[Buckeyephan]

I was at Walgreen's this afternoon when a man walked in with a small dog. The dog had a red leash with "Service Animal" written on it in big white letters. It also had on a vest with the same announcement. As he walked up and down the aisles, he chatted with people who petted the dog. So, what legitimate service was this animal providing?

[DigitalGranny]

None of our business.

[redwitch]

Service dogs are not to be petted. They are working. Ergo, not a service dog.

[billethkid]

I am afraid abuse of the service dog will soon be as prevalent as the too many who have handicap parking permits and golf cart permits on and off the course.

Here again it is not a very big number of those who have discovered how easy it is to get and hence abuse these priviledges.

It is not fair to the honest, needy and legitimate 98+%.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Service dogs are not to be petted. They are working. Ergo, not a service dog.

Absolutely! Highly suspicious---the owner would be the first to admonish someone for trying to pet a true service dog. But until the management of any establishment is willing to challenge these people, you'll see more and more fraud. I always hate to involve government, but perhaps it is time to make a law that a service animal requires a permit that is certified by a veterinarian. And if it is an "emotional support animal", by both a psychiatrist and a vet. I'm willing to bet these sightings would go down 85%

[QUOTE=Buckeyephan;1137644]I was at Walgreen's this afternoon when a man walked in with a small dog. The dog had a red leash with "Service Animal" written on it in big white letters. It also had on a vest with the same announcement. As he walked up and down the aisles, he chatted with people who petted the dog. So, what legitimate service was this animal providing?[/QUOTE]

Why didn't you ask the man? The service it was providing was getting you upset about it - "OMG, there is a person with a "service" dog, I'm going to start another thread about it". What is the big freaking deal with "SOME" people against people and their dogs? Huh? Believe me, I'd rather see a person come into a business with their dog rather than some of the skanky people that come in; the pets are usually a lot cleaner. Everytime, EVERYTIME I've been in a business and a person comes in with a dog (and in 62 years, it's been many times), the dogs never have cried incessantly, ran all over the place, thrown tantrums, thrown food, in other words, they have behaved better than humans.

[tomwed]

Service Dog?

The barrels we see around the St. Bernard's necks in paintings and cartoons is the invention of a kid named Edwin Landseer. In 1820, Landseer, a 17-year-old painter from England, produced a work titled Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler. The painting portrays two Saint Bernards standing over a fallen traveler, one dog barking in alarm, the other attempting to revive the traveler by licking his hand. The dog doing the licking has a barrel strapped around its neck, which Landseer claimed contains brandy.

Despite the fact that brandy wouldn't be something you'd want if you were trapped in a blizzard — alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, resulting in blood rushing to your skin and your body temperature decreasing rapidly — and that the dogs never carried such barrels, the collar keg stuck in the public's imagination and the image has endured.

[village dreamer]

service dog, one that runs out on the driveway and picks up your news paper??

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Absolutely! Highly suspicious---the owner would be the first to admonish someone for trying to pet a true service dog. But until the management of any establishment is willing to challenge these people, you'll see more and more fraud. I always hate to involve government, but perhaps it is time to make a law that a service animal requires a permit that is certified by a veterinarian. And if it is an "emotional support animal", by both a psychiatrist and a vet. I'm willing to bet these sightings would go down 85%

Not all service animals need to go unpetted. Nobody knows if the dog in question smells oncoming blood sugar issues. Service animals are certified and registered, etc., but not by vets, why by vets?
Support animals do need official therapist or md letters.
The question is, do we need to spend a brazillion dollars on a national crackdown?
If there were a budget, I would spend it on a national program for mental disorders.

Pardon my tone. Still rankled over the ridiculous msnbc debacle.

[JoMar]

It would be interesting to know what would happen if the police were called to verify. I suspect that if the word gets around that citizens that object have a way to have the dog qualified we may see the abuse decline. Wait, abusing systems is what we and the world does these days......so sorry.

[KeepingItReal]

What is the big freaking deal with "SOME" people against people and their dogs? Huh? Believe me, I'd rather see a person come into a business with their dog rather than some of the skanky people that come in; the pets are usually a lot cleaner.

We really don't get to pick and choose what we had rather see...

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".

Edmund Burke

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

We really don't get to pick and choose what we had rather see...

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".

Edmund Burke

Skanky...now there is a real life word.
I recently visited the city I left to come here, and bumbled into a bad neighborhood, skanks all over the sidewalk.

Give thanks...We live here. Are you safe in Walgreens?

[Sandtrap328]

Originally Posted by kittygilchrist

Not all service animals need to go unpetted. Nobody knows if the dog in question smells oncoming blood sugar issues. Service animals are certified and registered, etc., but not by vets, why by vets?
Support animals do need official therapist or md letters.
The question is, do we need to spend a brazillion dollars on a national crackdown?
If there were a budget, I would spend it on a national program for mental disorders.

Pardon my tone. Still rankled over the ridiculous msnbc debacle.

Kitty is right. Basically, what harm did the little leashed dog do to you or anyone else at Walgreens? Is it worth any money to make laws to keep the very tiny percentage of dogs from being called "service animals" and it really might have been one for all we know.

Would you rather have the fake service dog being well behaved or a 3 year old child out of control at the candy display unwrapping candy bars and his mommy doing nothing?

Yep, worthless debate and waste of my time. Glad I had some Johnny Walker Black handy.

[fred53]

Some service dogs are psychological aids to vets with PTSD...no idea if this one was, but it's quite easy for a person who claims anxiety issues to get their dog certified as a service dog.

When they allow them into a restaurant I get my check/pay up and leave. No one knows how clean that dog is. Might have just peed all over itself.

[kittygilchrist]

Pass...