Dogs in the units???

[robinb]

Now I will also have to be concerned if the room has had a service animal in it. And we all know how "clean" the DVC rooms are.

First of all, I don't think you have to worry too much. I go to WDW twice a year and I don't recall ever seeing a service animal. Not once. I saw a doggie-doo station with bags at the back of Wilderness Lodge (between the villas and the pool along the lake side walkway) but I didn't see anyone using it. Is there a chance that an animal was in the room before you? Sure ... service dogs are allowed.

It's so hard to completely protect every allergic guest from the perfectly legal actions of the previous guest before them. What about the mom who made their kid a PB&J on the TV stand which was then not cleaned 100% by the maid? If the next guest has a severe peanut allergy, they may be in trouble! What about the guest who loves to wear perfume? You know the type ... you can smell her before she turns the corner. If the next guest has a allergy to scents, they may be in trouble! I feel for all of those people, including yourself. However, playing "what if?" will just drive you crazy. The proactive mom of a severely peanut allergic kid will come armed with wipes to make sure that the peanut traces are gone. The scent allergic guest asks for another room. You can probably run the vacuum cleaner yourself to make sure all the possible dog hair is up, pop an antihistamine before you arrive and keep your inhaler close at hand.

The opportunity for abuses of "service" animals makes this issue all the more disturbing.

That is a slippery slope that as a spouse of someone in a wheelchair I don't think you want to start down. Look at any of the wheelchair/EVC "abuse" threads and insert "service dog" instead of wheelchair and you will understand what I mean. Some people are clearly disabled as the German Sheppard seeing eye dog with harness is clearly a service animal. OTOH, some people have hidden disabilities which allow them to walk short distances but they still need a wheelchair for most of the day. Small dogs that nap comfortably on their owners' lap can perform certain duties better than their larger cousins. Just as the guest with the hidden disability is not "abusing the system" neither is the guest with the tiny service dog. You simply can't judge a book by it's cover.

Are there abuses of wheel chairs and service dogs? Absolutely. But I just don't understand getting all upset about it. I simply assume that the guest needs the wheelchair for a good reason and if I see someone with a tiny lap dog I will assume that dog is there for a good reason. It's better for my blood pressure, LOL!

 

[JimC]

First of all, I don't think you have to worry too much. I go to WDW twice a year and I don't recall ever seeing a service animal. Not once. ....!

We go quite often and have seen other service animals many times. Our daughter has taken her guide dog and has had no problems with guests or CMs. Usually folks have gone out of their way to be helpful. With all the travel we do, WDW ranks at the top of the list for how well they accommodate disabilities.

...That is a slippery slope that as a spouse of someone in a wheelchair I don't think you want to start down. Look at any of the wheelchair/EVC "abuse" threads and insert "service dog" instead of wheelchair and you will understand what I mean. Some people are clearly disabled as the German Sheppard seeing eye dog with harness is clearly a service animal. OTOH, some people have hidden disabilities which allow them to walk short distances but they still need a wheelchair for most of the day. Small dogs that nap comfortably on their owners' lap can perform certain duties better than their larger cousins. Just as the guest with the hidden disability is not "abusing the system" neither is the guest with the tiny service dog. You simply can't judge a book by it's cover.

Are there abuses of wheel chairs and service dogs? Absolutely. But I just don't understand getting all upset about it. I simply assume that the guest needs the wheelchair for a good reason and if I see someone with a tiny lap dog I will assume that dog is there for a good reason. It's better for my blood pressure, LOL!

Thank you for a very rational comment. My wife is one of those wheelchair guests who can walk a little, but not a lot. So it is use a wheelchair or not go.