Latest Posts
Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?
No, dogs should absolutely never eat chocolate, as it is highly toxic to them! We know it can be tempting to share your chocolate treats with those puppy dog eyes staring at you, but this is one human food that should never, ever make it into your pup’s tummy. Why is chocolate so dangerous for […]
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How Dogs Can Smell Anxiety and Stress
Did you know that some service dogs alert their handlers to rising anxiety, sometimes before they even fully notice it themselves? It’s not magic, though it might seem like it. It’s actually an incredible combination of your dog’s amazing nose and your body’s chemical response to stress. Dogs can be trained to detect stress signals […]
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Can You Bring a Service Dog to the Mall?
Shopping can be challenging for people with disabilities, but service dogs make it easier. If you have a service dog or want to understand their rights, this guide will help you navigate mall visits with confidence. What makes a dog a service animal? Not every dog is a service animal. Under the law, a service […]
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We have an issue on our community regarding a purported “service dog.” First and foremost, we have several restrictions regarding pets in our By-Laws – mainly on size, breed and restraining devices (leashes). We do not allow pit bulls, dogs over 40 pounds and all pets must be on a leash at all times while outdoors. We just had a renter come into the community with a 100+ pound dog, they never use a leash and the dog growls at other dogs in the community. Our Homeowners Association is supposed to get a letter from any prospective renter specifying they own a pet, what type of pet it is and the weight of the pet. They received none of this information and now the renter is claiming that the pet is a service dog. Is there any type of documentation that the HOA can request to verify this is, in fact, a service animal. There have already been more than 10 complaints regarding this dog (growling at other dogs, the owners not cleaning up the dog waste from it, it being walked without a leash and the sheer size of it). The renters that own the dog appear to be in their mid-twenties with 2 kids and the HOA wants to make sure they’re just not skirting the By-Laws by claiming service dog status. Any help you can provide would be great!
Under HUD rules, you can ask two questions: 1. Is the dog required because of a disability? and 2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform? In addition, landlords can deny service dogs that pose a threat to the safety or health of other tenants. Please see this link for more information: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/landlords-service-dog/
Does dog need to go through any exams before I can register the dog as service dog?
In addition to being fully trained to perform a job or task relating to the handler’s disability, a service dog should also be able to pass a public access test. A public access test demonstrates whether a service dog is capable of being well behaved and ready to perform its job in a variety of public settings.
do service dog owners have to prove that the dog is a service dog.
Third parties are allowed to verify service dogs by asking the two questions permitted under the ADA.
Under these criteria anyone can pass any dog off as a
service dog. The criteria only allows 2 questions but doesn’t require a specific answer, doesn’t require the animal demonstrate their work (you can’t even ask), and doesn’t require physical identification (can’t ask) as a service animal. If you ask the wrong question or make a misstatement as a you could face consequences. Also how would a retailer or any business owner verify the validity of the responses? So a retailer or other business has to allow every dog on their premises as it is too complicated and filled with risk to question dog owners in establishments. Plus they can simply lie and threaten legal action just because they want their pet in the store or restaurant with them.
In many states falsely representing a pet as a service dog is a crime. We share your concern about unethical individuals who attempt to pass of normal dogs are service dogs. However, as advocates for service dog owners, it’s also important that we do not let these few bad apples diminish the rights of legitimate service dog owners.
Is there a way to authenticate a service dog certificate? How can you tell if its a fake?
Service dogs are not required to have any type of certificate. Certificates are optional for service dog owners. To verify a service dog, you can ask two questions: 1. Is the service dog required because of a disability? and 2. What work or task has the service dog been trained to perform?
How many service animals can one tenant have? I have 1 tenant that has 3 dogs and from what I am hearing, she lets the dogs do their business in the unit. She does not take them outside.
There is no technical limit to the number of service dogs a person can have, but most people have one or two. Service dogs are also required to abide by basic sanitation and health rules. If a service dog is creating a health hazard or damaging property the landlord may take action against the tenant.
Based on the two allowable questions a business owner can ask about a service dog. How can a business owner determine if the answers given are acceptable? Or what if the patron refuses to answer the questions? What can be our course of action?
The patron must be able to the answer the questions if they want to be granted access with their service animal in a no-pets location. The only time the questions are not appropriate is if the disability related need for the service dog is obvious. Individuals are expected to act ethically and truthfully when answering the questions. Falsely representing that you own a service dog is punishable in many jurisdictions.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICES.
My dog has flown on Alaska Airlines 3 times. She sits on my lap or lays on the floor. She is very helpful to me as I have severe hearing loss. I am 82 years old. She is a 17 pound Schnauzer and is 4 years old. Her name is Ziva Gross.