Santa Rosa, California – Imagine someone pretending to have experienced a life-altering injury or illness just to skip the line at a theme park. It sounds unbelievable, right? But as shown time and again on major news outlets, that’s exactly what people are doing when they pose their pet dog as a service dog to gain access to airplanes, restaurants and other places pet dogs are not allowed. People who bring fraudulent service dogs in public are making it difficult for real people with disabilities who rely on legitimate service dogs to access the support they need.
Airlines finally cracked down on fake service animals after passengers brought on board kangaroos, peacocks, snakes and out of control pet dogs. Thousands of stores and grocers have been refusing all animals – including real service dogs – from entering because too many fraudulent “service animals” have urinated on expensive furnishings, contaminated food, bitten staff and driven away paying customers.
Unfortunately, loopholes in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and vague language about the rights of people with disabilities who rely on service dogs have made it easy for scammers to exploit the system.
As the nation’s first and largest service dog organization, Canine Companions is leading the charge to stop service dog scams starting in September’s National Service Dog Month with a new effort. The effort aims to get specific language added to the ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act*, making it crystal-clear that misrepresentation of a disability for personal gain – including the use of a service dog – is against the law. And, it raises awareness for the need to crack down on websites selling fraudulent service dog certifications and accessories to people who are knowingly passing off a pet as a service dog.
Currently, 44 States have laws against interfering with real service dogs, but fewer have penalties for fraudulent certifications and misrepresentation. Even with these state laws in place, it is too easy to “register” an online service dog ID or purchase official-looking equipment for an untrained pet. The owners of these businesses are effectively accessories to a federal crime and should be held accountable to penalties.
Support Our Effort – Sign the Petition! *
As an industry leader, Canine Companions is regularly asked by lawmakers to advise on pending legislation. Specifically, we want legislators to add easy-to-find, clear definitive language about service dog misrepresentation to the ADA:
The right to be accompanied by a trained service dog is a benefit permitted to a person with a disability to increase access and inclusion in public places. Misrepresentation of a disability to gain benefits is against Federal law.
Petition signers are standing up for the rights of all people with disabilities who need service dogs and holding these scammers accountable. This change could ensure that the wagging tail on your next flight, the pup sitting under the table at your favorite restaurant or the dog walking down the produce aisle is there helping someone with a disability live their life independently. Together, let’s unleash justice and make a difference for all service dog users.
Please sign today* and make your voice heard!
When we reach 2,500 signatures we can reach out to legislators to ask for these changes to protect (real) service dogs. Your personal petition information will not be passed on to any third party.
*Please be aware that by clicking this link you are visiting sites that are not managed by Canine Companions. Website security, accessibility and privacy policies may be different than Canine Companions policies. Please read their policies closely.
