S/O of dogs on a plane. Service dogs

My dad showed off one of his dogs who was trained for evidence detection. The dog would alert by sitting beside an object that had been handled by humans. To demonstrate, my dad turned his back to a densely Wooded area and threw his truck keys (only set) behind him into the woods. 

Is it really that onerous to be asked to show your certificate?  

Flight attendant:  I am sorry, dogs must remain in their carriers while in flight
Passenger:  This is a service dog, here is her credential card

end of conversation - no questions about why.  In many ways it makes the interaction quicker and easier.  

Well, the law has decided it is. Look, people are going to abuse every program available. When someone is at the grocery store checkout with a food benefit card, we let 'em go through. We don't run a background check on them to see if they're working for cash under the table. Can you imagine if we started treating everyone like they were lying? At some point we have to take people at their word according to law. 

I am against any more licensing, certifying, or any other thing that now we burden people with that really need these service dogs. The minute you make it a requirement for a license you open up all kinds of money making endeavors. I mean, where I live, a teen CANNOT get a driver's license unless they do behind the wheel with a licensed driving school at a cost of over $200.

I can't believe the service dog problem is so expansive that now we need to have so called proof that they really are a service dog by having them have a license. Licenses are not one time things. They usually get renewed at a cost annually or every few years. Let's just stop trying to think of things that require more government oversite and ways for people to make money at the expense of those who really need a service dog. Personally, I think therapy dogs are Ok as service dogs too. Even if the therapy they provide is to the owner.

This still doesn't address the issue. If no one is allowed to ask for verification that an animal is truly a service animal, why does it matter who can or cannot print certificates? People may not be able to obtain a fraudulent certificate any longer, but they're still going to bring their pets wherever they want knowing that they can't be asked for proof anyway.

One of our county 4-H clubs trains and socializes CCI puppies. One of my dd's friends is training his 4th CCI puppy. It's impressive to see the amount of time and work these kids put in before turning the pups into the school to be tested.

They know how the fake service dogs cause issues and hardship for their program. I fully support and agree with them and their goal. A lot of times people don't understand the big picture or the entire issue. 

Does it really hurt anyone that someone brings their dog as a service dog? I mean, you may not LIKE it, but does it hurt you? If not, then do you really care? As I get older I just see so many things that people want to regulate and it has gotten so sad to me.

With all the millions of dogs that are euthanized, does it really bother you so much to see a dog that is cared for and loved? Some people benefit from having their animals with them. I didn't used to feel this way, but now that I work in a hospital with a large mental health clinic, I see all the people who bring their animals with them. It truly helps them. They get so many benefits, and so does the animal.

Yes, some people don't have service animals and bring them anyway. So does that mean we penalize all the folks who really need a service dog? Let's make it harder for them - that's a real good idea. I know that a generation before mine, dogs stated outside in a dog house in the yard or wandered around before leash laws. I know an elderly man who was appalled that an animal would get up on the furniture. The role of dogs in our society has changed. So there are always those that want to regulate change. Can't you just let our love of God's creatures evolve for the better, and stop trying to think of ways to confront people and regulate people and make them feel bad? If you are allergic to an animal or afraid of them as I used to be, just walk away, ask to be seated somewhere else, or let the person know you are allergic and they will likely move away from you.

As someone in the mental health field who used to be fearful of animals, I have come to see the huge benefit to society of animals in this role, and those who do not need them do not need to judge others who do regarding whether or not their service animal is 'real' or not.

Ok, I've read this at least a dozen times to try and figure out why so many think that I don't believe that psychological disorders need a service dog.  I think I finally get where the miscommunication came from.

I should have said that a THERAPY dog is meant for comfort only and a THERAPY dog is not considered medically necessary.  I did not mean that comfort itself is not considered medically necessary.  I was trying to differentiate between therapy and service dogs, which can be confusing.  The designations are not interchangeable; the differences have been all noted in above responses.

Others had tried to respond for me, and they are absolutely right.  I meant exactly what they said; that psychological issues are real issues, but that there is a difference between a therapy and service dog.  For some reason, I didn't get any notifications after the initial quote.  I only came back because I wanted to see why the thread was still going on.  I hope Eddie and Scrapower see this.






Dori~Mama~Bear @scrappower Eddie-n-Harley

I'm sorry that I didn't specify this better.  In no way am I trying to say that a person needing emotional support should not have a service dog.  If they need the support 24/7, they need a service dog under the guidance of medical professionals.  Please accept my apology that I made you feel that psychological issues don't rate the same as a physical disability.

I can only speak for myself, but I think the furor comes from the pet owners more than the presence of dogs themselves. That goes for parents of kids too. It's all about training/discipline. If your dog/kid behaves, then we have no problem.  The difference for me though is that I've never had someone's kid come over and sniff my crotch or lick me. And I definitely think the grocery store is no place for dogs.

Pretty much that. I love love love seeing service dogs in action with their humans. My kids have tried to approach them, and I've happily stopped them and explained that those dogs are working, etc.

I am baffled by the people who put their dogs in their purse or in strollers and cart them everywhere (I actually have a friend who did this upon getting a new puppy. I was horrified).

I thought though that the service dogs had to wear a vest so that they could be easily identified as a working dog? Was that ever true or is that something my parents told me so is leave the dogs alone?

You're right that not all diseases are visually obvious.  It's been a while since I actually had this encounter, so all I really have is my very strong impression-- admittedly based on the way this woman was dressed, her entourage, and the way she was transporting the dog-- that the animal was not a service animal of any kind.  There is a local group that trains retrievers and labs as service animals, and they are often in there with their puppies for training, and the one thing that is very clear is that there's no playing with the animals while they are working.  I assume the no playing rule would transcend all breeds and types of service animal, so to see the chihuahua being carried suggested me that it was not on duty.

But yes, I could have totally misread the whole thing.