service animals

[pms4104]

Please refer to my earlier post that explains that there are various forms of sevice animals and support animals. There a numerous reasons why a person can and will have a support dog. There is no laws requiring sevice animals and support animals to wear a vest. Service animals perform a specific function , whether it be performing a task that the owner cannot do for themselves or notifying it's owner of an inpending seizure. Support Animals are not trained to perform a specific action. Rather they are needed for a medical document emotional reasons. Most people who have Support dogs prefer to refer to them as Service Animals so as not to cause only alarm or concern that they have an emotional condition. Support animals are treated much like the family pet. In fact they often were the family pet to begin with.

 

Just as with people who have hidden disabilities, one should not pass judgement on whether or not the dog is a service animal or a support animal. The cruise lines require specific documents be provided before any of these dogs are boarded. So you have to assume if the cruise line approved than there's a documented need for the dog to be on the ship.

Yes, I've read and I understand. My point was that the animal, service or support, was permitted to run freely, unleashed/unharnessed, and/or occupy a bar stool ... and that clearly was contrary to HAL's policy for animals permitted onboard the ship ... at least, that's what I was told both by ship staff and Seattle personnel.

[xxoocruiser]

Yes, I've read and I understand. My point was that the animal, service or support, was permitted to run freely, unleashed/unharnessed, and/or occupy a bar stool ... and that clearly was contrary to HAL's policy for animals permitted onboard the ship ... at least, that's what I was told both by ship staff and Seattle personnel.

 

 

Misundestood your post. Sorry This I do agree with . We have the same issue with Support dogs in my complex and regretablly have had to advise the owners that there is no law that allows the dog to run freely and unrulely about the place. And after nurmerous attempts by the HOA to have the owner correct matters the HOA is having to go through the process of legal removal since the dog now poses a threat to other residents by being left unattended.

 

Have a nice day.

[soozles]

Please refer to my earlier post that explains that there are various forms of sevice animals and support animals. There a numerous reasons why a person can and will have a support dog. There is no laws requiring sevice animals and support animals to wear a vest. Service animals perform a specific function , whether it be performing a task that the owner cannot do for themselves or notifying it's owner of an inpending seizure. Support Animals are not trained to perform a specific action. Rather they are needed for a medical document emotional reasons. Most people who have Support dogs prefer to refer to them as Service Animals so as not to cause only alarm or concern that they have an emotional condition. Support animals are treated much like the family pet. In fact they often were the family pet to begin with.

 

Just as with people who have hidden disabilities, one should not pass judgement on whether or not the dog is a service animal or a support animal. The cruise lines require specific documents be provided before any of these dogs are boarded. Doctores are required to sign these forms. Becuase of Liability Insurance, State Medial Laws , and the possibility medical licenses being lost for falsifying documents most doctors will not sign these forms unless it's well documented as to the medical need for these dogs to be on the ship. So you have to assume if the cruise line approved than there's a documented need for the dog to be on the ship.

 

That's not to say the there are probably people who do get around the rules and abuse this.

 

I understand that there are support animals, I'm not passing judgement on anybody. I have a dog and I love her as much as any person can love a dog. But usually, the animals are well behaved, and not easily distracted. This dog would jump on people walking down the promenade, tripping them up, yip yapping during the show, constantly trying to break free from the leash. I'm sorry, but any service animal should not be behaving like that. My dog that is just a regular house pet is better behaved. Did it ruin my cruise? No, but it made it more annoying when I saw them coming my way, I would have to make sure I didn't get tangled up in hyper dog's leash.

[sultan_sfo]

It is because of these reasons you give that a Psychiatrist / MD will easily certify the need! After all who does not need emotional support. SF has the highest number of disability placards per capita for cars because the MDs just signs the form. Last week, there was a segment on TV where small businesses have requested the Congress to make the rules more stringent for these so called "emotional" support dogs that are more and more brought into stores and restaurants. A few weeks ago, I posted on another thread that I could forsee someone coming into a restaurant with a support snake. I laughed when the TV segment last week also joked about the snake being brought in. For stores and restaurants no documentation is required -- only a declaration that the animal is a support animal.

 

...

Doctores are required to sign these forms. Becuase of Liability Insurance, State Medial Laws , and the possibility medical licenses being lost for falsifying documents most doctors will not sign these forms unless it's well documented as to the medical need for these dogs to be on the ship. So you have to assume if the cruise line approved than there's a documented need for the dog to be on the ship.

...

[xxoocruiser]

I understand that there are support animals, I'm not passing judgement on anybody. I have a dog and I love her as much as any person can love a dog. But usually, the animals are well behaved, and not easily distracted. This dog would jump on people walking down the promenade, tripping them up, yip yapping during the show, constantly trying to break free from the leash. I'm sorry, but any service animal should not be behaving like that. My dog that is just a regular house pet is better behaved. Did it ruin my cruise? No, but it made it more annoying when I saw them coming my way, I would have to make sure I didn't get tangled up in hyper dog's leash.

 

Again Support animals are not the same as Service Animals . Support Animals do not go through any training. Nor are they required to go through any training or certification process. So unfortunately Support Animals can be unrulely at times be their opwners are not forced to have the well trained. However I do agree that if anyone takes a Support Animal on a cruise ship ( or any public venue for that matter ) the dog should be leashed at all times and the owner be in full control over dog at all times so as not to be intrusive to others. Or pose potential harm to others.

[BaileyandBella]

Yes....we saw a service dog in training.

 

It was last summer in Alaska on NCL's Pearl. There was an announcement in the "Daily" just to let everyone know.

 

It was a blonde lab.

[xxoocruiser]

It is because of these reasons you give that a Psychiatrist / MD will easily certify the need! After all who does not need emotional support. SF has the highest number of disability placards per capita for cars because the MDs just signs the form. Last week, there was a segment on TV where small businesses have requested the Congress to make the rules more stringent for these so called "emotional" support dogs that are more and more brought into stores and restaurants. A few weeks ago, I posted on another thread that I could forsee someone coming into a restaurant with a support snake. I laughed when the TV segment last week also joked about the snake being brought in. For stores and restaurants no documentation is required -- only a declaration that the animal is a support animal.

 

 

Totally agree with you. There is so much abuse of both Support Animals and Disability Placards. The state that I reside in has finally cracked down on all the placard abuse. A doctor can loose their medical license and have to pay a $5,000 if they do not comply with the new stricter requirements for placards. As result of these new laws no ethical doctor is going to place themselves at risk . Unfortunately the laws for Support Animals are a grey area and cross over and lay more on the shoulders of the Federal Goverment. Being disabled myself, I do volunteer advocacy work on just these vary issues. It's quite upsetting that people get their docotors to write a letter to state that their family pet is a Support Animal because they don't want to pay kennel fees when they go on vacation.