I've been reading a number of articles lately about the difficulty people face when untrained service dogs are being used as if they are service dogs. I've also been engaging with people in the disability community to talk about some of these issues. I decided to share my thoughts on this issue in hopes that I can encourage and empower people both with and without disabilities to help educate others about this very important topic.
Here's some background that might be surprising to you. Did you know that a lot of people register their pets as "service dogs" for emotional support in order to bring their dogs onto planes, into businesses, and into other locations that would otherwise not be allowed for pets? It's true. It actually happens every day. I personally experience issues with this multiple times per week and know that my friends in the disability community have issues with this problem on a daily basis.
So what's the problem? Why shouldn't you register your sweet pup as an emotional support animal? Well, there are two main reasons. First, if the animal is not certified or trained through a program that provides specific qualifications that a dog must meet in order to be classified as a "service dog," the dog is not prepared for going to these location where pets would otherwise not be allowed. Programs are important for many reasons. Dogs need to be trained in order to provide whatever service he or she is meant to provide. Dogs also need to be able to handle the incredible stimulus in public places, such as food on the floor in a restaurant, the chaotic masses of people in an airport, or the smells of endless treats in a grocery store.
It's not fair to the owner, the general public, or the dog to give the dog a title without proper training. Further, without training, the title of "service dog" devalues the titles given for dogs who have had people working in their lives to provide incredible amounts of genetic counseling, proactive breeding, puppy-raising, specific training, and pairing with the person who has a disability. When someone signs their dog up as a support animal without all of these things in place, those aspects of the service animal programs, not to mention the hours or work and finances that go into them, that are crucial to the dog's success, are grossly devalued.
The second main problem with signing a dog up as an emotional support animal without a good reason is that you devalue the emotional disabilities that impact many people in society. This is a tough topic, because I know some people with disabilities like mine who argue that emotional support animals aren't necessary at all. However, I strongly believe that given proper training, dogs can be an incredible support to people with Autism, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and other clinically diagnosed problems or symptoms of other problems. However, when a pet is signed up as an emotional support animal, it's as if someone is saying that those needs don't matter. It's as if someone is saying that the person with an emotional problem is just like anyone else. The fact, is that person is struggling far more than you or I may ever imagine. We must recognize and validate the struggles of these people and respect the programs that allow them to gain support from trained service animals.
Fundamentally, I believe that all dogs have jobs. Some dogs, like my Renee, are guide dogs, helping people like me travel safely every day. Other dogs help people who are deaf to observe the audible cues you and I take for granted. Some dogs alert their owners to blood sugar level changes for diabetics or to brain wave issues for seizures. Still others give independence to people in wheelchairs by picking up things or opening doors. Some dogs provide balance for people who have trouble walking on their own. Still other dogs give encouragement to individuals recovering from trauma or who are learning to live with emotional disorders.
Those are the dogs who have named titles. But "pet" is a title, too. In fact, "pet" is one of the greatest titles of all! How many of you have had pets in your lives who have helped you through a hard time? How many of you have had pets as friends or as playmates? How many of you have had pets who act like part of the family? Pets are just as important as service animals.But just because pets are important does not mean their title should change. Pets are not meant in certain public areas. Why? It's not about exclusion. It's not about some dogs being better than others. It's about some dogs providing jobs for people in certain environments while others are not needed there. Let your pets do their jobs at home or in the public areas where pets are allowed.
Let me try to explain from a personal standpoint. I experience limitations when people try to bring their pets into no-pet zones all the time. For example, when people bring their certified but not trained dogs into airports as emotional support animals just to have them on vacation, those dogs often distract my dog from her work; they bark, lunge, and jump. These dogs make my travel experience less safe than it should be, because my dog has to focus even harder with this distraction. Now, Renee does an excellent job at trying to ignore these things, but it's not easy. Occasionally, she is surprised or distracted by untrained dogs jumping at her and she misses guiding me around a rolling suitcase or misses my verbal command to go in a different direction. In turn, because of the distraction, I have tripped over suitcases when she has missed obstacles and have been late to my gate when she misses my cues.
This also takes a physical and emotional toll on Renee, as she gets very stressed when she can't do her job well. She still works beautifully but cannot work as long and as passionately as she could otherwise without the unnecessary distractions. I wish Renee could talk, but I swear her expressions tell me everything. She becomes frustrated when she messes up in these situations and has to redo or fix something. We feed off of each others' stress. These untrained dogs hurt our team both in that moment and for the long-term work we do together.
Another example is less connected. A lot of people try to take their pets into no-pets-allowed restaurants or cabs. Then, when I enter days or months later with my seeing eye dog, I am refused service. It's not because the restaurant manager or cab driver is trying to be rude. Usually, it's because pets have come in and have caused problems in the place. The problem might even just the the pets' presence, because the owner or driver has made that rule for a reason. Whenever this happens, I have to go through channels to gain access by filing complaints, calling the police, or the worst, being embarrassed with my group of friends and needing to find another place to go. In other words, when people take their pets with them in non-pet locations, breaking the rules, I am further limited in my access to those locations. The law remains that my dog is allowed in every public place, but the pet-owners who break the rules make it harder for the law to support me.
This truly happens to my friends in the disability community every day. We are all so tired of it. While we all understand that pets are awesome and should come along when pets are allowed in certain places, pets need to stay home when they are not allowed somewhere. Please help the disability community by extending this education. It's not just about sneaking your pet in. It's about limiting the access and ultimately the safety of others like me who just want to navigate through the building full of obstacles, go out to eat with my friends, or get a ride to work. Think twice before you take your pet to a place that generally does not allow animals, and share the news to others. Together, we can make a positive change so that all dogs can perform their jobs to the best of their abilities.
Best,
Sara
+10000000000! Thank you!
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