Service animals are a medical necessity for many. Passing a pet off as one is an insult.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

I served 10 years for this great nation. I was injured in the Persian Gulf. I have since been medically retired. It did not come without cost. It almost cost me my life. It got to the point when I didn’t even want to leave my house or be independent anymore. The military was all I knew.

Then I was introduced to Sergeant, my service animal. He was my light at the end of the tunnel. My courage to get out and live again. Because of Sergeant I am still alive today.

As much as he does for me, I have to care for him. The things I have to do to keep him clean, nails trimmed, bathed, shots and his teeth are brushed is expensive and crazy.

So nothing upsets me more than seeing fake service animals. They bark, pee, sniff other people, try to greet my service animal — which is a big no-no — and growl at times. Others are timid and shy, shaking and showing other signs of stress. It’s cruel to do that to your pets.

There is no certification or certificate for a service animal. If that claim is made, that’s the dead giveaway that the service animal is fake. Anyone can go on the internet and buy that piece of paper. Nice try.

I wish all the fakers would leave their pets at home. Pets are pets.

http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/commentary-what-you-need-to-know-about-service-animals/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=5363cd77b1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-5363cd77b1-228635337

[Croney]

1. I see fake service animals quite often.

My little terrier can't fake trained self-control. She is a pet. Real service animals are awe-inspiring.

[Alice11111]

2. I saw this. A specialist wanted me to meet with another

woman who had a disease from injuries, which we both have. We met at a restaurant. She showed up with a service dog, which was odd because I could not even hold the leash. She said that I could get one too, but I said, for what? I like dogs, but I had not been able to even manage friends dogs since my accident. She said, maybe you could teach him to open doors, turn doorknobs. She could open doors, but I couldn't. I'm much better now, after 5 years. It bothered me that she abused the system, without compunctions.

[Hortensis]

10. How nice to hear that you are much better after such a trial.

It's only the faintest shimmer of what you went through, but I once had an unusually strong flare of my own condition after being out a half minute in 0 degree weather and found that I could barely open cupboard doors, doorknobs no. My hands recovered by the next day, but very eye-opening. As for these amazing creatures, hopefully you'll never need one, but it's surprising what they can do.

I was chatting last year with a woman who was showing her service dog as part of educating the public. I would never have guessed just looking at her or her happy little dog that it was trained to protect her. Her problem is sudden loss of balance, with risk of serious injury from falls, and the dog, amazingly, senses the events coming on before she does and alerts her.

[Alice11111]

11. Wow, amazing story!

[procon]

3. I dunno, if there's no specific criteria or a state certification program, who's to say?

If someone feels better by having their pet with them, even if it doesn't have some 'official' designation as a service animal, who wants to deny them whatever comfort they get from that animal?

People bring their pets with them every place I go, grocery stores, restaurants, malls, big box stores. I suspect it's mostly for the owner's convenience more so than they are real service animals. I'm sure it must happen, but I've never seen anyone complain or ask them to leave. The stores probably don't want to create a big scene and risk losing a customer, and no one wants to see a pet locked in a hot car.

Its such a common practice here in So Cal, that I rarely notice the animals anymore. Although, I did do a double take a the little miniature pony that was actually pulling a woman in a wheelchair through the mall, and once I saw a man with mini pig in his cart at Walmart. It takes all kinds.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Wait! A pony pulling a wheelchair in the mall??? Wish I coulda been there.

[NBachers]

5. I hate seeing all these people walking all these dogs around my grocery store.

I went to Costco yesterday. A lady was trying on clothes at one of the clothes bins. Snuggled up on a nest of clothes was her little dog.

"My dog is cleaner than most of the people in here," she said.

Your precious doggie doesn't belong in my grocery store.

Your precious doggie doesn't belong in restaurants.

Your precious doggie doesn't belong all wrapped up in clothes for sale to people!

[Aristus]

6. I have patients all the time trying to hit me up for a provider's note authorizing

broad freedoms for pets they are trying to pass off as service animals.

Absent a diagnosis of disability in their chart, I tell them no. Often, the claim is mitigation of symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. If that's the case, I advise the patient to obtain such a note from a mental/behavioral health provider.

And, to pre-empt the "you're so mean!" screamers, providing medical authorization for an untrained 'service animal' is a good way to lose my medical license.

[pnwmom]

7. How would this writer know they were fakes? I know two people with service animals

who don't have noticeable disabilities.

One of them has epilepsy, and the dog has been trained to help her. The other is a rape victim with PTSD.

[Lucky Luciano]

8. Only time I wanted to do this was to bring my dog on airplanes for vacation.

Never did it, but we do wish we could bring the dog all over the world with us.

[alarimer]

9. There should be laws requiring certification and training for service animals.

It should require an actual diagnosis and proof that such an animal is necessary.

Licensing requirement for trainers and programs, etc. Training for the animal, whatever it is.

[dalton99a]

12. "Staff are not allowed to request any documentation"

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

Q7. What questions can a covered entity's employees ask to determine if a dog is a service animal?

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.

Q8. Do service animals have to wear a vest or patch or special harness identifying them as service animals?

A. No. The ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag, or specific harness.