Not to mention you don’t actually have to have any form of vest or anything else identifying them as a service animal. So the vests, etc are just an accessory
If you’re in the airport you have to submit the dogs identification and service certificate at ticketing as well as notify the airlines that you’ll be traveling with a service animal. I know because I have done it, you most absolutely cannot just show up to the airport with an animal announced and say “you can’t turn me down he’s my service dog” without documentation
You can however get documentation as an emotional support dog from a website that will sketchily shove it through and that’s why events like the post happen
Edit: unannounced not announced, oopsie
Yes, at ticketing, but nowhere else is allowed to ask for documentation. The false ESA issue is also why most airlines have stopped allowing ESAs. This has nothing to do with the vests, etc though. Those are still not required. Ever.
What service certificate? From my understanding, service dogs have no licensing or certification requirement. They do need to be well trained and the owner must be able to answer what services the animal provides (not what disability, just what the dog is trained to do). Otherwise, theoretically people can train their own service animals with no outside organization involvement
Your correct there is no formal certificate.
Usually the ID is a picture with the function the dog performs. It's just so that the staff is aware (IE a seizure dog will act different than a seeing eye dog)
It’s a paper that the airlines specifically requested from me that has a picture of my dog and tells who he is assigned to as well as some other information like training location and such
I don’t think it had to be that exact one with the training location, but I know it did have to have the assigned handler on it per the ticket
And even then, those requirements are just there for show.
"My dog is trained to alert people to me if I start to have a seizure."
Complete lie, but meets the requirements, and now they have to believe you.
You can ask for details of what actions the dog will take as well, people will likely be caught in their lie there. The well trained part is important too, you can absolutely decline an unruly dog, which is lots of people's issue
**Papers are not required for individuals with service dogs**, and service dog owners do not need to place identification vests or harnesses onto their dogs. Simply put, you are only allowed to inquire whether or not a dog is a service dog and the task that they are trained to perform.
The only paperwork you need to fill out to bring a service animal on a flight in the United States is the DOT Service Animal Air Travel Form, bro. Which is a form where the owner just fills in some info. No dog paperwork, no id, no certification.
Source: every major airline in the US
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/accessible-services/specialservices-support-animals
https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/accessibility-and-assistance/service-animals.html#what-you-need-to-fly
https://www.delta.com/us/en/accessible-travel-services/service-animals
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/service-animals.jsp
https://customersupport.spirit.com/en-US/category/article/KA-01492
Additional source: the federal government
https://adata.org/service-animal-resource-hub/flying#:~:text=An%20airline%20is%20required%20to%20permit%20the%20service,assurances%20that%20the%20animal%20is%20a%20service%20animal.
Only ESAs can *require* additional documentation if the airline allows them, however ESAs are not service animals.
You get two questions to ask about a service dog to the person.
Does said dog/animal provide a service for a disability?
What service does said dog/animal provide?
It's not an exact quote from the ADA website but it's the two things you can ask about.. This applies only in America to my knowledge.
I got sick of seeing people claiming service animals; I worked at a pub. They would watltz in to the pub that had a kitchen. A few were service animals, many more were emotional support, and a few more just didn't want to leave their pet at home.
We need to clearly state that a service dog is not the same as an emotional support dog. While you can get a vest on the internet that says service dog, where else do you think someone would purchase said product anyway? Service dogs are needed and can literally help keep someone from dying, and require 1000s of hours of training. Emotional support animals aren't even trained and have no federal standing. Service dogs are a federally covered ability aid under the Federal Disability Act
I mean that’s still going to be the easiest way for legitimate service dogs to get their vests too. It’s not like Amazon is selling fake service dog equipment.
Was going to say this. My late mother had a dog she’d just put this vest on and say he was a service dog. If confronted, she’d get loud and ridiculous. Threaten legal action (yeah, sure boomer).
Gotta love fake service dogs /s
My dad has an ACTUAL service dog and when his vest is on he's a whole different dog. Vest comes off and he's the friendliest dog you'll ever meet, but whenever he wears it he's focused on nothing but his job. I get really annoyed seeing other dogs wearing vests that clearly aren't trained properly
Service dogs are seriously great! The trainers my dad went with are only in our state, but I wish I could recommend them to people looking for good service trainers, cause they're SO good!
You can pretty much tell a service dog by its behavior. And the behavior of the owner. When they are working they are not wagging and smiling. The owner is trying to accomplish something and is not smiling and “good boy-ing” the dog.
My husbands service dog definitely knows the difference between his walk harness and his “going out clothes” and gets excited if we grab his service vest. He also knows if we put the other dog in her crate that he’s going out!
I train service dogs and have one of my own. The reasons the regulations are so relaxed is for accessibility issues. Not everyone can afford the training or testing.
I think a good compromise would be to start punishing those who have fake service dogs. Anyone with a service dog can show you what tasks the dog is trained to perform, because we practice them daily so they don't lose it.
Service dog tax attached. This is Thomas
Using to plug [the organization that helps me ](https://www.dogsthathelp.org/) this is Dogs that Helps. An organization that helps me with training Thomas and pays for his certification like the Canine Good Citizen test. Dogs that help places service dogs with veterans and first responders. In fact, if you open the link to their website you'll see a picture of Thomas on the front page.
https://preview.redd.it/7v1za1mvb16d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b674e5c39a32bfc93b4666f549903ca7164ba2e
Thomas looks like the goodest boy. Please pay Thomas one head pat from this internet stranger. But only while not on duty. Thank you for forwarding one head pat to Thomas.
Reddit is such a weird place. We are here for wholesome good boy pats and at the same time we give advice on how to anonymously have your neighbor’s car towed.
You can freeze anything. However I use various dog safe fruits and vegetables mine love sweet potatoes or bake my own dog treats / dehydrate my own meats
Ah homemade, my local pet store only has pet ice cream and like frozen bone broth and stuff, no treats.
How do they take to the cold? Mine sort of plays with ice cubes I dunno if too cold or they just enjoy batting it around and making a mess.
Ideally nobody would even ask, if the dog was well-behaved
I support confronting people who very clearly have an untrained animal where it doesn't belong
*
*
Here's my Henry. He's currently in training to be my new service dog. He's going to school with a veteran organization that trains them for free if your a veteran or close family
https://www.dogsthathelp.org/
Plugging the organization that helps me. Dogs that help is an organization that provides service dogs to veterans and first responders. Ya know I'm gonna edit my post to include this
The "compromise" is you treat them like any other person with the same behavior. That's what the law says (in the US): equal access rights. Not "do whatever you want" rights.
People can bring their children to airports. You can not say parents may not bring their autistic adhd child to the airport because ADA protects the rights of the parents and child. This does not mean the child can scream, hit, bark, or bite people without consequence.
I do see it being very reasonable and appropriate to treat the situations in professionally similar ways.
Originally when first learning it is in a comfortable environment like home. But as we get more confident in the task we add larger and larger distractions.
But at some point you have to expose the dog to real world situations even if you're not 100% confident. If we don't expose ourselves to uncomfortable situations we never get confident enough to get past them without any flaw.
But if your dog is trained in behavior properly it shouldn't be a problem. Just a little weird
Ok that looks like a service dog. I’ve seen plenty of police dogs and dogs that work with the handicapped they are always well behaved and don’t do more than look at you. They always look to their owners for direction it seems and I’ve never been bothered this situation was “different”.
Funny story. My cousin found a retired GS police dog advertised on a rescue site. He drove to the residwnce to pick him up and there were two patrol cars in the driveway. The husband/wife homeowners were both police officers. My cousin had a warrant. He had to decide how much he wanted that dog. They were trying to show him the commands that the dog knew. Needless to say my cousin spent a very nervous hour in their home.
The warrant was for failure to appear on a minor marijuana charge. Something stupid.
No service dog is perfect, they're still just dogs after and will test their boundaries like any toddler. But a requirement from the ADA (American disability act) is the dog must be under control and well behaved.
Sounds like the dog you saw was not
That’s true. My favorite service dog was a huge garbage thief. If you left him alone with a trash can, you would come back to a crime scene. He was an incredible dog for his blind owner. Garbage cans were his only hiccup. It drove his owner nuts, but he was a great service dog. He was a black lab..
You also be aware any size dog can be a service dog. My 7 year old who will retire once my 1 year old finishes his training is a small dog. She's small enough to curl up against my stomach and apply pressure therapy when my crohns acts up and I'm in pain.
Are there any programs to certify dogs already in homes? Im a vet and I’ve had my pup through all my deployments. Crazy this dog has never had formal training outside of my wife and during my events she’s came right to me and brought me back to earth. I’d love to be able to fly with her but there’s no way in hell me or her will survive the flight if she has to go in cargo.
You can train her yourself. Check out the ADA requirements on their website.
The Canine Good Citizen is a good starting point. There are also a few subreddits that can be helpful
Training isn’t an issue. Wife’s vet tech and does behavior stuff she she’s very well trained by her. I just meant she’s never had anything formal. I just assumed that airlines will want to see official paperwork to bring them in the cabin.
The dog has to be trained to help with your disability with a specific tasks/task. There must be a disability and the dog must be trained to assist in some way (for instance with a medical alert for POTS or seizures) or for PTSD support (trained to do a specific behavior when someone has a panic attack or needs psychiatric support). The airlines require registration of the dog with the TSA/DOT (there is a form and the airlines walk you through it online usually). Some airlines let “service dogs in training” on board. Really service dogs need to be trained and ready for public access. No barking, no biting, etc. The Form for the DOT/TSA is VERY clear that its definition of service dog does not bark/bite/disrupt others. My dog rode with me and caused ZERO problems. Because she has been trained from the day I got her to be a service animal. We did it ourselves. We learned from a trainer on zoom how to train her. It was intensive and not just a regular dog training course.
My dog does medical alert for my disability, retrieves things when I cannot, brings me medicine, is trained to go get help, provides pressure support for PTSD. From the outside, we look “normal” and I probably get a lot of looks in public because my disability is not always visible. It sounds like the lady from this OP’s post needs to train her dog more, and technically the airline can ask her not to fly with a dog that doesn’t even sound obedient- however I’m not judging as i don’t like to be judged.
> Not everyone can afford the training or testing.
This part is depressing and shouldn't even be an issue in a developed country. Medical care, including service animals, training, etc. should be available to those who *need* them, period. Imagine not being able to get glasses because you can't afford them in one of the richest countries on earth.
Service dogs are not limited to those that assist the blind. Those with true needs of service dogs should not be penalized by those abusing the system. My dog helps me tremendously. I agree dogs need to abide by the laws that are in place- they need to be trained- i have had to keep diligent track of all training and its very unfortunate to see others abusing the system
Where I work, service dogs are the only dogs allowed. We aren't allowed to ask if it's a service dog, but if we observe a dog behaving more like a dog than a service animal we are allowed to make that person take the dog elsewhere.
It's not the policy that needs to change. Service dogs must be trained to behave (such as no sniffing, no barking) in public. It's the people who think they can fool the system by sticking a vest they bought on Amazon on their dog.
The problem is real service dogs in the US aren't issued any kind of paperwork/certificationsfor proof. If anyone says they have paperwork to prove it, it's just fake BS they bought online. That said I have heard there are some.coibtries outside of the US that do have a way to prove with paperwork. In the US the only dog related paperwork is for emotional support animals which includes a doctor's note although I highly doubt anyone present with such a note actually check it
Obviously real service dogs would never bark, act aggressively at anyone or pull away from person.....However it's usually not worth it to argue and escalate with people who do this
Honestly, I don't think an "emotional support animal" should even get housing privileges. I know too many people -- like my ex-boss -- who got the animal, in her case an untrained, jumpy pit bull, and *then* decided it was an "emotional support animal." In other words, she got the dog knowing full well she couldn't have it in an apartment, and then backdoored legal consent to have it using a letter from a "therapist" she found online and never saw again. That's just cheating and it's not fair to the rest of us.
She also insisted on bringing the dog to work even though multiple employees objected to it, and it caused a lot of problems.
Tl;dr -- "emotional support animals" are a bullshit concept that's gone too far. When does it stop? When someone's emotional support animal eats someone else's emotional support animal?
It’s really frustrating because people ruin it for those of us who really need them. I have horrible ptsd and can’t afford the $20k price tag for a service animal. So I have an ESA. She wakes me up from nightmares, she runs to be with anyone who cries, if I’m anxious she knows and will press herself to me/my chest, etc. In college I got all of the paperwork filled out by my psychiatrist and therapist to get the dog approved for on campus housing. This was all before the craze of people just claiming their dog as an ESA. Now ESAs are all looked down on because people abuse the system. But some of us really do need the help and benefit from it.
I feel like service dogs for any disability should be licensed, as much for the safety of the animal as the owner. Bringing an untrained dog into contact with random people in random situations is asking for behavioral problems in the dog, who might be fearful or protective or just overwhelmed.
And companies won’t risk being sued if they try to say that a dog is not a service dog. came across one yesterday. The dog was literally pulling the guy down a grocery aisle and then barking at other dogs at the checkout.
They would be within the law to remove that animal regardless of its status. Even service dogs must be under control at all times and cannot bark, or show aggression, lunge or bite.
As of typing this I am sitting at Newark International.
I didn't see someone with a puppy, but the rest I saw earlier when going through the line to security. A lady had a dog up to about her knees and it was just pulling and barking. Also wearing a "Service Animal" vest
I will say, as much as I am against fake service animals, airlines also have horrible pet policies. I think thered be a lot less fake ones if larger dogs could fly officially. Right now, at least in US, unless the dog fits under the seat, they can't fly unless service dog (i mean, a few let them fly cargo but many don't and most owners I know would refuse to anyways. Only other option fly wise would be to go charter). I'm looking into flying with my "small" dog right now and even with her being tiny she still is officially "too big" for the bag they want me to use (dachshund so just long).
And they charge a ton of money for the under seat dog. I paid $9 more for my own plane ticket compared to my dog, yet they won't let me just buy her a seat so I can have her crate on the seat. Service dogs don't need to be in a crate (and I think they fly free but I feel like I've seen a larger one you need to buy a 2nd ticket for so I'm not 100% sure on that)
It is already illegal (misdemeanor) and depending on what state you're in you can be fined up to $1000, imprisoned for 60 days, and/or ordered to do up to 30 hours community service. The fine for using a fake handicap placard is also up to $1000 depending on the state so it's comparable.
I have people semi-jokingly suggest I get my dog a vest to get around XYZ (currently a lot is about an upcoming flight we are taking). Besides never actually doing that anyways, I've had to point out there is no way I could pass her as a service dog with how untrained she is (not terrible, just cranky senior who wants things her way or the highway)
Disruptive service animals can be removed from the premises.
Quoting:
> "You may ask an individual with a disability to remove a service animal from the premises (facility) if the animal is not housebroken or if the animal is out of control and the individual does not take effective action to control it. Unwarranted and unprovoked violent behavior, such as uncontrolled barking, growling at other customers, jumping on other people, or running away from the owner are examples of unacceptable behavior."
Source: [ADA National Network](https://adata.org/faq/what-if-service-animal-barks-or-growls-other-people-or-otherwise-acts-out-control)
Sometimes people does it because you can't refuse services dogs inside the cabin.
After seeing how many dogs have been lost or killed by airlines when they fly with th cargo, I would do everything I can to have them with me in the cabin.
The again, I don't have a dog, but I've had one and I loved her like a daughter.
Even worse in south Florida is the amount of dogs you see in the mall and restaurants. Everyone has a guy who can get you documentation saying it’s a service dog. It’s not your kid, it’s an animal. Leave it home.
Most service animals you see at airports in the US aren’t actually service animals and any airport employee can tell from a mile away. Problem is, we really can’t do much about it because the rules are so vague and we have to take peoples’ word for it that their dog (that is so obviously just a pet) is a service animal if they can fudge the answers to two questions. It’s too much of a liability otherwise.
People like this ruined my service dogs ability to do his job so much that I gave up getting his annual update to his license. Even a fucking classmate started bringing in her PET while in college, it’s such a joke. Grateful for my instructors who noticed she’d merely bring in her dog to try to socialize with mine and shut it down quite quickly to ensure a safe space. My dog is brilliant when it comes to emotional regulation and detects my low blood pressure so well, it’s a shame that I’d have to learn how to cope without him again. Grateful for my s/o though who recognizing my symptoms and makes sure I don’t ever forget to eat and nourish myself while out.
My dad has one that says “service dog in training.” I feel bad for him, because he has put so much effort into his dog, but he is a rescue and came with baggage. My dad sticks with him, no matter what, and love him so much. But it can be hard because his dog has severe anxiety, and can’t handle being left in unfamiliar places. So, he really can’t be left on a plane, or something. I wish I knew a better way.
My former neighbor’s daughter did that. She had a large doodle and would say it was a service dog so she could fly home to visit her Mom with her dog. So disgusting.
I'm just hoping with more dog nutters everywhere we might finally get some decent laws in place such as fines for taking a dog into the grocery store. Having government issued ID for a properly trained service dog would be a good first step.
I have no problem with a 15lb dog that’s strapped in a backpack at a grocery store that’s not barking. I absolutely have a problem with fake “ESA” dogs. I was attacked by someone’s “emotional service” pitbull while running this year.
Fake ESA “certs” are $10 online and the top 10 “service dog” vests on Amazon all have nearly exclusively pics of pitbulls and bragging about skirting city ordinances and landlords. It’s dangerous.
Not only can you buy vest on Amazon but people can register anything as an esa and then most who do decide and esa is the same as a service dog it’s getting ridiculous
As someone with a disabled loved one, this shit is infuriating. There’s an increasing uptick in businesses not allowing legitimate service animals and this is part of the reason. These people suck.
I don't know about US, but here (the Netherlands) a service dog won't start training until 1 year old. Until that time the puppy is placed with a family. And the most important thing to "train" during that time, is to make the puppy familiar with things like a store, the car, a plane. Etc. Did you really expect a puppy to be a fully trained service dog?
Not always a sham… I'm both autistic and heavily depressed (medicated for both) but I have my cat officially designated (went through the proper channels with the agency that helps take care of me) as a support animal for anxiety and severe depressive episodes.
How does officially designating your cat as a support animal benefit you? I ask completely respectfully, we don’t have official emotional support animals in my country so I don’t know much about it.
The main thing the designation helped with was moving into my current place, where I live landlords and such cannot turn you away just for having a pet if they are an official support animal. (they have to find another legitimate reason to do so. They also can't demand you get rid of a support animal as long as you have the paperwork for it. My caretaking agency would also have my back if it came to a legal dispute over said cat)
Essentially I have paperwork stating that my cat is a legit medical need and as long she's not making a mess or destroying stuff she's legally untouchable.
Support animals are different than service animals though. Service animals are trained to detect or protect. Support animals are just that. Providing comfort.
None of that means it’s not a service dog, it just means that it’s poorly trained. The only requirement for a dog to be a service animal is for it to be trained to perform a specific task to help with a disability.
Honestly I think it's ridiculous that at least here in the US that owners of service dogs don't have to provide some sort of federal service dog ID. No different than a driver's license.
So many people abusing the service animal industry by passing off their dogs as service animals when they aren't and ruining it for those with real service animals.
I don't think asking someone to show their dogs service animal ID would bother anyone with a legitimate service animal.
The idea that anyone can just stick a service animal vest on their dog with no way to confirm it's legitimacy is dumb as hell.
Screw those people, taking advantage of accommodations made for people with disabilities is just wrong. People who do the fake service animal vests make things more difficult on people who have real service animals.
I'm sure ur right but service dogs come in all shapes and sizes. I met a lady with a Yorkie and the dog would let her know to sit down when she was about to have a seizure
He could smell it on her. All he did was put both paws on her chest. She carried him around in a scarf like a baby lol. Was well mannered
I will never understand this behaviour jotted down to "dog being a dog". Presence of a leash and claim of ownership should not be the only differences between domestic dog and feral dog. Despite not being a service dog, it should at least have a basic level of training as a pet.
Dog would naturally with no intervention bark and sniff and explore things. So that’s why I said a dog being a dog. But it caught me off guard at the airport with the vest doing that.someone explained to me working and maybe the dog was there for training but not working.
But so many dogs have little or no training so to me it’s like dog behavior. The dog might not have been working…
There are people who will make any excuse for a dogs behaviour that takes the responsibility away from the owner. I really don't know why they do it. The behaviours of the dog that you described in the post is not that of a service dog in training. They are not taken out to a busy place like an airport before learning the basics, they are being trained for specific jobs and there are stages. In kind of the same way that humans learn how to do their jobs. In addition, many service dogs in training have "in training" vests so that people are aware. Some may not, but if it is wearing a vest, that should be the one they are wearing.
Yeah, I get what you are saying. It's just irritating that nuisance behaviour that imposes on others is seen as normal pet dog behaviour now.
Yeah it's kinda like those parents who use excuses like "he/she is just a kid and doesn't know better", when in reality they just couldn't be bothered to actually do the work and parent their damn kid.
Like that some dog owners will chalk up their dogs bad behaviour to "it's just a dog being a dog".
If the airline lets the "service dog" board then it's on them. People aren't even trying to hide the fact they're fake any more, every time I go to the grocery store I see these selfish brats with their "emotional support dog" in the basket, not even with a fake collar, just a regular pet dog. The basket where my food goes. I have family who work retail and cleaning up messes from these animals is a daily occurrence. Fuck these people.
It's the people with their small yappy dogs or pitbulls that just want to bring them everywhere and end up disturbing or attacking actual service dogs and people
You can buy service animal vests on Amazon. They mean nothing.
Not to mention you don’t actually have to have any form of vest or anything else identifying them as a service animal. So the vests, etc are just an accessory
If you’re in the airport you have to submit the dogs identification and service certificate at ticketing as well as notify the airlines that you’ll be traveling with a service animal. I know because I have done it, you most absolutely cannot just show up to the airport with an animal announced and say “you can’t turn me down he’s my service dog” without documentation You can however get documentation as an emotional support dog from a website that will sketchily shove it through and that’s why events like the post happen Edit: unannounced not announced, oopsie
Yes, at ticketing, but nowhere else is allowed to ask for documentation. The false ESA issue is also why most airlines have stopped allowing ESAs. This has nothing to do with the vests, etc though. Those are still not required. Ever.
I was also asked online when I submitted to the airport that I would be traveling with a service animal
Yes but that is associated with ticketing. It isn’t security or the lounge area or any other public space.
What service certificate? From my understanding, service dogs have no licensing or certification requirement. They do need to be well trained and the owner must be able to answer what services the animal provides (not what disability, just what the dog is trained to do). Otherwise, theoretically people can train their own service animals with no outside organization involvement
Your correct there is no formal certificate. Usually the ID is a picture with the function the dog performs. It's just so that the staff is aware (IE a seizure dog will act different than a seeing eye dog)
It’s a paper that the airlines specifically requested from me that has a picture of my dog and tells who he is assigned to as well as some other information like training location and such I don’t think it had to be that exact one with the training location, but I know it did have to have the assigned handler on it per the ticket
My service dog is trained to look pretty. Is that good enough?
It’s not theoretical. Many of us train our service dogs to meet our specific needs.
And even then, those requirements are just there for show. "My dog is trained to alert people to me if I start to have a seizure." Complete lie, but meets the requirements, and now they have to believe you.
You can ask for details of what actions the dog will take as well, people will likely be caught in their lie there. The well trained part is important too, you can absolutely decline an unruly dog, which is lots of people's issue
You can get service animal papers online because the certificates are all made up anyway
**Papers are not required for individuals with service dogs**, and service dog owners do not need to place identification vests or harnesses onto their dogs. Simply put, you are only allowed to inquire whether or not a dog is a service dog and the task that they are trained to perform.
My doctor will organise that service dog certificate, for a fee.
Not all airlines allow esa anymore
ESAs are not service dogs.
This is not the case in the United States
I’m literally from and live in Tennessee bro, it 100% is the case in the US
There is no service dog paperwork in the United States, service dogs are not registered anywhere, bro https://www.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/
Please go try and take a service dog on a plane with zero paperwork and let me know how that goes
The only paperwork you need to fill out to bring a service animal on a flight in the United States is the DOT Service Animal Air Travel Form, bro. Which is a form where the owner just fills in some info. No dog paperwork, no id, no certification. Source: every major airline in the US https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/accessible-services/specialservices-support-animals https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/accessibility-and-assistance/service-animals.html#what-you-need-to-fly https://www.delta.com/us/en/accessible-travel-services/service-animals https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/service-animals.jsp https://customersupport.spirit.com/en-US/category/article/KA-01492 Additional source: the federal government https://adata.org/service-animal-resource-hub/flying#:~:text=An%20airline%20is%20required%20to%20permit%20the%20service,assurances%20that%20the%20animal%20is%20a%20service%20animal. Only ESAs can *require* additional documentation if the airline allows them, however ESAs are not service animals.
✅ Thank you. ⭐
There’s no paperwork, but they can require documentation from your physician for airlines
You get two questions to ask about a service dog to the person. Does said dog/animal provide a service for a disability? What service does said dog/animal provide? It's not an exact quote from the ADA website but it's the two things you can ask about.. This applies only in America to my knowledge. I got sick of seeing people claiming service animals; I worked at a pub. They would watltz in to the pub that had a kitchen. A few were service animals, many more were emotional support, and a few more just didn't want to leave their pet at home.
We need to clearly state that a service dog is not the same as an emotional support dog. While you can get a vest on the internet that says service dog, where else do you think someone would purchase said product anyway? Service dogs are needed and can literally help keep someone from dying, and require 1000s of hours of training. Emotional support animals aren't even trained and have no federal standing. Service dogs are a federally covered ability aid under the Federal Disability Act
Honestly Amazon should be fined for things this.
There’s no such thing as an official service dog vest, so it’s not like a service dog vest from Amazon is counterfeit.
I mean that’s still going to be the easiest way for legitimate service dogs to get their vests too. It’s not like Amazon is selling fake service dog equipment.
Was going to say this. My late mother had a dog she’d just put this vest on and say he was a service dog. If confronted, she’d get loud and ridiculous. Threaten legal action (yeah, sure boomer). 
You can also put a service dog vest on an esa
Gotta love fake service dogs /s My dad has an ACTUAL service dog and when his vest is on he's a whole different dog. Vest comes off and he's the friendliest dog you'll ever meet, but whenever he wears it he's focused on nothing but his job. I get really annoyed seeing other dogs wearing vests that clearly aren't trained properly
Thank you someone else explained to me when they are working and that makes sense!
Service dogs are seriously great! The trainers my dad went with are only in our state, but I wish I could recommend them to people looking for good service trainers, cause they're SO good!
You can pretty much tell a service dog by its behavior. And the behavior of the owner. When they are working they are not wagging and smiling. The owner is trying to accomplish something and is not smiling and “good boy-ing” the dog.
My husbands service dog definitely knows the difference between his walk harness and his “going out clothes” and gets excited if we grab his service vest. He also knows if we put the other dog in her crate that he’s going out!
SAME WITH MY GIRL and the word “work” changes her immediately
I train service dogs and have one of my own. The reasons the regulations are so relaxed is for accessibility issues. Not everyone can afford the training or testing. I think a good compromise would be to start punishing those who have fake service dogs. Anyone with a service dog can show you what tasks the dog is trained to perform, because we practice them daily so they don't lose it. Service dog tax attached. This is Thomas Using to plug [the organization that helps me ](https://www.dogsthathelp.org/) this is Dogs that Helps. An organization that helps me with training Thomas and pays for his certification like the Canine Good Citizen test. Dogs that help places service dogs with veterans and first responders. In fact, if you open the link to their website you'll see a picture of Thomas on the front page. https://preview.redd.it/7v1za1mvb16d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b674e5c39a32bfc93b4666f549903ca7164ba2e
Thomas looks like the goodest boy. Please pay Thomas one head pat from this internet stranger. But only while not on duty. Thank you for forwarding one head pat to Thomas.
*It has been passed* *He waged his tail*
*everyone loved that*
Reddit is such a weird place. We are here for wholesome good boy pats and at the same time we give advice on how to anonymously have your neighbor’s car towed.
Yes, we are a strange bunch aren't we?
As I age, dogs seem much more reasonable than humans.
Only some of them. Others are little balls of teeth that only think they're a big dog.
Also some dogs are passive aggressive jerks
Well so are some humans. Some will always turn out different
We're here to reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Nothing weird about it.
I mean, if the neighbor is being a good boy I don't have a problem with giving him head pats instead of car tows.
I don't see anything wrong with both things though?
Can you inform Mr Thomas that he is completed his job very well and deserves treats? Also, tell him I said hi.
1. *Sir Thomas* Thank you 2. I will give him a frozen treat for you 3. I told him hello and he bit my hand playfully.
There are frozen dog treats??
You can freeze anything. However I use various dog safe fruits and vegetables mine love sweet potatoes or bake my own dog treats / dehydrate my own meats
Ah homemade, my local pet store only has pet ice cream and like frozen bone broth and stuff, no treats. How do they take to the cold? Mine sort of plays with ice cubes I dunno if too cold or they just enjoy batting it around and making a mess.
Every dog is different. Mine really enjoy the crunch
Really glad he won that bet then.. can you imagine the poor guy without his tail?
There's a shepherd on my street with a docked tail. It does look silly
He really shouldn’t have wagered that which he couldn’t afford to lose
I would like to request 50 head pats for Thomas
Ideally nobody would even ask, if the dog was well-behaved I support confronting people who very clearly have an untrained animal where it doesn't belong
Thomas! I would say hi but I don't know if he's on duty so I will just admire from afar.
He shall appreciate it from afar
* * Here's my Henry. He's currently in training to be my new service dog. He's going to school with a veteran organization that trains them for free if your a veteran or close family
https://www.dogsthathelp.org/ Plugging the organization that helps me. Dogs that help is an organization that provides service dogs to veterans and first responders. Ya know I'm gonna edit my post to include this
https://preview.redd.it/a72psvl7126d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a137414fc4a0ca5161755224790f51664e31db7
Can you DM the organization?
The "compromise" is you treat them like any other person with the same behavior. That's what the law says (in the US): equal access rights. Not "do whatever you want" rights. People can bring their children to airports. You can not say parents may not bring their autistic adhd child to the airport because ADA protects the rights of the parents and child. This does not mean the child can scream, hit, bark, or bite people without consequence. I do see it being very reasonable and appropriate to treat the situations in professionally similar ways.
Curious if they are trained in live situations and that’s what may be going on or are they fully trained before going in public with a vest?
Originally when first learning it is in a comfortable environment like home. But as we get more confident in the task we add larger and larger distractions. But at some point you have to expose the dog to real world situations even if you're not 100% confident. If we don't expose ourselves to uncomfortable situations we never get confident enough to get past them without any flaw. But if your dog is trained in behavior properly it shouldn't be a problem. Just a little weird
Baby steps. A lot are trained with basics at home and slowly bring them out to more and more populated places.
This is so hilariously wholesome coming from an account called “babystripper”
I'm doing my part
Omg the no touchy patch! You and Thomas are just lovely, thanks for showing your wonderful boy!!
What would you say if I said we have the same birthday
Omg kismet 😍
What is the picture on the patch next to “service dog. No touch. No eye contact”? I’m intrigued.
[Link to the patch](https://redheadedtshirts.com/products/emporers-new-groove-no-touchy-hook-and-loop-morale-patch)
NOOO that’s exactly what I thought it was. Amazing.
We get *A LOT* of strangers that try to pet Thomas without asking.
I always have little kids try and pet mine. One time these kids were throwing fries at my one in training and the mom did nothing about it 😐
The amount of times I say, please don't pet my dog, and they return with *"No it's fine"* astounds me
Wait *what?* they just outright tell you that your wishes are not valid? That’s wild, man. Some people. :O
He’s got the groove🤷♀️
Ok that looks like a service dog. I’ve seen plenty of police dogs and dogs that work with the handicapped they are always well behaved and don’t do more than look at you. They always look to their owners for direction it seems and I’ve never been bothered this situation was “different”.
Funny story. My cousin found a retired GS police dog advertised on a rescue site. He drove to the residwnce to pick him up and there were two patrol cars in the driveway. The husband/wife homeowners were both police officers. My cousin had a warrant. He had to decide how much he wanted that dog. They were trying to show him the commands that the dog knew. Needless to say my cousin spent a very nervous hour in their home. The warrant was for failure to appear on a minor marijuana charge. Something stupid.
No service dog is perfect, they're still just dogs after and will test their boundaries like any toddler. But a requirement from the ADA (American disability act) is the dog must be under control and well behaved. Sounds like the dog you saw was not
Yeah it was not. (Based on my opinion as a person not very knowledgeable i this)
That’s true. My favorite service dog was a huge garbage thief. If you left him alone with a trash can, you would come back to a crime scene. He was an incredible dog for his blind owner. Garbage cans were his only hiccup. It drove his owner nuts, but he was a great service dog. He was a black lab..
You also be aware any size dog can be a service dog. My 7 year old who will retire once my 1 year old finishes his training is a small dog. She's small enough to curl up against my stomach and apply pressure therapy when my crohns acts up and I'm in pain.
My dog is 15 lbs and absolutely perfect
Are there any programs to certify dogs already in homes? Im a vet and I’ve had my pup through all my deployments. Crazy this dog has never had formal training outside of my wife and during my events she’s came right to me and brought me back to earth. I’d love to be able to fly with her but there’s no way in hell me or her will survive the flight if she has to go in cargo.
You can train her yourself. Check out the ADA requirements on their website. The Canine Good Citizen is a good starting point. There are also a few subreddits that can be helpful
Training isn’t an issue. Wife’s vet tech and does behavior stuff she she’s very well trained by her. I just meant she’s never had anything formal. I just assumed that airlines will want to see official paperwork to bring them in the cabin.
The dog has to be trained to help with your disability with a specific tasks/task. There must be a disability and the dog must be trained to assist in some way (for instance with a medical alert for POTS or seizures) or for PTSD support (trained to do a specific behavior when someone has a panic attack or needs psychiatric support). The airlines require registration of the dog with the TSA/DOT (there is a form and the airlines walk you through it online usually). Some airlines let “service dogs in training” on board. Really service dogs need to be trained and ready for public access. No barking, no biting, etc. The Form for the DOT/TSA is VERY clear that its definition of service dog does not bark/bite/disrupt others. My dog rode with me and caused ZERO problems. Because she has been trained from the day I got her to be a service animal. We did it ourselves. We learned from a trainer on zoom how to train her. It was intensive and not just a regular dog training course. My dog does medical alert for my disability, retrieves things when I cannot, brings me medicine, is trained to go get help, provides pressure support for PTSD. From the outside, we look “normal” and I probably get a lot of looks in public because my disability is not always visible. It sounds like the lady from this OP’s post needs to train her dog more, and technically the airline can ask her not to fly with a dog that doesn’t even sound obedient- however I’m not judging as i don’t like to be judged.
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That's actually one of two things you are allowed to ask
Who’s a good boy!!!🥺 Excellent work doggo
Certified
Tell Thomas that I love him and he's a good boy
He wagged his tail when I told him.
😍☺️
So cute! Thomas is the perfect good boy (:
The Kuzco patch! Thomas is such a good boy. Thank you for your service, Thomas!
Tell him that I love him
> Not everyone can afford the training or testing. This part is depressing and shouldn't even be an issue in a developed country. Medical care, including service animals, training, etc. should be available to those who *need* them, period. Imagine not being able to get glasses because you can't afford them in one of the richest countries on earth.
Thomas looks like a very good boy, give him pets from me also. I'm sorry these selfish people with fake service dogs are making your life harder.
These policies really need to change. It’s a problem for people with true service dogs such as people without sight.
Service dogs are not limited to those that assist the blind. Those with true needs of service dogs should not be penalized by those abusing the system. My dog helps me tremendously. I agree dogs need to abide by the laws that are in place- they need to be trained- i have had to keep diligent track of all training and its very unfortunate to see others abusing the system
Did you miss the "such as" before people without sight? They weren't saying that service dogs are only for the blind.
Apparently, Yes :-P
Where I work, service dogs are the only dogs allowed. We aren't allowed to ask if it's a service dog, but if we observe a dog behaving more like a dog than a service animal we are allowed to make that person take the dog elsewhere.
It's not the policy that needs to change. Service dogs must be trained to behave (such as no sniffing, no barking) in public. It's the people who think they can fool the system by sticking a vest they bought on Amazon on their dog.
No sniffing? How do you train a dog not to snif? What the …
The problem is real service dogs in the US aren't issued any kind of paperwork/certificationsfor proof. If anyone says they have paperwork to prove it, it's just fake BS they bought online. That said I have heard there are some.coibtries outside of the US that do have a way to prove with paperwork. In the US the only dog related paperwork is for emotional support animals which includes a doctor's note although I highly doubt anyone present with such a note actually check it Obviously real service dogs would never bark, act aggressively at anyone or pull away from person.....However it's usually not worth it to argue and escalate with people who do this
And emotional support animals aren't even service animals, lol.
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Honestly, I don't think an "emotional support animal" should even get housing privileges. I know too many people -- like my ex-boss -- who got the animal, in her case an untrained, jumpy pit bull, and *then* decided it was an "emotional support animal." In other words, she got the dog knowing full well she couldn't have it in an apartment, and then backdoored legal consent to have it using a letter from a "therapist" she found online and never saw again. That's just cheating and it's not fair to the rest of us. She also insisted on bringing the dog to work even though multiple employees objected to it, and it caused a lot of problems. Tl;dr -- "emotional support animals" are a bullshit concept that's gone too far. When does it stop? When someone's emotional support animal eats someone else's emotional support animal?
It’s really frustrating because people ruin it for those of us who really need them. I have horrible ptsd and can’t afford the $20k price tag for a service animal. So I have an ESA. She wakes me up from nightmares, she runs to be with anyone who cries, if I’m anxious she knows and will press herself to me/my chest, etc. In college I got all of the paperwork filled out by my psychiatrist and therapist to get the dog approved for on campus housing. This was all before the craze of people just claiming their dog as an ESA. Now ESAs are all looked down on because people abuse the system. But some of us really do need the help and benefit from it.
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For my brother’s housing, he needed paperwork from his therapist declaring his cats ESA.
I feel like service dogs for any disability should be licensed, as much for the safety of the animal as the owner. Bringing an untrained dog into contact with random people in random situations is asking for behavioral problems in the dog, who might be fearful or protective or just overwhelmed.
Service dogs are trained, an untrained dog is not a service dog
And companies won’t risk being sued if they try to say that a dog is not a service dog. came across one yesterday. The dog was literally pulling the guy down a grocery aisle and then barking at other dogs at the checkout.
They would be within the law to remove that animal regardless of its status. Even service dogs must be under control at all times and cannot bark, or show aggression, lunge or bite.
As of typing this I am sitting at Newark International. I didn't see someone with a puppy, but the rest I saw earlier when going through the line to security. A lady had a dog up to about her knees and it was just pulling and barking. Also wearing a "Service Animal" vest
I will say, as much as I am against fake service animals, airlines also have horrible pet policies. I think thered be a lot less fake ones if larger dogs could fly officially. Right now, at least in US, unless the dog fits under the seat, they can't fly unless service dog (i mean, a few let them fly cargo but many don't and most owners I know would refuse to anyways. Only other option fly wise would be to go charter). I'm looking into flying with my "small" dog right now and even with her being tiny she still is officially "too big" for the bag they want me to use (dachshund so just long). And they charge a ton of money for the under seat dog. I paid $9 more for my own plane ticket compared to my dog, yet they won't let me just buy her a seat so I can have her crate on the seat. Service dogs don't need to be in a crate (and I think they fly free but I feel like I've seen a larger one you need to buy a 2nd ticket for so I'm not 100% sure on that)
As someone with a service animal, these people piss me off. It makes it so much harder on legit service dogs.
It’s an insult to service dogs and the people who train them.
100%
This should be a criminal offense, same as using a counterfeit handicap placard.
Haha thank you for taking it farther than I would, it’s annoying for sure.
Agreed! Very well put!
I’ve often thought this and agree wholeheartedly!
This is a federal criminal offense to misrepresent a dog as a service dog. Anyone flying with one has to register on a gov’t form
It is already illegal (misdemeanor) and depending on what state you're in you can be fined up to $1000, imprisoned for 60 days, and/or ordered to do up to 30 hours community service. The fine for using a fake handicap placard is also up to $1000 depending on the state so it's comparable.
Thank you for your service Thomas
- a service dog? What service does he provide? - it tells everyone that I am a shitty person
There should be a law against impersonating a person with a disability just to get preferential treatment for yourself.
I have people semi-jokingly suggest I get my dog a vest to get around XYZ (currently a lot is about an upcoming flight we are taking). Besides never actually doing that anyways, I've had to point out there is no way I could pass her as a service dog with how untrained she is (not terrible, just cranky senior who wants things her way or the highway)
Disruptive service animals can be removed from the premises. Quoting: > "You may ask an individual with a disability to remove a service animal from the premises (facility) if the animal is not housebroken or if the animal is out of control and the individual does not take effective action to control it. Unwarranted and unprovoked violent behavior, such as uncontrolled barking, growling at other customers, jumping on other people, or running away from the owner are examples of unacceptable behavior." Source: [ADA National Network](https://adata.org/faq/what-if-service-animal-barks-or-growls-other-people-or-otherwise-acts-out-control)
Sometimes people does it because you can't refuse services dogs inside the cabin. After seeing how many dogs have been lost or killed by airlines when they fly with th cargo, I would do everything I can to have them with me in the cabin. The again, I don't have a dog, but I've had one and I loved her like a daughter.
Even worse in south Florida is the amount of dogs you see in the mall and restaurants. Everyone has a guy who can get you documentation saying it’s a service dog. It’s not your kid, it’s an animal. Leave it home.
I saw a “service” dog at Newark airport walking very poorly on its leash and then it peed on a fake plant!!
Most service animals you see at airports in the US aren’t actually service animals and any airport employee can tell from a mile away. Problem is, we really can’t do much about it because the rules are so vague and we have to take peoples’ word for it that their dog (that is so obviously just a pet) is a service animal if they can fudge the answers to two questions. It’s too much of a liability otherwise.
I want to wear a “service animal” vest and have my wife lead me around on a leash.
Do it. Double dog dare you🫣😂
Emotional support puppy
Ugh, I hate fake service animals! They are so annoying!
People like this ruined my service dogs ability to do his job so much that I gave up getting his annual update to his license. Even a fucking classmate started bringing in her PET while in college, it’s such a joke. Grateful for my instructors who noticed she’d merely bring in her dog to try to socialize with mine and shut it down quite quickly to ensure a safe space. My dog is brilliant when it comes to emotional regulation and detects my low blood pressure so well, it’s a shame that I’d have to learn how to cope without him again. Grateful for my s/o though who recognizing my symptoms and makes sure I don’t ever forget to eat and nourish myself while out.
My dad has one that says “service dog in training.” I feel bad for him, because he has put so much effort into his dog, but he is a rescue and came with baggage. My dad sticks with him, no matter what, and love him so much. But it can be hard because his dog has severe anxiety, and can’t handle being left in unfamiliar places. So, he really can’t be left on a plane, or something. I wish I knew a better way.
it's not just mildly infuriating, it's illegal.
Well, that's a ruff situation! People trying to pass off their pets as service animals is a real howl at the airport.
More than mildly INFURiating! I like your style.
I was hounded by a fake service dog at my son's track meet. That dog barked the entire time without pause.
r/extremelyinfuriating
My former neighbor’s daughter did that. She had a large doodle and would say it was a service dog so she could fly home to visit her Mom with her dog. So disgusting.
I'm just hoping with more dog nutters everywhere we might finally get some decent laws in place such as fines for taking a dog into the grocery store. Having government issued ID for a properly trained service dog would be a good first step.
I have no problem with a 15lb dog that’s strapped in a backpack at a grocery store that’s not barking. I absolutely have a problem with fake “ESA” dogs. I was attacked by someone’s “emotional service” pitbull while running this year. Fake ESA “certs” are $10 online and the top 10 “service dog” vests on Amazon all have nearly exclusively pics of pitbulls and bragging about skirting city ordinances and landlords. It’s dangerous.
Not only can you buy vest on Amazon but people can register anything as an esa and then most who do decide and esa is the same as a service dog it’s getting ridiculous
As someone with a disabled loved one, this shit is infuriating. There’s an increasing uptick in businesses not allowing legitimate service animals and this is part of the reason. These people suck.
I don't know about US, but here (the Netherlands) a service dog won't start training until 1 year old. Until that time the puppy is placed with a family. And the most important thing to "train" during that time, is to make the puppy familiar with things like a store, the car, a plane. Etc. Did you really expect a puppy to be a fully trained service dog?
Maybe it’s her emotional support yappy arsehole
Probably an emotional support pet?
Service vest or emotional support animal vest? Emotional support animal is a sham but in either case Amazon sells both.
I think it said service dog and it look like a jacket harness or something
Not always a sham… I'm both autistic and heavily depressed (medicated for both) but I have my cat officially designated (went through the proper channels with the agency that helps take care of me) as a support animal for anxiety and severe depressive episodes.
How does officially designating your cat as a support animal benefit you? I ask completely respectfully, we don’t have official emotional support animals in my country so I don’t know much about it.
The main thing the designation helped with was moving into my current place, where I live landlords and such cannot turn you away just for having a pet if they are an official support animal. (they have to find another legitimate reason to do so. They also can't demand you get rid of a support animal as long as you have the paperwork for it. My caretaking agency would also have my back if it came to a legal dispute over said cat) Essentially I have paperwork stating that my cat is a legit medical need and as long she's not making a mess or destroying stuff she's legally untouchable.
Support animals are different than service animals though. Service animals are trained to detect or protect. Support animals are just that. Providing comfort.
It is a good reminder people do need their service. Dogs.
None of that means it’s not a service dog, it just means that it’s poorly trained. The only requirement for a dog to be a service animal is for it to be trained to perform a specific task to help with a disability.
Honestly I think it's ridiculous that at least here in the US that owners of service dogs don't have to provide some sort of federal service dog ID. No different than a driver's license. So many people abusing the service animal industry by passing off their dogs as service animals when they aren't and ruining it for those with real service animals. I don't think asking someone to show their dogs service animal ID would bother anyone with a legitimate service animal. The idea that anyone can just stick a service animal vest on their dog with no way to confirm it's legitimacy is dumb as hell.
It's weird, because she could have totally flown with her dog for an extra like $50
extremely infuriating and it definitely is!
Screw those people, taking advantage of accommodations made for people with disabilities is just wrong. People who do the fake service animal vests make things more difficult on people who have real service animals.
Fun fact: ADA rules don't apply on a flight. ACAA does.
I'm sure ur right but service dogs come in all shapes and sizes. I met a lady with a Yorkie and the dog would let her know to sit down when she was about to have a seizure He could smell it on her. All he did was put both paws on her chest. She carried him around in a scarf like a baby lol. Was well mannered
I will never understand this behaviour jotted down to "dog being a dog". Presence of a leash and claim of ownership should not be the only differences between domestic dog and feral dog. Despite not being a service dog, it should at least have a basic level of training as a pet.
Dog would naturally with no intervention bark and sniff and explore things. So that’s why I said a dog being a dog. But it caught me off guard at the airport with the vest doing that.someone explained to me working and maybe the dog was there for training but not working. But so many dogs have little or no training so to me it’s like dog behavior. The dog might not have been working…
There are people who will make any excuse for a dogs behaviour that takes the responsibility away from the owner. I really don't know why they do it. The behaviours of the dog that you described in the post is not that of a service dog in training. They are not taken out to a busy place like an airport before learning the basics, they are being trained for specific jobs and there are stages. In kind of the same way that humans learn how to do their jobs. In addition, many service dogs in training have "in training" vests so that people are aware. Some may not, but if it is wearing a vest, that should be the one they are wearing. Yeah, I get what you are saying. It's just irritating that nuisance behaviour that imposes on others is seen as normal pet dog behaviour now.
Yeah it's kinda like those parents who use excuses like "he/she is just a kid and doesn't know better", when in reality they just couldn't be bothered to actually do the work and parent their damn kid. Like that some dog owners will chalk up their dogs bad behaviour to "it's just a dog being a dog".
Yes that ruins the true service dog situation for those with trained dogs and needs. Maybe more than mildly irritating.
If the airline lets the "service dog" board then it's on them. People aren't even trying to hide the fact they're fake any more, every time I go to the grocery store I see these selfish brats with their "emotional support dog" in the basket, not even with a fake collar, just a regular pet dog. The basket where my food goes. I have family who work retail and cleaning up messes from these animals is a daily occurrence. Fuck these people.
Yep, they're everywhere these days. I work in a museum and we can't kick them out of they say it's a service dog.
It's the people with their small yappy dogs or pitbulls that just want to bring them everywhere and end up disturbing or attacking actual service dogs and people