Interesting Development Re Service Dogs

[MsSoCalCruiser]

On 11/11/2019 at 10:13 PM, Pam in CA said:

There are a lot of hoops someone must go through to board a Princess ship with a service dog. The passenger must provide certification, documentation, etc. that verifies it. Arrangements must be made to where the dog may “do it’s business” well out of the way of passengers. 
 

Service dogs do not have to be wearing a vest although most owners do have them wear one. As said, they are highly trained and if you see them in public with their owner, they are working and shouldn’t be petted. Not because they’re dangerous but because they’re working. 
 

A person’s disability is not always obvious. They’re not just for the blind or visually impaired. Service dogs are trained to detect nuts, whether their owner is having a seizure or a host of other invisible issues. 
 

Do not confuse a service dog with a comfort dog. Very, very different. 
 

The above described confrontation is awful for a number of reasons. We really don’t have the facts. Someone with a service dog would never, ever threaten to have their dog turn on someone. On the other hand, if you see a service dog on the ship, do not approach without the owners knowledge or permission. As said above, they are working. They are not pets. 

Thank you for posting this, Pam.  I did not know that dogs can be trained to detect nuts. I know someone who is severely allergic to mushrooms and I’m going to talk to her about your post. I wonder if this could help her? 

[CZEE]

On 11/17/2019 at 10:00 AM, I Love Cruising 3 said:

I think it was suppose to be sarcastic but I would pity people who had a cat allergy who went into that cabin if it were true.

Other people have dog allergies. I'm one of them.  I can't even ask the airlines if there are dogs onboard a flight for fear I might be deemed too ill to fly.  United pulled that one on me.  Luckily, a sympathetic flight attendant handed me down my carryon so I could use my inhaler.  Now, I medicate before I fly.  Thankfully, Princess will tell me if there has been a dog in the cabin. 

[CZEE]

Do you have a link?  When you say official page, do you mean on FB or where?

[CZEE]

On 11/19/2019 at 5:51 PM, rangeley said:

Does anyone know what ship this was? We were on the Royal the 9th-16th. There were 4 service dogs onboard. My husbands SD, my friend with her hearing dog, an older couple with a questionable seizure dog and one I never saw. Was wondering if the other dog was this woman.

 

I don't like to get in heated discussions about service animals. Everyone has their own opinions. Just for the record, our dog was trained for 2 years and has to go for testing every 3 years. 

Coral Princess through the Canal.

[bugsy43]

On 11/12/2019 at 9:16 AM, whitecap said:

My 2 cents, flame if you must:

When did common sense become a thing of the past.  An animal trained to detect a seizure, seeing eye dog and alike are providing a "SERVICE" to the owner.  A service dog allows many individuals the freedom to do things and go places that otherwise they may not be able to do.

An "emotional" animal provides no service, is there for the comfort of the owner and nothing else.  This animal should not be allowed aboard a ship, plane, train or any other public transportation.  They are not trained and are many times not well behaved.  If a person is not able to travel, shop or go to a public restaurant, without their animal, they probably shouldn't be traveling without being accompanied by a "trained human".  

Having experienced a number of cruises where people brought their "emotional pet" onboard, seeing them walk the buffet line petting the dog over top the food and touching the utensils, I find it a failure of the cruise line to allow this.  If it is so important to the cruise line to not upset these individuals then assign a crew member to the individual to get their food, drinks or other needs, clean up after the animal etc.  Otherwise, go by the ADA standard:  Certified/Documented Service Animals ONLY! 

Slightly off main topic however based on personal experience, I’m more concerned about some of the passengers habits and behaviours when it comes to sanitary practices on board. 😳😳

[donaldsc]

On 11/23/2019 at 11:22 AM, CZEE said:

Other people have dog allergies. I'm one of them.  I can't even ask the airlines if there are dogs onboard a flight for fear I might be deemed too ill to fly.  United pulled that one on me.  Luckily, a sympathetic flight attendant handed me down my carryon so I could use my inhaler.  Now, I medicate before I fly.  Thankfully, Princess will tell me if there has been a dog in the cabin. 

 

I love it where dogs have more rights than people.  

 

DON

[Reader0108598]

I understand that people have Alergies! I use three inhalors a  day! I love dogs,most don't trigger my COPD! However I understand that people with Alergies  this does happen ! If you need your dog to see or hear for you  etc, I will bend over backwards to help you, get your guide /lifeline where ever you need to go! (I will contain  myself  and not pet I know it is a no no) It is just this garbage with let me bring my pet cruising with me! Before I get bashed I also have other ailments but still manage to cruise with my husband without Fluffy! If you have a true need for a service dog go through the extensive training so I am not pinned against the airplane window getting my face chewed off like the poor guy on Delta! 

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by Reader0108598

[vjmatty]

56 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

I love it where dogs have more rights than people.  

 

DON

 

It's actually the owner's rights being discussed.... dogs don't really seek the right to go on a cruise and are probably ambivalent about the whole experience.

[Daniel A]

I was in a restaurant last night and there was a woman with a service type dog wearing a vest sitting at the bar.  The dog was lying on the floor next to the woman.  The man sitting next to her got up and turned to walk away from the bar and tripped on the dog's leash and he crashed to the floor.  If he broke his hip and needed a hip replacement and months of rehabilitation, who pays for it?  The bar?  The woman?  The dog?  The man should go bankrupt because she had a 'right' to have a dog in a restaurant?Fortunately, the man got up and appeared to be uninjured.  Didn't that man minding his own business have a right to a safe environment?

[vjmatty]

8 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I was in a restaurant last night and there was a woman with a service type dog wearing a vest sitting at the bar.  The dog was lying on the floor next to the woman.  The man sitting next to her got up and turned to walk away from the bar and tripped on the dog's leash and he crashed to the floor.  If he broke his hip and needed a hip replacement and months of rehabilitation, who pays for it?  The bar?  The woman?  The dog?  The man should go bankrupt because she had a 'right' to have a dog in a restaurant?Fortunately, the man got up and appeared to be uninjured.  Didn't that man minding his own business have a right to a safe environment?

 

Same as if he tripped over the woman's cane or pocketbook strap.  The fact that it is a living being doesn't change liability.

[CaribbeanIsland]

9 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I was in a restaurant last night and there was a woman with a service type dog wearing a vest sitting at the bar.  The dog was lying on the floor next to the woman.  The man sitting next to her got up and turned to walk away from the bar and tripped on the dog's leash and he crashed to the floor.  If he broke his hip and needed a hip replacement and months of rehabilitation, who pays for it?  The bar?  The woman?  The dog?  The man should go bankrupt because she had a 'right' to have a dog in a restaurant?Fortunately, the man got up and appeared to be uninjured.  Didn't that man minding his own business have a right to a safe environment?

They can trip over anything - a back pack, cane, walker or a child's leash (yes they exist).

 

At the end of the day --- say a prayer that you are thankful that you don't have a disability. No one goes into this wishing they were visually impaired, hearing impaired, diabetic, or have severe allergies that having this type of dog makes their life easier.

Edited November 26, 2019 by CaribbeanIsland

[CaribbeanIsland]

On 11/23/2019 at 1:22 PM, CZEE said:

Other people have dog allergies. I'm one of them.  I can't even ask the airlines if there are dogs onboard a flight for fear I might be deemed too ill to fly.  United pulled that one on me.  Luckily, a sympathetic flight attendant handed me down my carryon so I could use my inhaler.  Now, I medicate before I fly.  Thankfully, Princess will tell me if there has been a dog in the cabin. 

People have all types of allergies that they must live with. I know I have plenty. We all learn to deal with our allergies in a variety of ways.

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, CaribbeanIsland said:

They can trip over anything - a back pack, cane, walker or a child's leash (yes they exist).

 

At the end of the day --- say a prayer that you are thankful that you don't have a disability. No one goes into this wishing they were visually impaired, hearing impaired, diabetic, or have severe allergies that having this type of dog makes their life easier.

What makes you presume I'm not disabled?

[Reader0108598]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

What makes you presume I'm not disabled?

Thank you! I had a lady yell at me one day in a grocery store parking lot for not returning the cart! I use 3 inhalors a day and a nebulizer some days! I have COPD! I just ran out of energy that day had all I could do to collapse in my car! Just because i look ok

does not mean i am! I did not even have the breath to tell her off not like me 🙂

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by Reader0108598

[CaribbeanIsland]

10 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

What makes you presume I'm not disabled?

Usually those who have a disability are empathetic to others who have a disability. You show no empathy.

[Daniel A]

1 minute ago, CaribbeanIsland said:

Usually those who have a disability are empathetic to others who have a disability. You show no empathy.

Maybe the poor man who fell flat on his face would think I did show empathy by having reasonable concern for him and his safety.  I didn't think your response to Czee's health conditions displayed any empathy.

[Reader0108598]

1 hour ago, CaribbeanIsland said:

Usually those who have a disability are empathetic to others who have a disability. You show no empathy.

I did not see anything in his post that suggested he was not  empathetic .The person who had the service dog should have made sure her dog and leash were not a tripping hazard!

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by Reader0108598

[Haboob]

3 hours ago, CaribbeanIsland said:

They can trip over anything - a back pack, cane, walker or a child's leash (yes they exist).

 

At the end of the day --- say a prayer that you are thankful that you don't have a disability. No one goes into this wishing they were visually impaired, hearing impaired, diabetic, or have severe allergies that having this type of dog makes their life easier.

Two comments...

 

1) We're talking about a man in a bar.  It might be that he tripped over his BAC, not the dog.

 

2) The crux of this thread is *not* that some people truly need forbearance and 4-footed assistance, it's that there are those who abuse the system, that their "Fluffy"s give well-trained and well-mannered animals an undeserved bad name, and in the case of a Delta passenger 28 stitches to his face.

[lovey1103]

On 11/12/2019 at 7:34 AM, PrincessLuver said:

 

Agree....it is really ridiculous how many people abuse the system for those who are truly in need of help from a trained service animal....I am glad to see the airlines are starting to set more restrictions on these these "fake emotional support animals" and it is interesting you do not really see emotional support animals in Europe because is is basically an American thing because of the ADA.....we have friends who have had their pets certified with the "phony online certificates" just so they can fly their animal for free.  Unbelievable!!

It's such a shame that people abuse the system calling a family pet a service or emotional support animal.

My husband has had Parkinson's Disease for 24 years and does have an emotional support dog.  We are very careful where we take her including flying.  She is trained and very quiet. Neurology and psychologist have supported the need.

Not all are fake

[JF - retired RRT]

On 11/22/2019 at 8:54 PM, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Thank you for posting this, Pam.  I did not know that dogs can be trained to detect nuts. I know someone who is severely allergic to mushrooms and I’m going to talk to her about your post. I wonder if this could help her? 

If pigs can smell truffles, dogs can surely smell mushrooms.

Just watch the dogs doing drug or food interdiction...walk by, one sniff, on to the next one.

[BabySarge]

As this topic is still going thought I would post the attached op ed piece I came across on Military.com.  For full disclosure please note I copied the article and pasted it into a word document so it isn't in its original format but I changed nothing else.  

Your Holiday Gift to Veterans this Year.docx