Just finished Disney Dream. Service Dogs !

[Wheeling TravelingMom]

It's a sensitive subject. Those of us who have gone through the proper training and channels to own a service dog hate being lumped in with dogs that are not properly trained. Once you have a properly trained service dog you can spot a fake one a mile away. It's infuriating. My sons first service dog passed a few years ago and we bought a new puppy a few months later in hopes she too could be trained. With the breed we love and he needs for his specific issue the ONLY alternative is to buy a puppy and have it trained in home. Within a week of owning her we knew she would never be service dog material. People think they can train any dog to do service work and it just isn't true. It takes a very special dog to meet the demands of a working service dog. Anyway----just my rant on why it bothers me. I know how hard it is to train a service dog and it drives me nuts to see people fake it. Just as it drives me nuts to see people jump the line at Disney in their rented chair they thought would get them special privileges.

[moki'smommy]

Just as it drives me nuts to see people jump the line at Disney in their rented chair they thought would get them special privileges.

 

Are you aware that WDW no longer gives HA access passes or any special consideration largely because it was being abused so often? So sad. There were actually people advertising on line for someone in a chair to take them thru WDW on an HA pass and be paid for it! Of course the other point is that WDW is so large that someone who is not yet using a chair all the time may well need one at WDW.

 

And I do hear you about the dog. There is ONE organization that trains dogs for my daughter's needs, but at least there is one.

 

Years ago we did the puppy training and worked with an organization that provides guide dogs for the blind. Even with their selection process before sending the dogs out for the puppy year and their standards for the dogs during that year, only one in 10 makes the cut at the end of the year. The ones who do pass the test then have extensive training at their facility with professional trainers before being paired with a blind person and trained with that person for weeks. They find homes for the rest as well trained pets.

[Wheeling TravelingMom]

I am. I actually one of the crazy Disney bloggers that exposed it. I have the most hilarious pic of a fake "handicapped" family and their fake service dog that was in a stroller on my blog.

 

We have Leonbergers and they are SO hard to get (waitlist is years and years long). Our firsts parents were both hospital therapy dogs and she just had it in her. The training was intense and over her whole life. But our Leo now is a great pet. I won't be trusting her in the meat aisle at the grocery store though LOL.

 

I am glad that you have at least one org that can help. It is so hard to find reputable orgs as well.

[moki'smommy]

I am. I actually one of the crazy Disney bloggers that exposed it. I have the most hilarious pic of a fake "handicapped" family and their fake service dog that was in a stroller on my blog.

 

We have Leonbergers and they are SO hard to get (waitlist is years and years long). Our firsts parents were both hospital therapy dogs and she just had it in her. The training was intense and over her whole life. But our Leo now is a great pet. I won't be trusting her in the meat aisle at the grocery store though LOL.

 

I am glad that you have at least one org that can help. It is so hard to find reputable orgs as well.

 

Barb, I think you and I would be great friends....it's been really good talking with you on the boards.

Kathryn

fyi, Moki is my cat

[Jaylie]

I'll be on the Disney Dream next summer with several grandchildren. Some of them, plus myself, are afraid of dogs. Is this a big problem on ships? I never even thought that people would put a fake vest on a dog just to bring it with them, and certainly not on a cruise ship.

[moki'smommy]

I'll be on the Disney Dream next summer with several grandchildren. Some of them, plus myself, are afraid of dogs. Is this a big problem on ships? I never even thought that people would put a fake vest on a dog just to bring it with them, and certainly not on a cruise ship.

 

No, it's not a big problem and it is a big ship. Most of the time, a dog on the ship is a legit service dog. But there have been incidents reported that made it quite clear that the animal in question was not a trained service animal. The chances are that there will not be a dog on your cruise. If there is, there is no reason for you or your family to be anywhere near the animal. If by some fluke you are seated near one at dinner, ask the head server to have you moved. There shouldn't be a problem.

[Wheeling TravelingMom]

Barb' date=' I think you and I would be great friends....it's been really good talking with you on the boards.

Kathryn

fyi, Moki is my cat[/quote']

 

Couldn't agree more. :)

[makiramarlena]

I don't think DOJ considers this a loophole.

 

Service dogs are considered necessary medical equipment and they don't want to make it necessary for the disabled person to describe their disability, just use their equipment like they would use any other equipment.

 

Reasonably sure that it doesn't much matter to DOJ that pet owners are using ADA to have their pet accompany them everywhere. They figure the rule that the dog may be removed if it is disruptive or unhousebroken will take care of that.

 

There may be some different rules about entering other countries.

 

I'm not sure ADA can be used to demand equal access to a waterslide on a ship. If one is not able to ride the waterslide, they are not able to ride the waterslide.

 

ADA does not cover emotional support animals, and limits the definition of "service animals" to dogs and, in some cases, miniature horses. Air Carriers Access Act does cover support animals without regard to the species of animal, but airlines may require documentation (which is usually a letter from a medical provider stating that the passenger needs to be accompanied by the animal, and you can buy one of those online too). Hence the story about the support turkey aboard an airliner.

 

It gets further complicated--the definition of a "service animal" is that it must perform at least 2 services for the owner.

 

Not sure where this comes from. But it is not ADA. A service dog needs to perform a task to assist the owner, but it can be only one task. Under ADA, if only the animal's presence is required it's not a task.

Edited June 13, 2016 by makiramarlena

[alaska_planner]

there are so many dogs on board airplanes now with those little vests claiming their service status...big dogs...little dogs and everything in between....

it's unnerving to have to wonder how many might not have any training at all.....especially when you're stuck in a small metal tube 6 miles up in the sky....

Edited June 14, 2016 by alaska_planner

[e2011]

there are so many dogs on board airplanes now with those little vests claiming their service status...big dogs...little dogs and everything in between....

it's unnerving to have to wonder how many might not have any training at all.....especially when you're stuck in a small metal tube 6 miles up in the sky....

 

Its worse than you think. Last year we were on a flight from Honolulu back to Seattle. A guy in a Hawaiian floral shirt and flip flops gets on the plane with a dog. No service dog vest or any indication it was a service dog. The guy takes a seat and the dog, who was well behaved, curled up on the floor next to him. After we took off the stewardess was talking to the guy about the dog and the guy openly said its not a service dog. He says "I never told anyone he was a service dog. I just didnt want to go to Seattle without him so I brought him with me and no one ever asked. Not TSA, not Delta, not anyone."

Edited June 14, 2016 by e2011

[Wheeling TravelingMom]

And remember--a service dog does not have to wear a vest. Although most people with a legit dog will have one on because they don't want the hassle of being stopped every 10 feet.

 

 

But back to the pool lifts. DCL received our Guest Special Services Info Form and in the email confirming there was this paragraph. On the form it specifically asked if we would need a pool lift so of course I checked yes:

 

 

For the convenience of our Guests with mobility disabilities, pool lifts are now available upon request at various locations. The pool lift will be available only for the duration of requested periods and cannot remain in place for the duration of the sailing. Please be advised of all pool operating hours while onboard as well as adverse weather or sea conditions that may restrict pool lift use. The maximum weight limit for the pool lift is 300 lbs. Please speak with Guest Services once you are onboard to arrange for the pool lift to be set up for you.

 

The pool lift will be set up by the crew onboard the Disney Fantasy, but will be operated by the Guest utilizing the pool lift.

[alaska_planner]

Its worse than you think. Last year we were on a flight from Honolulu back to Seattle. A guy in a Hawaiian floral shirt and flip flops gets on the plane with a dog. No service dog vest or any indication it was a service dog. The guy takes a seat and the dog, who was well behaved, curled up on the floor next to him. After we took off the stewardess was talking to the guy about the dog and the guy openly said its not a service dog. He says "I never told anyone he was a service dog. I just didnt want to go to Seattle without him so I brought him with me and no one ever asked. Not TSA, not Delta, not anyone."

 

we were on a five hour delta flight....we were in the economy comfort bulkhead....across the aisle from us, in the window seat was a woman with a huge golden retriever. Don't know what he was there for, but he stretched out on the floor at her feet....

all well and good until the man sitting next to her arrived...

poor guy.....about 6'6" tall, he'd obviously picked that seat for the extra legroom.....but instead got no legroom at all....the dog took up all of the floor space....he had to scrunch up his legs for the entire flight...

and here he'd probably had to pay extra (as we did) for economy comfort....certainly not very comfortable for him...

[BeagleOne]

Its worse than you think. Last year we were on a flight from Honolulu back to Seattle. A guy in a Hawaiian floral shirt and flip flops gets on the plane with a dog. No service dog vest or any indication it was a service dog. The guy takes a seat and the dog, who was well behaved, curled up on the floor next to him. After we took off the stewardess was talking to the guy about the dog and the guy openly said its not a service dog. He says "I never told anyone he was a service dog. I just didnt want to go to Seattle without him so I brought him with me and no one ever asked. Not TSA, not Delta, not anyone."

 

I wonder if he was so breezy about getting the dog back to Hawaii? They're pretty strict in their import requirements and if the animal hasn't had certain treatments and doesn't have proper documentation, off to rabies quarantine it goes.

[moki'smommy]

My daughter has a mobility problem, and I've learned that there are "behind the scenes" ways to reserve the seat that she needs. So, I was on the phone to Delta 2 weeks ago. I explained the issue and asked to be seated "as far forward as possible." The agent told me that while she could put us in the bulkhead, those seats are prioritized to anyone traveling with a service dog and that we could be bumped in that case. If we were bumped, there was no promise as to what would be available on that time. She offered the next row back, stating that we would be given medical priority for that second row, so there would be no chance of being moved.

 

This is not a complaint, and one row will not make a significant difference to my daughter. This is simply a statement of what we were told.