Service Dog Chihuahua?

Has anyone on here ever order those service dog tags that you can get off the internet?
I have a Chihuahua that will have to go on vacation with my family due to some major work that they are doing to our home. I seriously can not board her and my mother is disabled with Parkinson's. The dog provides us all with a emotional support that you can't get anywhere else. She is very well behaved, we have special purses for her and were I live I can pretty much take her anywhere. We booked a hotel that was Pet friendly for $20 a stay. I was just wondering if anyone has ever used the internet service dog tags to bring their dog into stores?

That would be unethical. No I have not, and would not.

a reply to: jackjoedoe
Well , it isn't illegal. According to the ADA a service dog is any breed of dog that performs a duty for a disabled person. I know a service dog that was taught to retrieve socks for it's owner and was able to get services dog status in order to move into a assisted living housing.

a reply to: zbeliever

Around here, people bring their dogs into places not intended for pets. Restaurants, grocery stores, salons, shopping malls, etc. Why do people do this?

You need emotional support. I have dogs so I get the unconditional love reciprocity.

But what about people who have legitimate allergies, fears, and dislike of dogs? Should they not be able to be in all of those areas without concern the person nearest to them has a dog in her/his purse?

Service dogs for physical disabilities has been widely accepted and have laws to ensure their rights. Is separation anxiety from your dog truly an emotional trauma? I apologize if I am offending, that is not my intent. I am really wanting to understand this dog in a purse trend.

a reply to: zbeliever

Unethical is different than illegal.

a reply to: UltralightThank you for your reply. You didn't offend. I know there are many cities this is common a "tend" If you understood my family dynamics you could understand the need for the dog. She is really very important to my girls 13 and 6 plus my mother that is in a wheelchair and myself on this vacation, that is really just to get us out off the house so work can be done.

a reply to: zbeliever

I KNOW you can do it. I just recently saw a documentary short on it, mainly focusing on people abusing the system. But then there was the rebuttal from people who really need to have their companions close to them. Google is your friend.

I will be bringing her either way. I probably won't obtain the tags, and will honor anyone who asks us to leave....I just wanted to know if they have helped anyone. Yes, the thought has crossed my mind to buy them but I have not needed them in my town. Everyone has been more then great about her shopping with us...by the way I have not taken her anywhere food is involved.

It is a federal crime to misrepresent your dog as a service dog. Many states are also going to have laws about it. For some reason $1,000 fine and up to a year of jail is in my memory.

It's pretty easy to tell when a service dog is a fake.

You can't crate train?

My dog goes just about everywhere with me.
She is a lab/Aussie mix.
She is well mannered and stays at my side.
I would estimate about 1 out of 10 places I go has any protest.
Obviously, due to health code regulations, I don't take her inside of restaurants.
The best places to eat around here have outdoor decks and no one seems to have a problem.
She is a welcome guest at all the local bars.

originally posted by: Domo1
It is a federal crime to misrepresent your dog as a service dog.

Bet that!! We had a lady over here in Korea who kept bringing her dog through our hospital. I warned her. She ignored me. She left in handcuffs.

I didn't really feel very good about 'being the bad guy' (I love dogs). But, the medical environment needs to be preserved for patients seeking care. It felt kind of shameful being privately recognized for doing the right thing.

OP: I hope you work things out.

-Cheers

Sadly I had to make use of a food bank this week. A woman brought her grossly over weight Chihuahua. This dog was just trampling over food for people in need spreading germs. Rude and disgusting.

There is a huge difference between a companion animal, an emotional support or therapy animal, and a service animal.

servicedogcentral.org...

There are criminal penalties for falsely claiming a pet as a service animal. These penalties can range from a small fine, to one over $1,000 or a few days in jail up to a year in jail, depending on how the offense is committed and where. In some cases, the dog is confiscated and the owner may have a lengthy court battle to get the dog back. So if you're thinking of passing your pet off as a service dog, check out this article first and find out whether it's worth it: _______ Zach's article under construction ___________ Now the short answer to the big two questions. 1. If you don't already know where to get a vest, then odds are you shouldn't be getting one anyway. There's a lot more to a service dog than the outfit it wears. It typically takes 18-24 months to fully train a service dog. While individuals are permitted to train their own service dog, that doesn't mean they are automatically capable. If you do not already have experience doing advanced training with working dogs, then you do not have sufficient experience to train a service dog on your own. You need to hire a pro, and that pro can direct you to dog supply resources. If you are determined to fake, then you can find fake vests in dozens of places on the internet with a very basic search and don't need to be asking us.

The US Department of Justice permits businesses to ask two questions: 1. Is this a service dog required because of disability? 2. What is it trained to do to mitigate the disability? Remember that "[a]nimals whose sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort, therapy, companionship, therapeutic benefits, or to promote emotional well-being are not service animals..." so a service animal must be specifically trained to DO something.

a reply to: skunkape23 Thank-you! I needed a person who understood. 1/10 good odds,,,,I also won't bring her in places that have food....and I won't even if I had the tags and could. Your Lab is a lucky to have you....I am sure your lab is a happy dog.

I'm trying to get my dog registered as a therapy dog. I was told to talk to my psychiatrist. When I did, she said it was MY job to get the information. *head spinning* Apparently, all she needs to do is write a note stating I need this dog for my PTSD and that the dog is a therapy pet, so now I'm left wondering, how is it I'M supposed to write this note, when SHE'S supposed to write it, she's the doctor, not me? Some days it does not pay to wake in the morning. It just becomes a Twilight Zone kind of day is all.


Edit to add, I'm not getting her registered to take her into restaurants and such or stores, but more for if I move, I don't have to worry about apartment options being limited, I know the next place can take her because she's registered. She's potty trained, very well behaved, and has been helping me with my PTSD at night with my night terrors, flashbacks, OCD, etc...

a reply to: zbeliever

I won't lie, people like you really bother me. I've worked many places where people keep bringing their dogs in, claiming they're "service animals". Most of them aren't, either, they're just people who feel the need to take their dogs everywhere. >

Thankfully there are rules and regulations set in place to prevent people from false claims. I learned this not only from the internet, but from some service dog trainers around town. Businesses have to allow service animals in, which I honestly don't mind, some people truly has physical ailments that having a service animal is a great support. Thankfully, emotional support animals are not truly covered by the ADA, and they do not have to be allowed into a business.

As for the lady who wants fake tags from the internet, so she can continue to carry her dog in her purse, it's people like you who ruin good things for the rest. You try to place yourself in similar shoes as those who truly need their dogs with them, all so you can continue to carry your dog in your purse. It's actually disgusting that you're willing to lie like that to keep your dog on you.

I understand the love for a dog. I have two beautiful dogs that I love like my children, cairn terrier/daschund mix, and a chihuahua who not only dances all the time, but literally has a big, toothy smile. They're very well behaved, fully trained, and they're some of the sweetest attention whores you'll ever meet.

But if I go someplace, they either stay home, or stay in the car(only if I'm going to be in a short moment). As much as I love my dogs, I don't feel this need to be carrying them everywhere I go.

A lot of tourist places are also dog friendly, especially towards the wee little "handbag" size dogs that are easily carried and controlled. Many shops probably won't mind the pup at all. Call around restaurants in the area before you go so you know which ones might be pet friendly.

I really don't understand this sudden emotional obsession with one's dogs. I get that we love them, but they're our pets, not our little children. They stay at home when I go. It doesn't kill them, and it doesn't kill me.

A true service dog has an actual physical job to do. They don't just ride around in a purse and provide an emotional crutch for you. In fact, if all it is is an emotional crutch, then really they're more of a detriment than they are a help. It's like the living equivalent of a child's security blanket or pacifier. And while some people might need such a thing, they are verifiably prescribed by professionals, not something you self-prescribe over the Internet because it simply makes you feel better or is more convenient for you.

a reply to: Anyafaj

Hope this helps!

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

ADA

Flying with an Emotional Support Animal OR a Psychiatric Service Dog
In order to fly with an Emotional Support Animal OR Psychiatric Service Dog in the cabin of the aircraft with you, you will need a special letter from a licensed mental health professional. It is not fair that people with PSDs are treated differently than those with other sorts of service dogs but they are and this is written into regulatory law. You can thank the fakers for that because it didn't used to be that way until faking became such a problem this change was added to cut down on it.

Regulations require that the airline accommodate reasonable requests to fly with an ESA or PSD if the airline is contacted at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure time and the following described letter is offered on request (you may have to FAX it to them). If you do not contact them in advance or do not give them the letter in advance so that they have the opportunity to call the doctor's office to verify it, then they can deny you. So if you just show up at the gate and do not call ahead, you take your chances on whether or not they will actually let you board, even if you have the letter.

servicedogcentral.org...

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Anyafaj

Hope this helps!

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

ADA

Flying with an Emotional Support Animal OR a Psychiatric Service Dog
In order to fly with an Emotional Support Animal OR Psychiatric Service Dog in the cabin of the aircraft with you, you will need a special letter from a licensed mental health professional. It is not fair that people with PSDs are treated differently than those with other sorts of service dogs but they are and this is written into regulatory law. You can thank the fakers for that because it didn't used to be that way until faking became such a problem this change was added to cut down on it.

Regulations require that the airline accommodate reasonable requests to fly with an ESA or PSD if the airline is contacted at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure time and the following described letter is offered on request (you may have to FAX it to them). If you do not contact them in advance or do not give them the letter in advance so that they have the opportunity to call the doctor's office to verify it, then they can deny you. So if you just show up at the gate and do not call ahead, you take your chances on whether or not they will actually let you board, even if you have the letter.

servicedogcentral.org...

Thank you!! I asked my mental health professional for a letter, I was told it was MY responsibility to see what needed to be done, even though I told her all I needed was a letter from her stating I used this dog for my PTSD. Argh!!! My therapist I like, my psychiatrist makes my head want to spin.

a reply to: Anyafaj

Maybe you can email your health care provider that link, write the letter for them to sign and tell them "There, I've done my "due diligence"!