Any one of my readers who is also involved in the service dog community whether it be as a puppy raiser, a handler, or a training will have come into contact with this subject before. I've seen dogs in stores who were clearly not services animals. They were pestering other patrons, lunging, barking and a few have even been aggressive towards my puppy in training all the while their owner just stood there and did nothing about it while the manager looked on unsure of what to do. I've also gotten people asking me where I can get those cool vests for their pet because they'd like to bring their pet with them too and it has taken most of my self restraint not to slap them across the face and calmly explain to them that passing off their pet as a service animal was a federal offense.
The real problem stems from ignorance. Ignorance of the general public to what bringing their ill behaved pet into a store can do for public access issues for those who have actual service animals and use them to lead independent lives. Ignorance of shop keepers and store managers in regards to ADA regulations and what they are legally allowed to do and what they are not legally allowed to do. Ignorance of some of the online shops who probably genuinely believe that they are helping people register their service animal and that no one would EVER abuse the cheap "service animal" vests to bring their pets into public areas (poor, misguided souls).
Quite recently CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) have started a campaign to educate the public while making it harder for people to abuse ADA regulations concerning service animals to pass of their pets as service animals because they just want to take them everywhere. Guide Dogs for the Blind firmly backs and supports this campaign.
Below you will find a link to the CCI page where you can find links to an educational video and to the campaign page where you can add your signature. Please head on over and add your name!
http://www.cci.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cdKGIRNqEmG&b=4127877&ct=13406355
The Complete Adventures of Raiser Erin and a couple of naughty puppies.
Showing posts with label Service Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Service Animals. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Friday, November 26, 2010
November 26: Attention!
Attention all CCI Puppy Raisers! And other service dog raisers I suppose...anyway. I need a little bit of help.
My Grandfather is getting on in years and is having trouble doing things around the house such as bending down to open cabinets and close them and grab things off the floor and all that stuff. He's also in need of a companion in the big house in which he lives all alone. My question to ALL of you who raise service dogs is if he qualifies with your organization. I know of CCI, but I know there are other organizations out there that help the elderly get around. So, if you are a part of that organization or know of another I would really appreciate an email telling about your organization and what would qualify a person for a dog from your organization and what your experience is with it and all that jazz. Possibly a link to your organizations website. Email me at dramaqueenEEA92@gmail.com
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
Thing I can't wait for about Rocco #5: His sad eyes. You look into them and you see an old soul come back to help a person in need.
My Grandfather is getting on in years and is having trouble doing things around the house such as bending down to open cabinets and close them and grab things off the floor and all that stuff. He's also in need of a companion in the big house in which he lives all alone. My question to ALL of you who raise service dogs is if he qualifies with your organization. I know of CCI, but I know there are other organizations out there that help the elderly get around. So, if you are a part of that organization or know of another I would really appreciate an email telling about your organization and what would qualify a person for a dog from your organization and what your experience is with it and all that jazz. Possibly a link to your organizations website. Email me at dramaqueenEEA92@gmail.com
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
Thing I can't wait for about Rocco #5: His sad eyes. You look into them and you see an old soul come back to help a person in need.
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Follow Up
I've had some really interesting comments and this is all food for thought for me.
Maybe if we made it harder for people to bring in their service animals it would be harder for the fake people to bring in pets. But then again, do we really want to make disabled peoples lives any harder?
I believe you are right Erin. I was intending that post to bash a ridicule a few people and those are the fake service dog users not the fake service dogs. The dogs can't help it if their people bring them into public.
Yes it's true that training schools can only retire dogs that they know have a problem and the student doesn't always report it I would like to bring into light the fact that A) service dog users have these dogs so they can get around easier and if it's harder to take their dog into a public place or it make them have to leave or just plain makes their lives harder the only reason they wouldn't try to get help from the graduate services is they are too attached to their dog. All the blind people I know LOVE, absolutely LOVE, their dogs but if they started to make mobility harder rather than easier they would say something to try to fix the issue...and B) everyone is watching. GDB gets numerous calls about people "abusing" their Guides when they were doing nothing but giving them a simple correction. People like to think they are helping so I imagine with the help of the public and the fact that the blind people need these dogs for mobility reasons only a couple misbehaved dogs slip through the schools' grasps.
Maybe if we made it harder for people to bring in their service animals it would be harder for the fake people to bring in pets. But then again, do we really want to make disabled peoples lives any harder?
I believe you are right Erin. I was intending that post to bash a ridicule a few people and those are the fake service dog users not the fake service dogs. The dogs can't help it if their people bring them into public.
Yes it's true that training schools can only retire dogs that they know have a problem and the student doesn't always report it I would like to bring into light the fact that A) service dog users have these dogs so they can get around easier and if it's harder to take their dog into a public place or it make them have to leave or just plain makes their lives harder the only reason they wouldn't try to get help from the graduate services is they are too attached to their dog. All the blind people I know LOVE, absolutely LOVE, their dogs but if they started to make mobility harder rather than easier they would say something to try to fix the issue...and B) everyone is watching. GDB gets numerous calls about people "abusing" their Guides when they were doing nothing but giving them a simple correction. People like to think they are helping so I imagine with the help of the public and the fact that the blind people need these dogs for mobility reasons only a couple misbehaved dogs slip through the schools' grasps.
A Serivce Animal? Really?
So, I tried to post something similar on Erin and Pompei's blog, but my computer was being stupid. So, since there is such controversy I thought I would start a little post myself.
The Chiuaua that I saw in Ikea might very well have been a real service dog. I think he/she was actually because the thing was soooo well mannered and was very clean.
The dog that attacked Royalty in the mall was by no means a service animal. Here's why. He/she was pushed in a dog stroller (I'm ok with the lap, bag/purse, grocery cart thing, but not dog stroller), it was unleashed, had no jacket/harness whatsoever distinguishing as a service animal, and...well, it legitimately attacked Royalty.
Here are my standards for a Service animal. Well mannered and clean. That's all. I could care less if the dog is pretending to be a service animal as long as it is well mannered and clean.
What about if their owner is training them themselves? Well, then I believe it is the owner's responsibility to put somewhere "IN TRAINING" so that there is an explained reason for naughty behavior.
I am quite aware that some dogs from legit training schools go away with some dog aggression, but the clients and the puppy raisers are told to keep the dog on a leash at all times. If the person does not have enough sense to put a leash on their dog while they are "training" it, then I do not personally believe that person is responsible enough for a service animal. And I believe here at GDB if one of our Graduates starts showing signs of dog aggression they are retired immediately if the problem persists for more than two months or so.
Messes in stores. Look, we all raise puppies and have been there and done that a thousand times over. But we CLEAN up after our pups. The people who I see with "service" animals that relieve in a store who just look down and walk on (yes I've seen it before) are not responsible enough to have the service animal even if they are training them themselves. And yes, I think I am allowed to make that judgement when I see that sort of thing happen. I don't think people who don't clean up after their pets are responsible enough for the pet and their pet is relieving outside. If your dog relives in the store it is your JOB to pick up after it. I don't have any wiggle room here. But what if the dog has diarrhea you ask? Well, the poor thing can't help it. Just pick up after it the best you can with you poop bags and alert the closest store employee of the situation and don't leave the spot until you have made sure that the area is cleaned. Again it is your JOB to clean up after you dog. I forgot poop bags? Oh I've been there. I didn't realize that my poop bag dispenser, extra two bags in my bait bag, and the extra roll I usually carried in my purse were all out. It happens to the best of us even to this Poop Police. But as it is my JOB to clean up after to puppy I stood by that spot without moving until a store employee came by, I inform them on the situation with my puppy, ask them politely to bring me one of their store plastic bags so that I may clean up after the puppy, and if it is necessary a paper towel as well. This shows that I am responsible and that I care what my dog does in public.
You notice that I use the word responsible many times during this little rant. I honestly don't care if people bring their pet dogs pretending to be service animals into stores as long as they are responsible about it. Irresponsible people make me mad because it's not people pretending to have service animals that make my job hard, it's the irresponsible people who don't clean up after their dog or keep them on a leash or keep them well groomed that make it hard for all service dog owners. As long as the person is responsible then, again, I really don't care. But as soon as your dog attacks one of my puppies in training because they are off leash and untrained in a store I'm gonna call you out.
Oh, and I am fully aware that little dogs can be service animals too. Yes, almost forgot to add that.
What it comes down to in my mind is not whether or not the dog is a true service animal, it's whether or not the person in charge of the dog is responsible.
Thank you for your time. :]
Fitting for my 200th post no?
The Chiuaua that I saw in Ikea might very well have been a real service dog. I think he/she was actually because the thing was soooo well mannered and was very clean.
The dog that attacked Royalty in the mall was by no means a service animal. Here's why. He/she was pushed in a dog stroller (I'm ok with the lap, bag/purse, grocery cart thing, but not dog stroller), it was unleashed, had no jacket/harness whatsoever distinguishing as a service animal, and...well, it legitimately attacked Royalty.
Here are my standards for a Service animal. Well mannered and clean. That's all. I could care less if the dog is pretending to be a service animal as long as it is well mannered and clean.
What about if their owner is training them themselves? Well, then I believe it is the owner's responsibility to put somewhere "IN TRAINING" so that there is an explained reason for naughty behavior.
I am quite aware that some dogs from legit training schools go away with some dog aggression, but the clients and the puppy raisers are told to keep the dog on a leash at all times. If the person does not have enough sense to put a leash on their dog while they are "training" it, then I do not personally believe that person is responsible enough for a service animal. And I believe here at GDB if one of our Graduates starts showing signs of dog aggression they are retired immediately if the problem persists for more than two months or so.
Messes in stores. Look, we all raise puppies and have been there and done that a thousand times over. But we CLEAN up after our pups. The people who I see with "service" animals that relieve in a store who just look down and walk on (yes I've seen it before) are not responsible enough to have the service animal even if they are training them themselves. And yes, I think I am allowed to make that judgement when I see that sort of thing happen. I don't think people who don't clean up after their pets are responsible enough for the pet and their pet is relieving outside. If your dog relives in the store it is your JOB to pick up after it. I don't have any wiggle room here. But what if the dog has diarrhea you ask? Well, the poor thing can't help it. Just pick up after it the best you can with you poop bags and alert the closest store employee of the situation and don't leave the spot until you have made sure that the area is cleaned. Again it is your JOB to clean up after you dog. I forgot poop bags? Oh I've been there. I didn't realize that my poop bag dispenser, extra two bags in my bait bag, and the extra roll I usually carried in my purse were all out. It happens to the best of us even to this Poop Police. But as it is my JOB to clean up after to puppy I stood by that spot without moving until a store employee came by, I inform them on the situation with my puppy, ask them politely to bring me one of their store plastic bags so that I may clean up after the puppy, and if it is necessary a paper towel as well. This shows that I am responsible and that I care what my dog does in public.
You notice that I use the word responsible many times during this little rant. I honestly don't care if people bring their pet dogs pretending to be service animals into stores as long as they are responsible about it. Irresponsible people make me mad because it's not people pretending to have service animals that make my job hard, it's the irresponsible people who don't clean up after their dog or keep them on a leash or keep them well groomed that make it hard for all service dog owners. As long as the person is responsible then, again, I really don't care. But as soon as your dog attacks one of my puppies in training because they are off leash and untrained in a store I'm gonna call you out.
Oh, and I am fully aware that little dogs can be service animals too. Yes, almost forgot to add that.
What it comes down to in my mind is not whether or not the dog is a true service animal, it's whether or not the person in charge of the dog is responsible.
Thank you for your time. :]
*This post was not intended to bash or ridicule anyone out there. I just love controversy so please leave comments even if you want to bite my head off for saying some of the things I have*
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