Columnist Dan Abernathy.

Courtesy photo

As I begin this diatribe of words, I’m sure that to some people, I’ll be stepping into what we are picking up from walking behind our dogs. With that being said, I don’t hold much fear of stepping into anything so, I should first explain my attitude about owning man’s best friend.

I’ve had numerous dogs in my lifetime and they were nothing more than my dogs. I had a strong attachment to each one and enjoyed them being part of my life. They all had great manners and I loved each one, as they were part of the family, but it was my family, not anyone else’s.

Now when it comes to your dog, that is just what it is, your dog. I have no attachment to it in any way. I won’t pet it, discipline it, feed it or let it jump up on me, the couch or the bed. Your dog is welcome to come with you when you visit, but it has to have some manners and is not allowed to harass the deer, rabbits and squirrels that live here.

I was showing at an art festival, and got to witness what a true service dog does. It was truly amazing. The owner of the dog was a war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The dog was calm and quiet and it constantly watched the veteran.

I spoke with his wife and was astonished at what she told me about this highly trained canine. If nightmares came, the dog would rear up and wake him by putting his front paws on him. During the day, if he began to wander too deep into his mind, the dog would come up and nuzzle his hand and bring him back to the now. I have never been so impressed with someone else’s dog.

Over this new time of self-proclaimed entitlement, I have noticed a rapidly increasing trend with people passing their pets off as service dogs. This is an aggravated concern that is growing about the use of fraudulent service dogs.

Regular pets, emotional support animals or therapy animals, whose owners fraudulently pass them off as trained service dogs are flaunting their pets as bonafide working animals and are directly abusing and violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

There is no national service dog registry so anyone can easily buy official-looking “service dog” vests online to try to pass their pet off as a service dog.

Currently, there is no legal requirement for service dog training by a licensed professional, and no official testing and certification for service dogs. Legitimate service dogs are trained not only to perform tasks to assist their disabled partners but also to be non-disruptive in public settings.

A trained service dog does not act aggressively toward people or other animals and does not jump on, growl at, or bark at people. A trained service dog often seemingly disappears into the background. A service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, except in special circumstances. In that case, the dog’s handler must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective means.

Many people claiming their pets are emotional support animals expect the animals to be granted the same rights of access as legtimatie service animals. Under the laws of the ADA, emotional support animals are not considered service animals.

Using fake service dogs is an unfortunate but real trend. It is against the law in 31 states to falsely represent your dog as a service animal and doing so is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment and a fine. It is also against the law to provide false information to a health care provider to obtain documentation designating an animal as a service animal.

For individuals who own and need real service pets, this trend of fake service animals is frustrating and genuinely harmful. People with physical disabilities or crippling emotional afflictions for example deeply rely on service dogs not just for comfort, but also for survival. They’re more than a normal pet. They require extensive training and years of experience and have to be thoroughly educated for their job.

Service dogs have a federally protected right to go anywhere their owner goes and emotional support dogs can sometimes be granted access to locations that normally would not allow pets. It’s this appeal which moves people to lie and say their pet is a service dog or an emotional support dog. And, unfortunately, it’s easier than ever to get away with it. Any pet owner can go online and buy a vest to pass off their pet as a service support dog.

It may be a nice idea to take your dog wherever you want but it doesn’t change the truth that faking a service or emotional support animal is irrevocably wrong even beyond the legal ramifications. It’s cruel and mocking of the fact that others endure real, debilitating disabilities that require a service dog. It’s disturbing to people around you to bring your fake service dog, which is nothing more than an untrained pet, where they shouldn’t be.

Real and fake service dogs can usually be differentiated by their behavior. Comparing a service dog that is well-mannered, calm and attentive with a dog that is loud, unruly and careless is often the only — and easiest — way to indicate a fraudulent service or emotional support dog.

There may be some exceptions, such as when a service dog is trying to alert a handler of an impending medical episode, but a fake service dog will usually give themselves away by their untrained behavior. The fundamental difference between a fake service dog and a legitimate one is that service dogs are impeccably trained. They are not only trained to perform tasks and do work that aids people navigating disabilities, but they also go through rigorous socialization and house training. They do not act like ordinary pets because they are not ordinary pets, they are highly trained working animals with jobs to do.

When a pet is being carried or wheeled around by an owner, it cannot be a service dog. A service dog will not excessively pull at the end of a leash, whine, bark or growl, show signs of aggression toward other people or dogs, leave the hander’s side (except if performing a task), inappropriately sniff other people, animals or objects, lose focus or become excited about its surroundings.

A person using a fake service dog is akin to using a handicap placard to gain close access to parking spaces; it is ethically wrong. People might want their pets to go everywhere with them, but they never think that their pets might prefer to be left at home. A lot of dogs love their life of leisure when they’re at home.

“Am I doing what’s best for my animal?” is something to consider as you walk behind them carrying a plastic sack. - dbA

You can find more of the unfiltered insight and the Art of Dan Abernathy at www.contributechaos.com.