01/20/2020
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT
Please do not take advantage of benefits meant for working animals. This includes calling your dog an ESA (emotional support animal) to get around housing restrictions.
I was having a panic attack & Atlas was tasking. Even w/people boarding & kids squealing out “doggie!” Atlas was focused. Then came a boy with a puppy straining on the end of a flexi-leash. Its eyes were huge with fear searching for shelter in the chaos. He saw Atlas & attacked, lunging, barking, & snapping. The handler & parents did nothing: no comfort for the terrified pup; no apology; no concern to see if their dog had injured mine. Atlas ignored it but the attack shook him. A few minutes later he missed a seizure alert for the first time in months. I starting seizing out of my seat & hit my head on the window.
This is an increasingly familiar experience for service dog (SD) handlers as more people violate the boundaries of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Non-disabled people tell us:
“No one complains about my dog in stores!”
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“She’s my baby, I can’t leave her!”
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“It’s not like I’m hurting anyone!”
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“He gets scared alone so I bought him a vest.”
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“I got a doctors note online!”
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“I bought a certificate & ID so my pet can go everywhere!”
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Whether ignorance or arrogance many people are convinced that it’s their right to use ESA & SD laws to manipulate the system, break the rules, & avoid federal prosecution. But the reality is most dogs aren’t equipped to handle stressful public situations & can behave unpredictably when they are thrown into an environment they aren’t trained to handle.
Faking a SD is not a victimless crime. It puts disabled people & their medical equiptment at risk. It causes us to be harassed, refused service, & illegally barred from resources non-disabled people enjoy. Businesses that have bad experiences with pets illegally bar disabled handlers from Ubers, hotels, restaurants, stores, & housing. Every year people lose their SDs because of attacks, harassment, & injuries. Many handlers become afraid to risk leaving their homes.
It‘s exciting to bring your dog with you to pet-friendly stores, restaurants, & hotels! But bringing your dog into spaces illegally has far-reaching ramifications that you can’t always see. Help protect disabled people’s lives. If a business isn’t pet-friendly leave your pet at home.
