I had a friend once who's mother is in a wheelchair and was very soap-boxy in her way of thinking about people with disabilities. For example she would get spitting mad if an able-bodied person used the automatic door button that opens building doors for those in wheelchairs. Now...personally...I generally pull doors open with my hands...but if I am carrying a large box I may be tempted to push the handicap door button to assist me. The flaw in my friend's theory is that by using that button, I (an able bodied person), are in no way ruining that button for those in wheelchairs. The button will work just the same for them whether I touched it or not.
I believe (just my opinion) that this is the same situation. There is no limit to the amount of service animals in circulation at any given time. If Joe Smo decides to falsely register his dog as a service animal...he may be doing something unethical...but he isn't keeping a handicapped person from getting one. We should be at a day and age when we realize that not all handicaps are visable. A deaf person doesn't look any different...sometimes neither does a blind person. Many diabetics use a service animal to sense their blood sugar before it becomes too low for them to function. All of these people would look as if they are not disabled.
I don't believe that this law will be tightened up due to abuse because it can't be. That would be crossing the fine line into discrimination. If some of our memebers need service dogs...I say more power to them. For those of our members that do not need/and would never consider a service dog...then don't register your pet. |