Anybody seen a dog being smuggled into the resort in a baby carriage? We did!!

[BamaFan121s]

Wow...this is getting to be worse than the Heelie threads! With the excuses and reasons around something. What ever happened to, 'it's not allowed, so don't do it.'

 

[Deb & Bill]

barleyjack
...as for allergies , well my husband is allergic to peanuts and someone was sitting on a bench eating them and dropping the shells well was i suppose to tell them to stop? ...

Dogs aren't allowed at Disney. Peanuts are allowed at Disney. When they ban peanuts from Disney, then someone will need to do something about people smuggling peanuts into the park.

 

[CoolPool]

I'm so with you Drew64. My father was a veterinarian for 40 years and nothing would anger him more than listening to people treat their dogs like they were children. They are living creatures with different needs and wants than people. Everytime I see people fetishizing their dogs, I want to call the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

 

[TDC Nala]

I have checked into AKL on one occasion and had the desk person say they had a difficult day because someone smuggled a cat into their room, the cat escaped, and the staff had spend half the day trying to track it down.

No doubt that people do smuggle animals into their rooms on occasion.

I would like to know how the dog owners managed to get the dog outside to do his business. Or are they using doggie diapers?

 

[1 goofy family]

It's all fun and games 'til kitty becomes dinner for one of the residents at the AKL.

 

[lookingforward]

FYI, federal regulations require that they be allowed if they are service animals. (Remember though, there is a difference between a service animal and a therapy/emotional support animal.)

I belong to a web forum for Yorkshire Terrier enthusiasts and am always shocked at the people who complain because their dogs are not allowed in hotels or stores or places to eat. And there seem to be so many people there who lie and say their animals are service animals or actually have them certified just so they can take them anywhere.

For the life of me, I will never understand people who think they are above the rules.

Actually, my friends daughter had a legally registered "service dog".

The Law Relating to Service Dogs
It is important to note that to qualify for the protections and allowances of the Americans with Disabilities Act, both the individual and the canine, must meet specific criteria. In short, an individual must have a disability and a service dog must be specifically trained to meet the needs of that disability.


To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered. (Department of Justice, 2002).
The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government. (Department of Justice, 1996). The only reason I posted this was to illustrate the widening need and demand for service animals.

Since there are many people who are allergic to pets (potentially life threatening) I was wondering if disney had specific rooms set aside for the housing of guests with service animals. Would it legal to restrict which rooms they stayed in?

I have stayed at Universal hotels and they have specific and limited pet rooms. When you stay with your pet you must pay a carpet cleaning fee and also be in attendance for housecleaning if your pet is in the room.

 

[BarleyJack]

I totally understand that some people are "pet people" and others are not; to each their own. Never would I endorse a practice that could cause harm to another. That being said, there is a fine line between being passionate about something and being rude in your explanation of that belief.

On a lighter note, does anyone else think it funny that some non pet fans adore a place over run by giant mice, ducks, dogs, cats, chipmunks, pigs, and the like?

 

[dclfun]

"Kathy, I guess I'm not following your reasoning. How does someone with a rouge beagle erode the ADA law and your rights to bring Skye with you anywhere?"

Thanks to those who have already answered. Those of us who need and use SD's to have an independent life have won a hard-won legal fight to have our dogs allowed in places of business where pets are not allowed. They must exhibit exemplary behavior and have been trained to perform tasks to help us relieve the effects of our disability- doing things for us that we cannot do for ourselves. Being approached by a non-trained, potentially aggressive dog intereferes with my SD's ability to do her job. Although she is well-trained, she is a dog first and foremost and another dog attempting to bite her or intimidate her would result in instinctual behaviors. Mine for instance, would shut down, lay down and become submissive to the attacking dog as a SD cannot exhibit aggressive behaviors, even when attacked or provoked. How can she help me or focus on my needs which she is trained to do, in such a situation? How can I, who am physically unable to do so, protect her from such an encounter? It has happened before that we were approached in the theme parks by an aggressive small yorkie who literally tried to "rip her face off" while we were walking past, straining and pulling on a leash. Even if this yorkie was a "trained alert dog", etc, then it was not behaving like a SD and thus had no right to be there. I do avoid places where pets are allowed for this reason- I am sure of my dog's behavior but am not sure about the behavior of Fido or Sparky who is a pet. While I may not have met this beagle on my trip there is always a potential for such if more and more people do bring pets into the parks. I was told by a security guard at Epcot that he sees people with "comfort pets" all the time who are not true SD'.s Legally, they are not allowed and yes, it is a felony to represent a pet as a SD but Disney chooses not to confront these people. It will take my dog or another SD being hurt by a pet and someone challenging and bringing legal action to probably stop this trend which I agree is growing worse. I truly wish Disney would at least ask the two questions that are allowed. If a person lies then so be it, but at least then Disney has done it's job and would thus not be accountable and would have done all they can to protect the legal rights of those of us who do have SD's. ---Kathy and Skye

 

[dclfun]

I also wanted to add something else for those who may not be aware. When I mentioned "comfort pets" these are dogs who do not perform a task but for whom the owners claim make them feel better by their presence. These dogs are not SD's and are sometimes called emotional support dogs, or ESD's. ESD's legally do not receive public access to places where pets are not allowed. There are dogs though who work for people who have psychatric disabilities who ARE SD's. There are psychatric disabilities under which a person is also protected by the ADA when their disability interferes with their function via the legal definition of "disabled" under the ADA. Such a dog would have been trained to perform a task, such as nudging a person who is going through a OCD cycle or during a panic attack to redirect focus. There are no specific breeds or limititations on breeds that can be a SD although some are more suited than others for the work they do. Tiny chihauhaus for instance often work as medical alert dogs to assist those with diabetes or seizures. Again, for those of us who depend on SD's they are a godsend. Many people would not be able to work and live in the community and have a productive life without their canine partner, let alone enjoy a trip to WDW. I hope everyone will understand then why smuggling a pet would potentially cause a problem and why SD owners would be upset to learn of such an incident. While this beagle may have truly been an SD it's a bit of a reach since it was hidden under a blanket and could not perform a task if it couldn't see, smell, or reach it's disabled owner. ---Kathy and Skye

 

[goofy4tink]

I don't think anyone has an issue with service animals. I'm pretty confident that Disney has areas that those with service dogs can safely stay...rooms that are going to be kept just for that purpose so that other guests will not be negatively impacted by using the same room if they tend to be allergic.
I have a dog and three cats. No one loves their animals more than I do. My dog can not be boarded. He literally pines away, stops eating when we try to board him. My first dog loved being boarded...jumped out of the car and ran to the office. Not this dog..digs in his heels and won't get out of the car. But, he also tends to be sad even if left at the house with my adult dd. He's just a momma's boy.
I would never consider taking him on vacation with me. Well, maybe if it were a doggie camp for dogs and their owners! WDW?? No way. I do understand that some pet owners love their animals too much to leave them at home. But, I have also seen those same owners at the airports, allowing the animals to run loose in the restrooms, or out on the seats on the planes. If a FA comes up to them, they feign ignorance. I'm sorry guys...but if you can't leave your pet at home then perhaps you shouldn't be going to WDW. Unless you are putting that dog/cat in the kennels (and they don't take cats if I remember correctly) then leave them at home. It's just not fair to other guests. It's Disney's rule....why do so many get offended when we support that rule? Why to some feel it is their right to do what they want, no matter the impact on others?

 

[dclfun]

I agree, and I'm sure everyone can see how passionate I am over this violation. To give another example of rights being eroded by those who break the rules and smuggle pets, this is a bit of a far reach, but here goes. What if the US government allowed anyone from any country to cast a vote on a ballot that would affect the running of the country in which you live. That effectively "erodes" your legal right to vote since everyone is given the same ability to vote whether or not they actually reside here. People being allowed to bring pets who do not have the legal right erode the rights of people whose SD's do have that right.---Kathy and Skye

 

[rcraw45425]

Our last trip we came across an older couple with a lab, the dog had a service animal vest on. We actually took a little time with them in MK as they were sitting on the wall outside LTT. The man, really sweet, wanted to talk to and hug my girls. THe wife explained that he had Alzheimers an the dog helped him focus. She thanked the girls profusely with tears in her eyes for taking the time with her DH, explained that he loved kids and their own grandchildren were all grown now. The dog was very attentive to him, docile, amazing to see in the frantic scene that was MK. I have a lot of respect for those animals, they are truly "working dogs"!

 

[robinb]

Kathy ... Thank you for your response. I see where you would want to avoid situations where unruly dogs may distract Syke from doing his job. I can also see where Skye would have to temporarily quit working until the distraction has passed. I guess that I still don't see where your rights are violated when you that happens, so we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

You discussed about the difference between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Dogs and how ESDs are not covered under the ADA. From the previous definition posted by lookingforward it would seem to me that they should be. IIRC, there is no certification for service dogs in the US and no licensing. What is the difference between a dog used for helping someone hear and one who helps someone cope with the world? Or, do you only consider expensively trained dogs by independent organizations to be "true" Service Dogs? It seems to me that you are denying a whole sector of the disabled community the same rights that you and Skye have fought so hard to obtain for yourselves.

FWIW, I do not think that people should be able to bring pets everywhere. The people who brought the beagle into the parks were rude, inconsiderate and self centered. I would also be stunned if the beagle in question was any kind of service animal, whatever the definition for the reasons you mentioned. The dog wouldn't be able to work smothered under a blankie.

 

[Texasmomof3]

One thing can be said for sure~~~the DIS board has very passionate members. The nice thing is we all come together for one purpose, our love of Disney!
That being said, I am also severely allergic to cats. I get allergy shots two times a week, every week and still need medicine if I am near them. I have twice had to be on an airplane with cats that were in a kennel under the owners seats. My only option was to take the next flight, of course on one flight I did not find out the cat was onboard until I could barely breath as we were taxing for take-off. Luckily I had medication with me. But, talk about a LONG hour flight! Unfortunately, not much I could do about the situation. Ok, I need to get to my point, sorry. Once I arrived home, I spoke to a friend who is a pilot, and he informed me that he would bet that almost every plane has had an animal on it at some time. And we all know they never clean those planes very well! I think the same can be said about hotel rooms unfortunately. It is just a precaution I have to take when ever I travel. It sucks for me, but it is what I have to live with. On the other hand I LOVE our family dog and would LOVE to take her places with us, but do not because I am a responsible pet owner. I have walked into 'pet-free' resorts and had to request a different room due to my allergies. I have even been given a better room once. As I am sure Disney would do for someone.
Lets face it, there are a lot of RUDE people in the world who think the rules do not apply to them. Unfortunately some of them visit WDW. With this being said, I still found the story humorous, Disgusting, but humorous.
Anyhow, I hope you all have a 'magical' day!

You should see the problem we have on the plane just getting passengers to leave the animals in their kennels. I got tripped one night by a runaway dog (it was dark in the cabin) not to mention it scared the bejebbers out of me since I had no idea what it was running between my feet.

 

[BamaFan121s]

Service dogs are trained (and certified) to perform a specific task. W/ SD's, their training includes emphasis on being able to adapt to everyday situations encountered in public places--crowds, distractions, etc. A SD enables the owner to function in everyday situations--they HAVE to have their services in order to do so.

W/ most Emotional Support Animals, if you take away the animal, the person can still function in everyday situations. They do not provide assistance in the same manner. ESA owners do not HAVE to have their dog with them in order to function.

Thus why SD are allowed places that ESAs are not. IMO, a SD such as a seeing eye dog and and ESA w/ no behavioral training providing stress relief to the owner are not comparable.

 

[lovepurple]

Just got home from a week at Pop Century

Yesterday, on the bus from MGM, there was this couple and another woman pushing a baby carriage (completely covered with a large flannel blanket) to the bus stop for Pop Century.

Bus arrived, they got on (thru the back door - didn't fold up the carriage)

I thought, that baby must be suffocating under that blanket!!!

Until the "baby" barked!!!!

It was a BEAGLE!! (could see it's little snout poking out the side of the blanket!!)

The man just rocked the carriage and shushed the "baby"

Got to the Pop Century, watched them get out and wheel "baby beagle" to their room....

Since when are dogs allowed??!!!

Are you sure it just wasn't a really ugly baby with a bad cough?

 

[robinb]

Service dogs are trained (and certified) to perform a specific task. W/ SD's, their training includes emphasis on being able to adapt to everyday situations encountered in public places--crowds, distractions, etc. A SD enables the owner to function in everyday situations--they HAVE to have their services in order to do so.

I don't mean to be argumentative, but who "Certifies" the animals? I would bet it's the training facility. That really means nothing legally.

W/ most Emotional Support Animals, if you take away the animal, the person can still function in everyday situations. They do not provide assistance in the same manner. ESA owners do not HAVE to have their dog with them in order to function.

I don't know about that. Maybe someone with an ESA could chime in here. Why even have an ESA if you can function without one, KWIM?

 

[PrincessDez]

Drew64
i travel with my dog on the plane all the time .no, I can't leave home without him. I will pay for him to go anywhere he's allowed and that's my choice. I won't stay home. i don't like to fly with screaming kids either but I don't tell the people to leave them home. I was on the plane when a women changed her baby's dirty diaper right on the seat, same thing.smelled the whole plane out.like i said my dog's been to fl 7 times this year and i will continue to take him so let's hope we don't get on the same flight.
maria

Once again I go back to the fact that people need to be responsible pet owners. I am sure you leave your dog in his kennel during the flight and make sure he does not have 'accident's'. If so, I would not have a problem with your animal being on the plane as long as I was able to sit away from him for breathing reasons.
As far as children on planes go, I am a mother of 2 boys and have a lot of issues with kids on planes as well. My children have been flying since they were 6 months old. They know they are not allowed to kick the back of people's seats, run up and down aisles, or talk in 'their outside voices'. This is because I am a responsible parent (as I am a pet owner). I just wish more people would have the same common courtesies. The main difference is that I haven't met a person who is allergic to children. (my sad attempt at humor)
Anyhow, I am sure your dog and my kids would get along very well if they were on the same flight...................... I know my kids would LOVE it!!!!

 

[Wish_I_Was_At_WDW]

Maybe I don't have to find a pet sitter after all! Can you just see us trying to smuggle in two basset hounds?!!!

 

[PrincessDez]

Are you sure it just wasn't a really ugly baby with a bad cough?

OK, that has to qualify as the funniest response yet!

LOVED IT!!!!!!!