Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

[Tinwoman]

You can go here and have basically any dog certified as a service dog for $50.00.

http://www.registeredservicedogs.com/

 

Getting Started is Easy:

 

We simply require that a Service Dog is registered. Our company requires that you supply:

 

* A doctor's request that this individual has a medical need for a “Service Dog”.

* A Veterinarian's signed statement that your service dog is not considered to be vicious or in any way a threat to the general public.

* Proof of the shots and vaccinations, etc. that are required to keep the dog in good health.

 

Simply click on the link below, follow the prompts, and submit the completed forms to us with your payment of $49.95 + 1.50 S/H. Your custom created ID Card Package will be sent out within three (3) business days.

[Tinwoman]

Roz: You know that comment struck me as odd also, but I guess I filed it away. Its as if they are saying the SD is for your convenience as long as they don't interfer. Then why would one need a SD? Rethorical question. I know you would never leave Brenny home, she is with you for a reason.

 

When we travel in our motorhome, Reno goes with us. He cannot get down the steps, and probably can't get up them anymore. I have to take his ramp with us and ramp him out of the motorhome everytime he wants out. It would be easier to leave him with the babysitter, but he is part of the family and I will just have to compromise some of my time for him.

 

To the others Reno is not a SD. Just our big ole furbaby. He now has a sister kitty. She hasn't been in the motorhome yet, but can't see any reason why she wouldn't go. She is strictly an indoor kitty anyway. A little inconvenience to us is a life time of furbaby love and kisses.

 

I hate to come off sounding like a jacka** on this subject, but I do want people to understand that I love animals, I have two dogs, one a service animal, and two cats. I am a wild life rehabilitation officer and have fostered 100's of animals from owls, hawks, to groundhogs and wolfs until they were well enough to turn free.

I guess one of my pet peeves on this subject is now there are service monkeys, horses, etc. and I think the idea of service animals are being abused by some.

When I was a police officer we constantly had to go on calls where apartment neighbors where assaulting one another because a tenant had a service animal that was for emotional support.

Then a fight would ensue because other people weren't allow to have animals.

We would just tell them to go to one of the sites such as I listed above and get your own service animal certified.

Its easy, a note from your vet and you are good to go.

[Andar]

Shirley,

First, one doesn't doesn't go to a vet, people see a doctor. The vet cannot "certify" a SD. You must a disablity that affects activities of daily living.

It is unfortunate that you were in a role of authority and gave wrong information. You had an opportunity to educate the neighbors and the public about the need for SD. Yes, some mental illness do limit a persons ablity to function. Maybe your lack of compassion was a reason you "were" a police officer.

 

I now suspect that you don't really have a SD. You just did what you advised others to do - which, by the way, is against the law

 

It is apparent that you do not have any understanding whatsoever about the difficulties in trying to perform routine tasks, like shopping or walking.

I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt in response to your previous post, but it is now obvious, you are part of the problem.:mad:

 

Remember in a blink of an eye, your life can change forever, making every little task seem like a mountain. We don't all look "handicapped"

 

Please try and have a little compassion in your life and your posts. If you can't add anything positive to the discussions maybe you should re-think why you are posting on this thread. :confused:

 

As far as buying a certificate online, there are people that buy diplomas online, they are just as dishonest. It doesn't give them the experience of a college grad and getting a "certificte" for a pet doesn't make them a SD! They are breaking the law if they are not disabled.

[denversees4me]

AMEN ANDAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

this board is crazy ... people saying dogs are SDs when they arent people saying a SD isnt a SD if it is playing on the beach LOL people saying having a SD is a pain for vacations and it is sad for the dogs ...... geeee maybe thats why dogs should have to be cert by ORGINIZATIONS reguardless of their school or owner traning ..... if a dog is not suited for work YES they shut down

gosh theres got to be something done in this crazy growing SD world

THANKS PERRIS HILTON !!!! for letting people think they can take their dogs everywhere !!!!!

GRRRRrrrrrrrr

cari and Denver ( a REAL service dog )_

[Andar]

Thanks Cari and Denver,

Now maybe we can get back to the purpose of this thread:

Cruisers with physical limitations sharing their advice & experiences.

I am thinking of taking a little square of artifical turf for the potty box. This is not "astro turf" but the new turf they use on athletic fields, etc. We actually put it in our new backyard and Bailey loves it. We left her potty spot natural, but she now prefers a spot on the artifical turf. I would just dispose of it at the end of the cruise.:rolleyes:

What do you think?

 

 

[rangeley]

Tinwoman: I guess you haven't been around many handicapped people. My fiance is a quad, paralyzed from the neck down. He has enough use in his arms and hand to get by. A few years ago he had 2 shoulder surgeries because he blew out his shoulders trying to pick things up off the floor. His service dog was a godsend. He teaches special ed in a elementary school and the dog also helps the kids. He also made John more approachable to people who usually shy away from someone in a wheelchair. Our service dog was the happiest dog I've ever seen. He was treated like a king. He loved to go places with us, whether it was a concert, dinner or a baseball game. He loved to meet people and make them smile. Being handicapped is a horrible thing, and anything that can improve quality of life is never a bad thing. Cindy

[sunshine426]

Andar and Rangley. Well Said!! I read Tinwoman's post with shock and dismay. :mad: Thought about it overnight, and how to respond, and you two did so well. I myself am not disabled, but find reading these threads informative, as it allows a peek into the world of disabilities and how things are handled. I know it has made me more sensitive and aware of things I had not even noticed. As I speak I have a beautiful golden retriever at my side who is a SD in training. Frankly, she herself has some special needs and might not be certified. Which is why most SD training programs are so rigorous. Every dog is not cut out for service and those that aren't have a special place out in the real world.

OK, enought off topic chatter. I'm off to the local Children's hospital to walk among wheelchairs, loud noises, funny smells, etc. Actually this girl I have does very well in this environment. I am sure she will bring some smiles today.

[S.S. Cruisers]

Thanks Cari and Denver,

Now maybe we can get back to the purpose of this thread:

Cruisers with physical limitations sharing their advice & experiences.

Exactly, and thats all I'm saying.

 

I keep reminding you guys Reno is not a SD, but he helps us in so many ways, mentally. Its funny how you get to know when they have to go potty. We lived in our motorhome for about 3 months before moving into our home. All I had to do was find his favorite grassy spot, which was not very private, but had to make do. Pick up after him and he was a happy boy. We had to put him in a harness because he is so strong. He loves it. At first he wasn't real sure about it. Too restraining on his chubby body, probably.

 

Now back to cruising. Found a great price on one in December. Probably won't be able to go then. My job is temporary, for four months. If they did allow me to take off, its defeating the purpose of working for cruise money! :o

 

Off to get the little guy up for school.

 

Everyone have a great day and hugs and kisses to the furbabies.

 

Nancy

[DisneyKidsDad]

Well we got back yesterday from our four day trip to WDW withour DD's service dog, Orson. We were up at 2:00 AM for our 6:30 flight on Spirit out of Atlantic City Airport. When I booked the flight, it was a 9:30 AM flight. Orson did great on the flight. We had bulkhead seats and he slept the whole way down. We got to Coronado Springs around 11:00 AM, using Tiffany Towncar.

The CM had some trouble with our reservation. After she got a supervisor involved, it turned out they didn't have a wheelchair accessable room for three people. They ended up giving us an accessable room with a king bed and a connecteng room with two doubles. That worked out great, having two bathrooms. The resort is HUGE!! We were in the Casitas section, bldg. #3. All the buildings and courtyards look alike. It's pretty easy to get confused. It was a pretty good walk to the food court and the main pool was on the other side of the lagoon. Too long a walk for us. We did go to the quiet pool one afternoon. The water was COLD!! There are four bus stops for the resort. It was way too big for us.

Orson was fantastic in the parks. He did everything we needed him to do. All the CM's were also fantastic. We even got him a first timers button to pin to his vest. He even got to go on some of the rides. We went to Mickey's Toontown and got his picture taken with Mickey & Minnie. We didn't like the fact that the parks closed so early this time of year. We like to go out early morning and at night when it's cooler. Leaving hot afternoons for pool and naps. Sunday night we went to EPCOT for the food and wine festival. That was GREAT!! We had a bunch of snack options left over so we used them to sample food around all the countries. That became our dinner. Well since I'm not great at trip reports, if anyone has any questions, fire away.

[Andar]

DisneyKidsDad, glad your family had a great time. How croweded was the park this time of year?

[justiceforall5929]

Shirley,

First, one doesn't doesn't go to a vet, people see a doctor. The vet cannot "certify" a SD. You must a disablity that affects activities of daily living.

It is unfortunate that you were in a role of authority and gave wrong information. You had an opportunity to educate the neighbors and the public about the need for SD. Yes, some mental illness do limit a persons ablity to function. Maybe your lack of compassion was a reason you "were" a police officer.

 

I now suspect that you don't really have a SD. You just did what you advised others to do - which, by the way, is against the law

 

It is apparent that you do not have any understanding whatsoever about the difficulties in trying to perform routine tasks, like shopping or walking.

I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt in response to your previous post, but it is now obvious, you are part of the problem.:mad:

 

Remember in a blink of an eye, your life can change forever, making every little task seem like a mountain. We don't all look "handicapped"

 

Please try and have a little compassion in your life and your posts. If you can't add anything positive to the discussions maybe you should re-think why you are posting on this thread. :confused:

 

As far as buying a certificate online, there are people that buy diplomas online, they are just as dishonest. It doesn't give them the experience of a college grad and getting a "certificte" for a pet doesn't make them a SD! They are breaking the law if they are not disabled.

You can go here and have basically any dog certified as a service dog for $50.00.

http://www.registeredservicedogs.com/

 

Getting Started is Easy:

 

We simply require that a Service Dog is registered. Our company requires that you supply:

 

* A doctor's request that this individual has a medical need for a “Service Dog”.

* A Veterinarian's signed statement that your service dog is not considered to be vicious or in any way a threat to the general public.

* Proof of the shots and vaccinations, etc. that are required to keep the dog in good health.

 

Simply click on the link below, follow the prompts, and submit the completed forms to us with your payment of $49.95 + 1.50 S/H. Your custom created ID Card Package will be sent out within three (3) business days.

 

[Andar]

Justiceforall (?)

 

Just because you can buy something online doesn't make it right or legal.

 

"Passing off any dog that is not specifically trained as per the Americans with Disability Act, state, and local laws is illegal and is a federal offense with carries federal penalties."

http://www.lapublishing.com/article.asp_Q_product_id_E_Imposter

[cjborne2]

Disneykidsdad, I think it's great that you have a positive experience at Disney with Orson. Ollie got a 1st timers pin too.

 

As an aside, when the rep from the Seeing Eye came to our house before my husband went to training, she told us that the dogs truly love to work. I didn't believe it at the time but I have seen that Ollie really does love to work and is very excited when he gets to guide. I think the dog would have a harder time if we left him home to give him a "break".

[DisneyKidsDad]

DisneyKidsDad, glad your family had a great time. How croweded was the park this time of year?

 

 

 

Andar, The parks were not very crowded last week.

[DisneyKidsDad]

Disneykidsdad, I think it's great that you have a positive experience at Disney with Orson. Ollie got a 1st timers pin too.

 

As an aside, when the rep from the Seeing Eye came to our house before my husband went to training, she told us that the dogs truly love to work. I didn't believe it at the time but I have seen that Ollie really does love to work and is very excited when he gets to guide. I think the dog would have a harder time if we left him home to give him a "break".

 

CJ, I know what you mean about the dogs loving to work. Orson is not very happy unless he is working. We try to get him to work every day. Even if it's on a walk or opening and closing doors and drawers. One of his favorite things to do in Disney World was to push the automatic door buttons.

[dvdfreakmc]

CJ, I know what you mean about the dogs loving to work. Orson is not very happy unless he is working. We try to get him to work every day. Even if it's on a walk or opening and closing doors and drawers. One of his favorite things to do in Disney World was to push the automatic door buttons.

 

 

That is awesome. I'm so glad you had a great time! The food and wine festival is GREAT! Werin is the same way. She gets so excited when we play the how fast can you do a command game. "Sit, down, front, back, sit, down . . . then "release"

[denversees4me]

I am thinking of taking a little square of artifical turf for the potty box. This is not "astro turf" but the new turf they use on athletic fields, etc. We actually put it in our new backyard and Bailey loves it. We left her potty spot natural, but she now prefers a spot on the artifical turf. I would just dispose of it at the end of the cruise.:rolleyes:

What do you think?

i think this is a brilliant idea for anyone who has a dog who needs grass.... i think it is pretty in expensive i wonder if a cruise line would consider it if it is close enough in cost to shavings....i dont know how sanitary it will be , but let us know how it is and if it works .... i would be interested to know

cari and denver

[Quampapetet]

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!! :) The person at Souplantation has been FIRED!!!! After working for the company for 14 years and, the fact that he gambled with his job so heavily has come back to bite him very hard!

I'm glad he was dealt with by the company. It is too bad he lost his job, but from what you said, he had the chance to keep it by going to the class but he didn't go. Hopefully he'll learn a lesson from this, especially if his next job is in a related field (i.e. at another restaurant).

 

 

Quam, your incorrect! If I am walking with Brenda and she is working the entire time and I decide to take off her vest, (which is not needed, in the first place), during this time and I, then, extend her lead to allow her to "release" for a bit.....she and I are still within our rights to be anywhere!!!!! And, can not be asked to leave the area just because an official happened to come upon us for that time! Had the dog been disruptive/injured someone, etc., that would have been different.

I'm not incorrect. You cannot let an SD play somewhere that pets are not allowed. They can, of course, be there if they are working at the time. The only reason SDs are allowed where pets aren't is because you need them to work for you. Remember that SDs have no access rights; only you as a disabled person have the right to have your medical devices (such as an SD) with you because you need them in order to use the place/get to the place/etc. If the device (like an SD) isn't being used for a medical purpose, you don't have the right to have it with you if it isn't normally allowed there.

You would be asked to leave if you refused to put your dog into work mode, but if you were told no pets were allowed and so kept her in working mode, you'd be fine.

This has nothing to do with etiquette - it is about the law. The other poster is not the only one who hasn't understood it; I've known others who didn't realize it before it happened to them, too.

[Quampapetet]

Quam, Thank you for the opportunity to clarify the circumstances at the beach.

 

We were not visiting the beach for a day.

We were staying in the cabin (reserved for handicapped) on the beach for an entire week.

 

The law doesn't change based on how long you are at a place.

 

Bailey normally has exercise / playtime twice a day.

During the week we were there, we would get up very early before people were there and take her for her walk. We would wait until people left to take her in the evening. The only place I could walk her was the beach as the area behind the cabin was a very steep hill.

 

Walking on the beach in work mode would be fine. But playing off-duty is only for pets-allowed spots.

 

It is "reasonable accommodations" that the SD be be allowed some "down time" during the week. I know you were not suggesting she "hold it" for the entire week.

 

It is not a reasonable accommodation to allow an SD to play where pets are not allowed. Like I said above, SDs do not have any access rights. Only the disabled person does, with the access being an accommodation for the person's disability, such as access in public places when they are being helped by an SD or other medical device. It is a reasonable accommodation for you to bring your SD with you on the beach when he is working for you. When you want him to have down-time and play, you have to find an acceptable pets-allowed place (or get permission from the no-pets-allowed place for your SD to have playtime at the no-pets-allowed place, such as the beach you went to).

 

Pottying on the clock is allowed, of course.

[Quampapetet]

 

our service dogs are allowed anywhere at any time !!!! working or not they are service dogs and they are technically always working !!!!

That is not quite true and not what the law is. You are allowed to bring a working SD with you in almost all public spaces (there are a few exceptions, such as churches and operating rooms and restaurant kitchens) because you need the help. The SD has no access rights in and of itself.

 

While some SDs are always on-call when they're not in work mode (such as hearing dogs and medical alert dogs), there are other SDs who do go into off-duty mode - this is when they can play or otherwise "just be a dog", as many call it.

my dog and i go to the beach too and as long as i have him on leash ( which is a law ) he is allowed to be out of his harness and walk through the water with me or just a ways out from me

If pets are allowed there, he can play there. If they aren't allowed there (or aren't allowed there at that time - many beaches let dogs on them in the off-seasons or off-hours), he is not allowed to play there (unless the beach gives permission, like they can for anybody with any dog if they so choose and there's no law against it [i.e. a restaurant can't make an exception for somebody to bring their pet inside since there are laws against pets in restaurants]). Just because you haven't been caught yet doesn't mean it isn't allowed.

... it dosent mean he isnt my service dog because he has not go his harness on

No, but if he's playing or otherwise off-duty, it means he isn't working and, therefore, you don't have the right to access with him. Like if somebody wants to go to a day-long concert where outside food is prohibited, they cannot take in their own food just because they don't like what's being sold there or they would rather have something else. But, if somebody had a medical need for a special dietary food/supplement/drink/whatnot that normally would not be allowed, they would be able to take it with them despite the rule of no outside food. But if that same exact food/supplement/drink/whatnot were not needed for a medical reason, they could not take it in.

..... yes he may technically not be on duty but if i needed him he would be there at a moments notice making him on duty ... service dogs are ALWAYS working even when they are not that is why so many dogs are dropped from programs when being evaluated for service work it is a stressful job

That doesn't make him on-duty. If he is on-duty, he is working, whether passively (like laying under the table at a restaurant) or actively (like guiding you around).

 

That is not the reason so many SDs are dropped from programs; they are dropped for a myriad of things, such as the wrong temperament, health issues, inability to be trained well/quickly, size, certain vices (i.e. a dog that never stops barking despite them trying to train him to stop), shyness (can't handle being out in public/around sounds/etc.), no work ethic (dogs can be lazy just like we can!), etc.

. ...... this saddens me that someone on here would think a service dog isnt allowed on the beach because they are not working !!!!!

It isn't sad; it is the law. The law that is about equality, remember, not special privileges.

and it sounds like what your saying is they are not working when they are out of harness or a cape and they are not allowed acess to something for lesiure

I never said they aren't working if they're not in harness/cape/etc.

 

SDs have no access period. Only ppl have access. Ppl with disabilities have the right to be helped by an SD in public places just like any other medical device (cane, oxygen, wheelchair, meds with needles, etc.) even if such an item normally wouldn't be allowed (a cane is sometimes classified as a weapon unless it is for medical use, needles are disallowed for safety reasons in many places except for medical use, etc.).

 

SDs can play, but not in places they are not allowed to be, which would be anywhere that doesn't allow dogs since the SD would not be working and, therefore, not needed for medical use.

.What happens if i am on the beach with my dog sitting there just doing nothing ... he isnt working technically... but does it mean he needs to leave NO !!!

Yes, he techically IS working when he is in work mode even when he is passive. When he is playing, he is not working, though.

IT IS A LAW black and white service dogs do not need to wear a vest or harness to clarify their status.

I never said they did.

It would be like saying you cant bring your wheelchair on the beach just because your going to get out of it to swim ...... it is something that is needed even if your not in it !

Actually, that is not at all the same thing. The wheelchair IS there due to a medical need - you got to the beach in it and used it at the beach. Even if the beach outlawed wheelchairs (which I've never heard of, LOL!), the wheelchair would be allowed because it is there for a medical reason. Now, if the beach outlawed wheelchairs and a person brought one when they had no medical need for one (obviously a very hypothetical question, since that would likely never happen!) but just wanted to play in it, then it would not be allowed.

Just like your guide dog guides you to a restaurant, but the restaurant cannot tell you to leave the dog outside even if he doesn't guide you anywhere in the restaurant because you're sitting at a table the whole time, your dog is working and is a medical need and you used him to get to and will use him to get from the restaurant. Similarly, a person with seizures might not get a single alert from their seizure alert dog at the restaurant, but the dog is still allowed because it is working and is there for them due to a medical need. In neither situation can the SD be let to play. (I know it sounds stupid, like what real SD handler would let their dog play in a restaurant, but the beach is a public access spot JUST like the restaurant. The same laws apply.)

when service dogs are not working it does not mean they are pets !!!!! AGAIN read the law a service dog is not a pet he/she is a working dog .

 

No, they are not pets, but they also are not needed for medical reasons if they are playing. You can't abuse your disability and equal access rights to let your SD play where pets aren't allowed any more than a disabled person can abuse the law to bring their pet places with them (which sadly does happen - they think nobody will question them because they're in a wheelchair, for instance).

 

I know the laws quite well, thanks. I've been an SD owner for several years and have been active in the SD and disability communities since before that.

[Quampapetet]

I emailed 6 islands last weekend. We only heard back from 1 of them. Now thats over a week ago and still haven't heard anything. We tried to email some official dept, you would think they would have responded by now. I guess I'll wait another week and email them again.

 

E-mail isn't always effective, especially with stuff like this. You may need to call instead. (You can call their embassies in the U.S. instead of making international phone calls.)

 

Also, try your vet. They should have access to this type of info.

[Quampapetet]

Its as if they are saying the SD is for your convenience as long as they don't interfer.

 

The thing is, some ppl actually are like that! It happens with all types of disabilities, but one example is a group of guide dog users who use the dog only when it is convenient for them to do so. Some only use the dog on the weekends (not when going to work), some leave the dog home if it is raining, some pick and choose for certain things, some only use the dog if they are going alone (no friends/family going with them), etc.

 

Obviously some types of disabilities make it all the harder for one to leave their SD, such as somebody with seizures who has a seizure-alert SD, but "there's one in every crowd", as they say.

 

There are also times when one doesn't have a choice but to be separated from their SD, such as if they need surgery or if their dog is ill but they MUST do something (like go to work or some other very important thing) or if they have to travel to a country their dog cannot enter (i.e. a business or medical trip they must go on).

 

For me, the only time my SD and I are separated is when she's at the groomer's (she's a breed that needs grooming and I can't do it myself due to my disabilities as well as my lack of skill for such).

[Quampapetet]

You know I will just say having been around service dogs for years,. I just am not impressed by them, I think it is a very, very hard life for them. They always seem so depressed being drug around everywhere.

 

While there may be a few dogs who shouldn't have been trained as SDs, the VAST majority of SDs are incredibly happy to do their jobs and to be out around everywhere. An SD can also have a bad day every now and again just like we can, not to mention that dogs don't express their feelings the way we do. If the dog's head is hung low and its tail between its leg and it is whining and all, yeah, that dog doesn't want to be there. But simply having no emotion showing (i.e. head normal, tail normal not wagging, etc.) means nothing. I don't know about you, but I don't smile all day long even if I'm doing swell or am happy - and most ppl are the same way.

 

A girl I knew in a wheel chair had a golden who's toes had been accidentally run over so many times that she just shut down, and had to be retired at 4 years of age it was so sad. JMHO.

 

That is sad, but that's not the dog's fault; that's the girl's fault. You would shut down, too, if you got hurt on the job that many times, even if you really loved your job. The girl obviously either wasn't mature enough for an SD (if a child/teen - not sure if you meant kid or not by saying "girl") or wasn't careful enough. Most SD users are very careful and care for their dogs VERY well. We put our SD's needs first.

 

It is a noble idea, that just very rarely, is a perfect match.

 

That's simply not true. There are tens of thousands (or more) of happy and happily working SD teams across the world. Sometimes the dog and human don't mesh well and it isn't a match - if a program dog, the program will take the dog back and match him with another, matching the human with another dog. If an owner-trained dog, a responsible owner will retire or re-home the dog and get another to be their SD.

 

Be aware that you are quoting me quoting another poster with service dog, I just think the animal needs a little time away to refresh, and while on vacation family members are present, that may not be when at home to help out.

 

First of all, many disabled ppl travel solo. Others travel with the same ppl they have at home (i.e. spouse and kids).

 

Secondly, not every disability can be mitigated by a human. No human can detect seizures before they happen, for instance. Most humans make terrible sighted guides for blind/visually impaired ppl. A human isn't going to be able to be the mobility aid for somebody all or perhaps even part of the time. And many other situations like those.

 

SDs are often off-duty at home and get to play - sometimes with their owner, sometimes with their owner's family/friends, sometimes with other dogs/animals, etc. They get plenty of time to refresh when they're not working.

 

Dogs by nature love to work. Dogs need a job. If they don't have one, they will find one - that's why so many pet owners come home to chewed-up shoes, sofas, etc.

 

Dogs are also pack animals. They do not like being separated from their pack. When a human goes to work and leaves their pet dog at home, the dog is not happy. SDs are happier and better off than pets in this regard.

 

Also just like unhandicapped people, some handicapped people are not so kind to their dogs.

 

True, but the majority of SD handlers take as good or better care of their dogs than pet people do.

[Quampapetet]

You can go here and have basically any dog certified as a service dog for $50.00.

 

That is what is called a scam. And I believe that is one of the Web sites like that that is full of lies (such as everybody in the US may be disabled).

 

In the U.S., certification is not required. If it was, these false documents would not be accepted, as nobody from the business has ever seen the dog so cannot "certify" anything, not even that it actually exists.

 

Only people who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as seeing, walking, hearing, caring for self, breathing, etc.) can have SDs. Then, their disability must be something that a dog can mitigate. Then, the dog must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of the person (such as guide work for a blind/visually impaired person, mobility work for a mobility-impaired person, alerting a deaf/hearing impaired person to particular sounds, alerting a person with a seizure disorder when a seizure is about to happen, etc.). If any of the three of these is not true, the dog is not an SD and the person cannot take the dog out as an SD, no matter what "paperwork" they have that says they can.

[Quampapetet]

I guess one of my pet peeves on this subject is now there are service monkeys, horses, etc. and I think the idea of service animals are being abused by some.

 

Service monkeys are important for quadriplegics, as they can do many things that dogs simply cannot do because they have paws. Guide horses are a good choice for some blind/visually impaired people because they have such a long life-span and can work well.

 

Yes, too many ppl are illegally passing off their pets as service animals, which you apparently helped them do when you were a police officer.

 

When I was a police officer we constantly had to go on calls where apartment neighbors where assaulting one another because a tenant had a service animal that was for emotional support.

 

Emotional Support Animals are not service animals. They are pets that have been prescribed by a doctor/therapist for a person who has a mental disability. They do not do tasks like service animals do, but are owned so that their presence affects the mood of their owner. They cannot be taken into no-pets-allowed public places like restaurants, stores, hotels, beaches, parks, etc. With a doctor's letter, they can accompany their person in an airplane cabin and live with their person in no-pets housing.

 

Then a fight would ensue because other people weren't allow to have animals.

We would just tell them to go to one of the sites such as I listed above and get your own service animal certified.

Its easy, a note from your vet and you are good to go.

 

Like somebody else said, a vet has nothing to do with whether a dog is a service dog or not. And sites like the one you pointed out are scams and cause people to commit crimes and fraud. As a police officer, you should have steered far away from such companies. Paperwork does not make a dog an SD nor does it make a person disabled.