TULSA --Passing off your dog as a service dog, when in fact it is not, is causing an uproar in the community for those who actually need one.
An area organization, Glad Wags Service Dogs, is making it known that "fake service" dogs are causing a huge problem, and it needs to stop.
Many states are cracking down on "fake service" dogs and area handlers hope Oklahoma follows suit.
It’s an unbreakable bond.
“She looks for him when she gets up in the morning or when he comes home from school,” Sarah Binford, a service dog owner said.
Jacob Binford, Sarah’s son, and Brooklyn, a certified service dog, are totally in synch.
“Jacob has autism and Brooklyn is trained to help him alleviate anxiety,” Sarah Binford said.
It’s a job Brooklyn doesn’t take lightly. Her sole purpose is to calm Jacob down, but her vigorous hours of training are being overshadowed by dogs who are posing as service companions.
“Fake service dogs, ESA, Emotional Support Animals, being taken out in public is at epidemic proportion,” Marjorie Satterfield, Glad Wags Service Dogs master trainer, said.
For Addison Pittenger, who has Tourettes, her service dog is by her side 24 hours a day. However, she said those who commit service dog fraud are doing her a disservice.
“Typically it’s people that are uneducated on it," Addison said. “So I know you can buy a vest online. Is that a fake service dog? I’m commonly asked is that a fake service dog or a real service dog.”
People like Addison are prescribed dogs like Barry, while others cheat the system.
“You are breaking federal law... when you buy something on the internet and plop it on your pet dog,” Satterfield said.
She also said doing so puts Addison and Jacob in a tough spot when store owners question their dogs certification.
“It makes so much trouble for people with legitimate dogs,” Satterfield said.
Jacob and Addison depend on Barry and Brooklyn to ease their pains. They said without them, life would be very different.
Today, those who truly need these special companions are asking for one thing, and that’s to leave their pets at home and let service dogs do their jobs.
Service dog trainers in the area are asking legislators to take this issue seriously and make it illegal in Oklahoma to commit service dog fraud. They’re asking those who do so to serve jail time.
The American with Disabilities Act requires all places open to the public, such as businesses, government agencies and entertainment venues, to give access to service dogs and their owners. Satterfield said owners of establishments have the right to ask a service dog owner questions, such as what tasks the dog is trained to perform. She said in any case, true service dog owners know their rights and can provide proof, however the stress of being questioned can be too much for some owners with disabilities.
Satterfield suggests that if people abided by the law, there would be no problems for those who rely on their certified companions.
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