I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In: the Problem with Fake Service Dogs

Usually I am a pretty happy-go-lucky dog--not much bothers me nor upsets me.  Recently, however, I have stumbled upon a problem (or, rather, the problem has growled in my face) that really needs to stop.  Within the span of a few days last week, I ran into not one, but two fake Service Dogs!  It made me realize how prevalent this problem is--if there are at least two in sleepy little Hanover, how many might there be wandering around Mom's hometown in California?!

But fake SDs make it seem like vests/IDs are necessary, which is a problem.

So, you might ask, how do you know a dog is a fake Service Dog?  If it's wearing a vest, isn't it a Service Dog?  The answer, however, is actually no: you can't tell a real Service Dog from what he or she is wearing, nor whether he or she is certified.  Under the ADA, Service Dogs do not have to wear any identifying equipment nor be certified.  So then, if a completely uncertified dog wearing nothing walks into a restaurant, how do you know if it's a real Service Dog?  The best indicator of a real Service Dog is behaviour.  While the ADA does not specify any behaviour that a SD must exhibit, aside from knowing disability-mitigating tasks, it does grant businesses the right to excuse a SD team if the dog shows aggression, unruliness, or a lack of housetraining, and SD teams know this.  Even owner-trained teams work very hard to make their four-legged companions ready for public life and practice public access training--I've seen this from some wonderful teams on Instagram.  While it is not required by the ADA, many teams work towards passing the CGC and/or the PAT, and many organizations require their dogs to pass either or both.

A dog that looks like it isn't working isn't necessarily a fake, even if behaviour is so important in determining a fake SD.

One of the SDs I encountered growled at me multiple times as Mom was trying to get take-out from a restaurant.  Because this constitutes aggression, Mom could have asked management to ask the dog to leave, but she was too anxious to do so.  Unfortunately, the restaurant staff didn't know their rights and didn't ask the dog and handler to leave, so I had to endure quite a bit of growling (which, I'm proud to say, I handled without even blinking).  The owner even had the audacity to comment on how well-trained I was!  Of course I'm well-trained--I'm a Service Dog.

The other SD showed no restraint whatsoever when it saw me, even though I was all the way across the street--it barked and lunged at me, and it didn't seem to know Leave It, despite its owner's repeated, high-pitched at giving the command.  Unlike the first fake SD, this one was actually wearing a SD vest, but unlike me, it didn't seem to have any idea what wearing a vest actually means (and anyway, any dog can wear a vest).  Witnessing this dog's clear lack of training unnerved Mom quite a bit--luckily, I handled myself beautifully (who cares about a little bit of barking?), so she feels quite a bit more confident in me, even if she now doesn't trust the general public to be courteous and honest.

Clearly, I can still be on the job despite a little growling!  I'm distraction-free since '15!

So what's the problem with fake Service Dogs?  Surely you're not actually hurting anyone if you want to bring Fido to Starbucks with you?  But you are, more than you can even imagine.  Hopefully my encounters with fake Service Dogs show how distracting and potentially dangerous fake Service Dogs can be to a real team, particularly with the growling incident (and who knows what the lunging SD would have done if she'd been allowed to get near me!).  Aggression shown towards a real SD is dangerous because SDs are typically trained to be submissive and not to fight, especially because any form of aggression can not only get them kicked out of a place of public access, but also because it can distract them from their jobs.

Okay, so say Fido is a very sweet dog and wouldn't hurt a fly--are you then not hurting anyone by bringing him to Starbucks?  The answer is still no: you are still hurting SD teams by passing off your precious pet as a SD.  How is this possible?  There are two main ways:

1. Your pet is a distraction to real SDs.  As I've mentioned in my "Dos and Don'ts" SD etiquette post, distraction is incredibly dangerous to an SD team.  If I can't focus on my job, Mom can get hurt, and unfortunately, no matter how nice Fido is, he probably isn't trained to completely ignore other dogs, which means he'll try to say hi to me and try to distract me on the job.  Service Dogs have to remain focused on their handlers at all times--for example, a Seizure Alert Dog needs to stay focused on his or her handler in order to help his or her handler through a seizure.
2. Oftentimes, fake Service Dogs are registered through an online "Service Dog Registry," like NSAR or USSDR that seem to have "official" names.  For a certain price, you can buy everything you need for your fake Service Dog: vest, ID cards, and sometimes even a doctor's note!  The problem with this is that Service Dogs don't need certification or registration under the ADA--however, with a growing number of people flashing their "official" SD IDs to get into restaurants and movie theatres, businesses are starting to think that SDs need some kind of official identification.  This hurts real SD teams, especially owner-trained teams, who often don't carry with them or even have any kind of "official" documentation for their four-legged companion.

Similarly, you can't always believe that an SD team is "legit" just because they have the "right" gear and supposed paperwork.

The ADA is not trying to make an "elite" group of citizens who can bring their dogs with them anywhere they go--it's trying to make the world a more equal place by allowing people with disabilities to have the help they need wherever a normal person would go.  Bringing Fido, therefore, also is disrespectful to SD teams anywhere, particularly the disabled handlers--please feel grateful that you don't have to have assistance wherever you go and that you are able-bodied and/or able-minded enough to live an independent life.  While under the ADA it is a right to have a SD, it is also a privilege to have a Service Dog--it is a privilege to be able to lead a more normal life thanks to the help of a canine companion.

SDs are really just furry wheelchairs, heart monitors, etc.  If you don't need a special piece of medical equipment or don't have a disability, then Fido should not come with you to Starbucks, sorry.

So, if you know someone trying to pass of Fido as a fake Service Dog, please (please) educate him or her on the issues of doing this--please help protect Mom and other SD handlers across the globe.  We need to put a stop to this growing problem, so we can keep everyone safe and happy.  If I never encounter another fake SD again, I will be the happiest dog in the world, because I won't have to worry about keeping Mom safe.  Please help me reach my goal!

All my love,
Kelsie Iris


Disclaimer: while my images do come from the USSDR, I do not approve of using their company for registering fake service dogs, but while it's terribly ironic that I'm using their photos, I do believe in the positive messages that the pictures communicate.  I believe in educating and spreading a positive message whenever I can, even if the source is not something I actively support.  (if anything, it just goes to show how legitimate these companies seem--case and point!)


Check out these posts of mine:
SD team etiquette -- http://kelsieiris.blogspot.com/2015/04/dos-and-donts-of-encountering-service.html
Confused?  Here are some terms and abbreviations -- http://kelsieiris.blogspot.com/2015/04/as-abbreviations.html