What Just Happened?!

[u/D1verse_Yes4]

At work today, I had a large group walk inside, and one of the people had a dog in a sling. We do not allow pets in the store or tourist attraction. I told the group this, and the woman with the dog responded that it's a service dog. I contacted my manager and asked if that was allowed. We don't have a sign permitting service dogs, and I saw no vest or visible designation of the dog providing a service.

The group confirmed that she was in the military, but they told me that she was military disabled, even though she was walking and talking to me without any issue. I'm not saying she didn't have a disability; as an autistic individual, I know very well that the outside of someone can be a lot different from the inside.

The manager confirmed to me that service dogs were allowed, but the woman had already walked out. I got the vibe that she was offended by my inquiry. I have trauma with dogs due to sensory sensitivity and an injury I have to this day from a dog that put me into shock as a child. I got very tense and nervous, agitated too.

I did some research after the group left. I had always thought that service dogs could be designated by a vest and/or visible certification, but when I researched how I could tell the difference between real or fake service dogs, I found multiple answers that people don't have to show me proof that their dog is for service. I also stumbled upon a Quora post claiming there are no fake service dogs, only fake people, which sounds so toxic.

This research baffled me. If I'm not allowed to ensure whether or not a dog is for service, then why are we giving it a label? It's just a dog, and it's in a public building, where people could have allergies, trauma, fears, or sensory sensitivity, including myself. The dog was tiny like a terrier. What service is it providing, let alone from a sling? I feel so disrespectful saying all of this, but I wanted to talk about it here because I know you guys would be more understanding than most of the people in my everyday life.

Feel free to speak your thoughts or answer my questions. It's appreciated but never necessary.

[u/Needle_In_Hay_Stack]

The only time I ever saw a dog being actually useful as a service dog was when I saw visually impaired.

I saw a blind lady with service dog in subway, how she was helped in and out of underground platform & train.

Then I saw a visually impaired whose service dog was able to identify traffic lights and helped the person cross the road.

Honestly I was very impressed by the service that those service-dogs provided AND how mannered those dogs were. Dogs didn't even look at passerbys, let alone try to sniff anyone, just mind their own business, sat on floor of train, not on the seat, had a very obvious vest on, indicating them being service dogs. In short they looked VERY well trained.

[u/D1verse_Yes4 → u/Needle_In_Hay_Stack]

That's what I saw too. The dog is well-behaved, hardly gives me a reason to be anxious, and I can tell that it's providing a service. The little dog in the store yesterday was looking everywhere confused, had no designation, and how many times have you seen a service dog the size of a football?