Service Animals Redefined...

[chickened]

That is why my wife or I will not shop at Petco, got tired of people getting offended that I did not take occasion to their dog sniffing my butt or leg or go goo goo gaa gaa over it.
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[annageckos]

I think it is BS that those with disabilities that can not been seen have to pay for those who just want to take their pets around. There has to be another way to control this. I am disabled. I am also under 30 and you can't see my disabilities. One of the worst is anxiety, bad anxiety. I can't be around people by myself. I panic. I even quit school over it. But I found I am better with an animal around. So I worked with my dog and he is perfect when we go out. In fact, he is better then this one 'professionally' trained service dog. There was a lady in a wheel chair with a lab, that dog would pull her when he saw my dog, my dog would stay by my side, well behaved. Then one day she has the nerve to tell me that my dog is not a service dog! Why? Because she can not see my problems? Hypocrite. My dog also helps me get up if I am kneeling down, I tell him, 'Help me up' and he braces himself so I can push myself up. (I have bad knees and leg pain, and degenerative disc disease)

It just makes me angry. I thought the ADA protected against things like this.

 

[KristyHall]

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[FourPawz]

A trained monkey can help a paralyzed person in ways a dog simply cannot.

'Kasey to the Rescue' Author Ellen Rogers Talks About the Monkey That Helps Her Paralyzed Son

That said, disabled people should have common sense and not take their animals especially where they would pose a danger to others, like in the case of a horse show.

I have asthma. I don't go to someone's house and then complain about their cat, or demand they quit smoking. I also don't demand someone not smoke in an outdoor area or where it's legal. I simply realize there are places and situations which I must avoid.

 

[EweSheep]

FourPawz, I don't follow exactly what you mean about disabled people should not take their pets like a horse show. Well, they have every right to be there to see a horse show or want to see the stalls. It is both horse AND dog owners responsibility to make each other safe and common sense prevails. If the person decided to wheel to bypass a horse on cross ties, with no one attending, then the risk is on the person in the wheel chair, who she must back up and find another alley she can go. Not all horses are wheelchair or brace trained. I do encourage handicapped people to VISIT our stalls and move horses out of the way, whether they asked or not to let them thru. Common courtesy. Not only they have a responsibility too, we do too as exhibitors.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quite frankly, I think service animals need to be certified that they can perform whatever specific services they are needed for, and that those tasks be reasonable for specific disabilities. I honestly feel that they should be trained by an independant source rather than the one they provide service for, but I do understand about the high $$$$ issue. One of the things that any service animal needs to be WELL-TRAINED for is to ignore distractions that are not relevant to the service. A monkey should not be heading out to pester the horses, and a dog should not be pulling it's handler's wheelchair so that it can go sniff another dog. If the animal cannot be trained to ignore this kind of distraction, then in my opinion, it should not receive certification as a service animal that would allow it unlimited access to public places any more than would be allowed simply as a pet.

I very much understand that not all disabilities are visible--I have asthma, and few years it is bad enough that I can qualify for a temporary disability plate for my car. I look young for my age (except for grey hair), and my asthma is pretty much not visible. Be around me long and you can certainly tell, but not from a casual glance. I have been glared at when using a disabled parking spot to which I was entitled. I am well aware that there are many other "invisible" disabilities.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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If the stalls are not open to the public (they generally would not be), then you are not entitled to visit them, disabled or not. If they ARE open to the general public, then there may be a case for allowing access; it really depends on many variables. ADA does not require unlimited access; it requires reasonable accomodations.

 

[Sierra pachie bars]

I was told at disneyland milo was the first beagle to be in the park. He is trained to ignore distractions , but i would tell the stir he caused he eats it up. I had a lot of people just want photos of him. At least they asked. He seemed to enjoy the rides too.. Best way to get. Trained dog to ignore is by going out. So yes at times your going to see a service dog in training not act 100% . Heck they are dogs not robots. They have bad days and good days. The biggest complment is when someone says they never even realized a dog was there.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

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DEFIANTELY!! I've had waiters and waitresses mouths drop open when my Service Dog has come out from under the table. Entire sections of a restaraunt get quiet except for an "It's A Dog!" most times pleasantly, but we have had the occasional, "It's A darn Dog" which sets my husband off with, "It's a darn Idiot". He is not as pleasant as I am with dealing with people who act like idiots.

I find these times out in public a great time to educate people on what dogs are able to do and how they save lives on a daily basis. I have found that our older citizens and teens to younger adults are more informed and accepting of Service Dogs than adults over the age of 30. I don't know why that is. Children just know that it is a dog that is friendly and they want to cuddle. If they are willing to ask me about my dog, I will let them, and talk to them and their parents about Service Dogs.

If you touch my dog without asking, I will rip you a new one. My dog could have been preparing to alert and you have just distracted them from their job. My dog is my left arm. You have no right to touch me! My dog is part of who I am. My dog will not acknowledge that you exist unless I tell them they are permitted to say Hello and if they don't wish to, I don't force the situation. A dog has a better read on most people than most law enforcement folks.

I don't believe a Service Dog should have to be certified. This is another factor that limits who could have a Service Dog. Who would do the certifying? The government? They can't figure out what they are trying to do themselves. The AKC? They believe my current dog should have been destroyed when it was learned that she was deaf!

Please know that I speak of Service Dogs because I have had no other experience with a Service Animal. I have heard of Service Monkeys and a Guide pony. I was told about the pony by a police officer who had seen it while working in NYC. Pony's live for a good 30 years, a dog for 15 if you are lucky. What I would have given for my girl, Spook, to have lived for another 18 years. But then again, I wouldn't have my Krazy Katie who runs around like a nut case until she puts that Service Dog Vest on. Then she is the ultimate professional even at 1 year old.

 

[EweSheep]

I don't know how many times I've seen people ooooh'ed and aaaaaaaaaw'ed at a service dog and interrupted their duties and offends the owner. I like to slap the silly out of those ignorant people but as long we go up to them or remind them not to pet the dog. Like my daughter who LOVES animals, we would remind her over and over, do not pet the dog. ASK the owner first for permission. you would never know when the dog would defend or might react defensively if a kids accidently stepped on the dog in glee. Now she knows to ask permission from the owner if it is OK to pet or not. It would not offend her at all if you say no. She understands.

Had one case of a woman who has a Service dog but poorly trained or she let the dog get by with it. When greeting people, the dog would wag and say "pet me!" everytime. She is going blind and this dog is not much help for her and always had a helper next to her. UGH! To me, that dog is better off being a family rather than being a service dog. He does not use the harness procedure very well nor she uses it much. She loves the dog and the companionship but lacked hindsight of what the dog is for.