In Florida, fake service dogs challenge public safety

Recently, three Lyft rides I requested were denied illegally. Two drivers said they stipulated, “No Dogs,” when they signed up to drive. The third driver pulled away as I reached to open the door.The “No Dogs” drivers gave my guide dog and me a ride after a Lyft representative, who I called on my speaker phone, told them that company policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act required them to drive us. Kudos to Lyft for providing riders with an emergency phone number and for holding drivers accountable. The ADA, the federal law that affirmed civil rights for people with disabilities, including access with their service dogs, will be 36 years old in July. The act requires that a service dog be trained to perform tasks directly related to an individual’s disability. People in no-pet zones with a dog at their side do not need documentation of disability or proof of the dog’s training. Online retailers can make a fortune selling meaningless registrations, certifications and service dog vests. Pet owners can pretend their pets are service dogs even without buying the paraphernalia.Those of us with legitimate well-behaved service dogs face discrimination. Inappropriate and fake service dogs challenge public safety. Ride share providers are not the only ones who doubt the credibility of any service dog claim. Here’s an answer: People with pets, business owners, service dog handlers and gatekeepers can work together to clean up the mess. Doing so doesn’t even require a poop bag. Most Americans regard their pets as family members and want their canine companions with them. Some national chains, including Lowes and PetSmart, welcome well-behaved pets. Some local businesses, like Mutts & Martinis in St. Petersburg, provide space for non-aggressive dogs and humans to relax and play off leash. More business owners should open their doors to well-behaved dogs. People with well-behaved pets should campaign for access. With more pet-friendly destinations, maybe fewer people would falsely claim that their pets are service dogs. People who make such claims say there is no difference between their pet and a service dog and that they are not hurting anyone. They are wrong on both counts. Service dogs work. The dog might be guiding a visually impaired person or alerting their deaf handler to important sounds. The dog might be continually monitoring their epileptic or diabetic partner. When they sense a chemical or behavioral change, the dog alerts the person to an impending life-threatening situation. When you see a service dog team out and about, the dog is mitigating the person’s disability. Pet dogs should be kept out of their way. People with disabilities should protect their dogs. That includes ignoring well-intentioned people who want to interact. When I hear, “Is your dog friendly?” I respond: “Please ignore the dog. She’s working.” Gatekeepers who control entry for service-dog teams in no-pet zones should do their jobs. They are allowed to ask, and in our opinion, are obligated to ask, two questions: Is this a service dog required by disability? What tasks does the dog perform? They should know which answers are adequate. “It’s my emotional support dog,” doesn’t qualify, nor does “This is my service dog; you have to let us in.” The person should be able to describe the dog’s tasks clearly and specifically. Gatekeepers should monitor the behavior of dogs they allow in. If a dog whines or barks, lunges or growls, the gatekeeper should tell the person politely but firmly that the dog must be removed. By law, dogs that “fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services, or programs provided” or who pose a direct threat to public safety are prohibited regardless of their service dog status. The gatekeeper can document problematic behavior with their phone to validate the reason for the dog’s removal. Service dog law in the United States would benefit from greater accountability. Online retailers that take advantage of clueless pet owners could be shut down. Trainers who claim to prepare service dogs for public access could be held accountable for their clients’ behavior. Access requirements could include state registration, like those for disability-accessible parking permits. In the meantime, the rest of us should work together to make public access easy for legitimate service dog teams. Deni Elliott is professor emerita at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. Graham Buck served as assistant director of training for Guiding Eyes for the Blind and now provides personal dog training through Buck’s Best Dogs. Elliott, in collaboration with Buck, is author of Catching Sight: How a Guide Dog Helped Me See Myself.

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