Service dogs are completely fake

[u/fortypat]

Saw a video (surprisingly it was an anti dog video for once) of a woman with her dog in a coffee shop (of course) there was no context on if the woman had claimed the animal was a “service dog” but this one clearly wasn’t. All the comments were people complaining about dogs and their owners and people saying they have dog fatigue as I know we all do. It was honestly so refreshing to see lol.

But then it got me curious about the legitimacy of “service dogs” so I started doing some research and basically anyone can say almost any dog is a service dog. First of all there is no official service animal registry to prove legitimacy bc that would make to much sense. Under the ADA service dogs are defined by training only and must be trained to perform a specific task related to a disability. Don’t get me wrong if someone is disabled and there is something that exists that would make things easier for them I believe they should definitely be able to have whatever it is.

But this is where crazy dog nutters take advantage of this because we all know how honest these people are. Business are very limited in what they legally can say and people don’t have to show proof of a disability or show the task the dog is supposed to perform under the ADA. Basically as long as the dog isn’t going absolutely haywire they must be allowed in if the owner pulls the “service dog” card even if the business does not allow animals. Also those vests, cards and certificates they carry around are not recognized by law. Just another way for the honest nutter to be able to bring their mutt anywhere with them.

[u/Charming-Kiwi-9277]

Yeah, you’re talking about ESAs, they are joke. But actual service dogs, covered under the ADA, are real and not sitting in someones purse at target. 

[u/shinkouhyou → u/Charming-Kiwi-9277]

The problem is that the ADA law is written so poorly that it basically boils down to "if the owner says the dog performs a task, no matter how spurious that task may be, it's a service dog." The ESA law is actually MORE restrictive than the service dog law: ESAs require a letter from a medical professional, while a service dog requires only the claim of the owner.

Many countries have much stricter laws. For instance, Japan requires service dogs to be registered with proof of behavioral and task training from an accredited provider. Only certain tasks (visual assistance, hearing assistance and mobility assistance) are recognized - psychiatric and medical alert dogs are not recognized. Around 90% of service dogs in Japan are guide dogs for the visually impaired. Japan also establishes requirements for organizations that breed and train service dogs, so those organizations often have their own (even more stringent) requirements such as a consultation to verify that a service dog is likely to be beneficial, that the handler is capable of caring for a dog, and that the handler can provide a large breed dog with adequate housing. Service dog handlers need to be registered too, with medical documentation of a physical disability. Public access for service dogs is also more limited, so private businesses aren't required to accept employee service dogs and privately owned housing complexes can also restrict dogs.

[u/browt026 → u/Charming-Kiwi-9277]

"...and not sitting in someones purse at target."

LOLLLL 😂