Among Friends

[Love to Run]

This is from the ADA website:

To determine if an animal is a service animal, you may ask two questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

You may not ask these questions if the need for the service animal is obvious. Examples include when a dog is guiding an individual who is blind or is pulling a person’s wheelchair. In addition:

• You may not ask about the nature or extent of an individual’s disability
• You may not require proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal
• You may not require the animal to wear an identifying vest or tag
• You may not ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the task or work

Under the ADA, it is training that distinguishes a service animal from other animals. Some service animals may be professionally trained; others may have been trained by their owners.  However, the task that the service animal is trained to do must be directly related to the owner’s disability.

The handler is responsible for the care and supervision of his or her service animal. If a service animal behaves in an unacceptable way and the person with a disability does not control the animal, a business or other entity has the right to ask that the dog be removed. A business also has the right to deny access to a dog that disrupts their business or poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. For example, if a service dog barks repeatedly or growls at customers, it could be asked to leave.

Service animals in-training are not specifically addressed in the ADA.  However, some state laws may afford service animals in-training the same protections as service animals that have completed their training.

[Cakers3]

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@Lucky Charm wrote:

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@Lucky Charm wrote:

My heart skips a beat when I see a service dog.

I want to say something like *Thank you for your service*.

I know you're not supposed to *make* over one and I respect that.  (So hard to do though!)

If it's just someone's pet dog and I can tell because they're usually beaming about their pooches presence being in a store.  (It's just something I can sense sometimes.) 

Well, I ignore them.  

Dog and owner.

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@Lucky Charm  The person with a service dog may not have been in the military. A simple smile can mean much to another person.

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@Cakers3 

Sorry, I wasn't clear about that. 

I meant I would love to go over and pat a service dog on the head and say *thank you for your service*, to the dog for being such a help to someone who's disabled.  

I've gone back and edited.

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@Lucky Charm  Got it.

But just don't. Even making eye contact with the service dog can be distracting for the dog since some eye movements by the owner can mean certain commands.

It would be nice to be able to acknowledge the dog,  agree . However the dog is 💯 focused on the owner and may even be in the middle of a task.

It has been suggested on service dog sites to ask the owner if one can approach the dog but personally I would not.

Overall still a wonderful program and what a career being able to train them.

[Citrine1]

Oh, this is an issue that really gets under my skin.  I am a life long dog owner and lover and, in fact, love animals of all kinds, but my feeling is that they do not belong in stores.  When I go shopping, I leave my dog at home and feel others should do the same (unless, of course, they are service dogs).

People around here seem to think it's ok to bring their dogs with them wherever they want, especially if the dog is small.  Such an entitled attitude; I can't stand it.  

[NYCLatinaMe]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

The shoes of children in carts have the same bacteria and viruses as a dog's paws. Children urinate in carts, meat leaks in carts. Produce is exposed to bird droppings and rodents.

In stores, people who own dogs and cats have allergens on their clothing so anyone severely allergic could not safely shop anywhere at all crowded.  

Dogs in stores are fine with me. There are far greater risks like recalled food that arrived at the store contaminated.

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Agree with @occasionalrain.  Any child can poop, drool, pee, vomit, or put their street shoes in a shopping cart.  I treat shopping carts with the understanding any of these may have happened.  A pet could not do worse.

[NYCLatinaMe]

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@AuntMame wrote:

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

rious to what others thought.

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What the store owner can legally ask is "What task is your dog trained to perform?"  That's not a violation of the ADA or HIPAA or anything else. If the dog is not trained to perform a specific task to help the handler then the store owner can ask the dog owner and dog to leave. 

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The problem is @AuntMame that asking questions can lead to an unpleasant confrontation, like the one I experienced and described above when I asked a lady to restrain her doggie from licking the groceries.  The lady made a scene.  I won't ask again.  Not worth it.  At least the products were packaged.

[NYCLatinaMe]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@Carmie wrote:

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@candys mine wrote:

1)  A Shopping cart is NOT a natural place for any dog to be.

2)  If Mummy puts  Precious pooch into the grocery cart and said doggie gets his widdle toesie woesie cought in the cart and breaks it or rips off a nail,  What do you think Mummy Wummy is going to do?

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@candys mine   A dog in a shopping cart is also not a service dog.

Little FooFoo is not assisting a person with limited vision.

Nor is that dog walking next to a wheelchair bound person, at the ready to retrieve a dropped item.

Service dogs perform specific tasks, including intense training to be able to 

determine if a medical condition is about to arise.

Dogs in carts do nothing of any value while the owner expects the world to revolve around the dog.

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Nope, a service dog can walk beside a person in a wheelchair and be a service dog.

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@Carmie    That is what I said. 🙄

The dog in the cart is not a service dog. It doesn't walk next to the person in a wheelchair. I know all the services the service dog provides.

I merely listed one.

I'm sure most here do know.

🙄🙄🙄

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@Cakers3  I guess it must be nice for you to think you "know all the services the service dog provides."

But I sincerely doubt you do.  No one knows everything, not even experts.  Experts take each situation as it comes.

[NYCLatinaMe]

I have never seen a service animal wear a vest identifying it as a service animal.  And I have seen lots of service animals.  It's not required.  I have never seen any.

I have seen unscrupulous vendors selling these vests in the internet and pretending that the vests will magically transform their pets into service animals.

But, no, never seen an animal wear them unless it is an animal accompanying someone begging for money in the street.

[Grace6663582]

People can be allergic and afraid of dogs. Dogs shed and have fleas.  If a dog/ animal owner cannot leave the dog in the car then leave the dog at home. I do not want to smell like dog...yes dogs stink. I can smell a dog and a person that has a dog in the home or car immediately. In addition, I do not want to be smelled or approached by a dog. Children should not be exposed to dogs in public places that are with strangers because anything can happen..In this extreme heat one can never tell the temperament of an animal. Lets just be sake and avoid any drama. keep the animals home. You are not going to die without seeing the dog / animal for the shopping trip. ( service dogs excluded) with certification , papers vests ! If that's a thing . Because I know you can print these papers on the Internet.

[Grace6663582]

YUP, totally agree. I have actually seen people try to say their cat was an emotional service animal. There is a difference between a service animal for the sight impaired and emotional support animals. 

Emotional support animals do not have the right to be in public places unlike Service dogs that are trained in tasks such as providing stability and balance and navagating stairs, there are hearing and signal dogs and autism dogs , those dogs are service dogs as well as so many others. 

There has got to be a limit . We are living in a world now where we cater to the needs of all. This has become a society of I want, I need, I demand, I deserve, I have the right to. 

[Cakers3]

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@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@Carmie wrote:

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@candys mine wrote:

1)  A Shopping cart is NOT a natural place for any dog to be.

2)  If Mummy puts  Precious pooch into the grocery cart and said doggie gets his widdle toesie woesie cought in the cart and breaks it or rips off a nail,  What do you think Mummy Wummy is going to do?

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@candys mine   A dog in a shopping cart is also not a service dog.

Little FooFoo is not assisting a person with limited vision.

Nor is that dog walking next to a wheelchair bound person, at the ready to retrieve a dropped item.

Service dogs perform specific tasks, including intense training to be able to 

determine if a medical condition is about to arise.

Dogs in carts do nothing of any value while the owner expects the world to revolve around the dog.

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Nope, a service dog can walk beside a person in a wheelchair and be a service dog.

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@Carmie    That is what I said. 🙄

The dog in the cart is not a service dog. It doesn't walk next to the person in a wheelchair. I know all the services the service dog provides.

I merely listed one.

I'm sure most here do know.

🙄🙄🙄

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@Cakers3  I guess it must be nice for you to think you "know all the services the service dog provides."

But I sincerely doubt you do.  No one knows everything, not even experts.  Experts take each situation as it comes.

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@NYCLatinaMe  Actually my response was to @Carmie who misread my post and then posted a lecture with a picture. I was referring to knowing the services she seems to think I didn't know about.

You have now also misinterpreted my post.

Your sarcasm and lack of knowing who I am doesn't merit a response but here it is:

just so you know my son is 💯 disabled vet, wheelchair bound permanently.

Read into that as you will.

I'm done with you.