Or just don't do it again.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.