Boxergirl
Well-Known Member
There's still not enough information. I see nothing in that article to actually prove that this was a legitimate service dog and handler team. I'm honestly having trouble believing it. Many news articles are reporting that the dog was ON the seat. That isn't allowed. That man's behavior and handling of his dog aren't consistent with what one expects from a legitimate team. Just because the man said it was a service dog doesn't mean it was. It certainly doesn't appear to have been trained as to do what one would normally expect a SD to do on a crowded subway, which would be to tuck, stay close to the man's side, or between his legs. Some sources are also saying that the dog had been crated, which a service dog wouldn't have been. As we've discussed, people say their dogs are service dogs all the time when they really aren't. Could be that he said it thinking it would keep him out of trouble, or perhaps it was an ESA and he doesn't understand the difference. No matter what, the handler was completely at fault here and deserves to have charges filed against him. Incidents like this make it so much harder for working service dog teams.
I think much of the problem is that too most people don't understand, or care to learn, the difference between a therapy dog or an ESA and a service dog. There are defined rules for that differentiate a working service dog from and ESA or a therapy dog. From the ADA - "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."
I think much of the problem is that too most people don't understand, or care to learn, the difference between a therapy dog or an ESA and a service dog. There are defined rules for that differentiate a working service dog from and ESA or a therapy dog. From the ADA - "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."