Originally Posted by zatorskijoan  I fully understand your outrage! It's a horrid situation and innately wrong. However, it is also very wrong to register your dog as a certified service dog if, in fact, she is NOT a service dog. I have a certified service dog who helps me with my balance and retrieves objects I drop. He is a necessary part of my being able to function in the world, much like a blind person using a white cane. Those of us who use service animals have had a long, arduous battle trying to get our rights to travel with our service animals in the air, in buses, elevators, hospitals, restaurants, etc. To "pass you dog off" as a service animal when it is not, is illegal and punishable by fine or worse, AND it creates a very bad public image for folks who truly rely on their service dogs to cope with their disabilities. Please do NOT try to do t his, nor encourage others to do so.
Also, I have NEVER been charged anything to register my dog with an airlines, etc. I inform the airlines at the time of ticket purchase that I travel with my service dog. Almost ALWAYS we are given the seats with extra bulkhead, so he can lie down in front of me comfortably. I merely show his certification card (its a picture I.D. of him and the name of the organization that trained us) when I check in at the airport. It is illegal to be charged extra for him to accompany me or to be identified & registered as a service dog in the airlines' records, so I'm not sure what the quote of $350 is based upon.
PLEASE do NOT try to register your companion animal as a certified service dog if that is not, in fact, the truth. We still have such a long way to go in achieving animal rights through the legal system (and I'm referring to ALL aspects of animal rights, not only the rights of disabled persons to use a service animal) and trying to beat the system in this way only creates more resistance, ill-will, and difficulty for others. Please think beyond your own desires in this situation and think more broadly, to how YOUR actions will affect others. Nothing we do as individuals remains in isolation. Ultimately, we're all connected and what we do impacts others.
Sincerely, Joan Zatorski, Tucson, AZ |