Service animals, emotional support animals, and guide dogs

Posted by LauraDerb on December 17th, 2020

Unfortunately, some people wonder if those who want to scam the system are abusing the "service animal" laws.

There have been news stories, articles, opinion pieces, and other editorials where people rant and complain about people who they believe are abusing the system. You hear some complain that they had to sit near a dog in a restaurant that they don't think is a "real" service dog, or others complain that their neighbors have a pet in a "no pets" building because they complained the animal is an emotional support animal.

Some of the comments have an outraged tone and some people are downright angry.

How does this affect those who legitimately own and use a service animal to improve their lives? Of many ways.

For one thing, it can be more difficult to navigate the world's bureaucracy when your disability claim and the status of your service or emotional support animal are questioned. If a business owner or owner has heard negative stories claiming that some people are abusing the system, he can cause them to look at all complainants with emotional support animal registration.

Some business owners and owners have begun requesting proof of status, even though asking for proof in writing or otherwise is not always legal, and even though many owners of legitimate service animals and emotional support animals do not they have taken advantage of registering them and, therefore, they have done it. there is no such documentation to produce.

It is the suspicious attitude and illegal demands of some business owners and owners that make registry services like the California Service Animal Registry so vital to rightful owners.

Although registration is optional, it can help address home rental and business access issues when the landlord can present a simple document that will often satisfy the landlord or landlord. Also, when using public spaces, it is often easier to deliver a document with a simple sentence saying, "This is a service animal" and let the other party read the information, rather than having a lengthy conversation (or Something worse). still, discussion) in public, with viewers listening and gathering around the discussion.

So do some people cheat the system or play the law? Unfortunately, the answer is "probably yes". In life, there is always room for abuse and people can try to take advantage of many systems that, as a society, we implement to protect the rights of those who need such protection. For example, many drivers falsely display disabled parking placards to take advantage of free and convenient parking. Not to mention the number of people who lie on their tax returns, claim improper tax deductions, abuse the return policies of retail stores, or commit other improper acts.

But that percentage of abuse, which in the area of ​​service animal laws is hopefully small, is arguably a very small price to pay compared to the higher goal of promoting access and equality for all.

In the end, you can't control any system to be 100% abuse-proof. So putting up with the few people who cheat on service animal laws is the price we gladly pay to ensure that disabled people in the great state of California have equal access under the law.

Like it? Share it!


LauraDerb

About the Author

LauraDerb
Joined: October 25th, 2017
Articles Posted: 2,005

More by this author