Essay Sample on Service Dog Common Misconceptions

Being a service dog handler is very exhausting when going out in public. Many people do not know the education of owning a service dog. There is also the possibility that the store they want to go to doesn't know the laws for the service dog. Some may argue that the easy access to 

websites that give out certification gives peace of mind to the handler, however; People may not realize that is one of the exact problem community has. 

It is very important for all the public to know basic service dog laws from their country. This will help with any confusion, so the public knows what to do around the service dog, how to act, and where they are allowed to be. A resource that all handlers use is the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) website. The ADA website is run by the United States government, and gives rights to use service dogs. “Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities''.  (ADA) The ADA helps explain one of the most basic service dog laws, so that public businesses can know how to identify a fake service animal. A law that is covered in the ADA makes it clear that service dogs do not need any leach requirements. This can make a lot of people uneasy when they see a dog without a leash on it.  But this is not something to worry about because the dog must be trained with verbal commands. If the dog is not trained to respond with verbal commands, the store can ask the handler to put a leash on or to leave the business. “Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal's safe, effective performance of tasks.” (ADA). This law provides the peace of mind to handlers with special tasks to get help. This task might be performed when the handler faints or is having a bad episode. Some of the most basic laws are the ones that get overlooked, but they are some of the most important ones for the public to know about. 

The abuse of the ADA service animal law is unfortunately a lot more common than most tend to think. To people faking service animals, to companies not letting service dog handlers come in, and everything in between. A lot of handlers have taken to social media to educate the public on their rights as a service dog handler and their daily struggles.  One way to think about how service dog handlers feel when people/companies do not follow ADA law is put in words by one service dog handler. “I would say it’s very similar to when non-disabled people use the accessible stalls or parking” (Atlas at your service). This quote gives the realization of how rude and ableist it is to fake a service dog. Not only are the people who fake the service dog putting themselves in danger, but they are also putting all legitimate service dog teams at risk. Most people just think service dogs do not need to. Service dogs are lifesavers for their handlers, however, with this amazing gift doesn't come cheap and handlers have to put their full trust into the public. But one of the problems that comes up is certification by a training facility. “The requirements’ reliance on self-identification allows for people faking access needs for their pet dogs, endangering public health and safety” (Elliott, and Hogle.)

Some might think that the service dog certification cards (or ID’s) are very helpful to handlers, but that is not the case. From a popular YouTuber in the service dog community Mommning with Migraine (or known as Jen) the public, including herself, before becoming a handler, have no idea that these websites are fake. In the video, Jen talks about where all the misconceptions have come from, and how it affects their day-to-day lives. “Why I think service dog access issues happen? There's no paperwork, there's nothing official in the United States. We have a little bit of a mess.” (Momming with Migraine).  Most public access issues happen when people do not know the service dogs laws. So when they do a quick google search and the first thing that they will see is a service dog registration website, and they will think that is what is needed when that isn't true. In fact, all the certification websites are not only a scam, but they are against the law under the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA) in the United States as well. For all legitimate service animals, their handlers depend on them to help them with all of their daily tasks. However, with fake service dog teams on the rise, it is getting harder and harder for legitimate service dog teams to live their lives. “People who are not disabled and are taking advantage of these laws with fake service dogs. Who are misbehaving, that is eventually going to threaten our right to have service dogs in the places where we need them.”  (Momming with Migraine)  People who are not disabled and are taking advantage of these laws, with fake service dogs who are misbehaving. That is eventually going to threaten our right to have service dogs in the places where we require them. When non-disabled people bring their pets into a store, they are making many people around them think it is ok to bring non task trained service animals anywhere they want. While this might not be affecting them at that moment, it is a snowball effect. While in theory the idea of certification cards is a good idea, it makes more problems than solve them and gives the disabled community more issues.

A big misconception is the difference between emotional support animals (ESA) and  service animals. This can create huge issues for both types of handlers. One thing that most people think is that ESA and service dogs have the same rights.  This is a common thing that happens all over the United States. “Unlike service dogs owners, ESA owners have only limited legal rights and those typically require a letter of diagnosis from the owner’s doctor or psychiatrist.” (Jan.) ESA only gets legal rights in living arrangements where they are not usually allowed. Also, an ESA can be any type of pet. It’s not just limited to dogs and miniature houses. With both ESA and service animals, they are only trained for one single person. “They may be trained for a specific owner, but they are not trained for specific tasks or duties to aid a person with a disability, and this is the main difference between ESA’s and service dogs.” Service dogs and ESA’s do not have the same rights, but this doesn't mean that they do not have anything in common. It is impartial to know the difference between the ESA and service animals because the ADA do not see them as the same thing. There is a big ethical issue with service animals as well. 

Some may argue that the easy access to websites that give out certification gives peace of mind to the handler, however; People may not realize that is one of the exact problem community has.  The public views of service dogs and their handlers have an impact on every single handler.