Lots of service dogs this trip

[wilkeliza]

I'm not only speaking of theme parks, I'm talking that in general, it may benefit the ADA to require a verification system to be put in place for animals covered by the ADA. Hotels, workplace, etc. It would cut down on the abuse seen everywhere. Like this support squirrel https://i.redd.it/6w8gfdgpuw1z.jpg

Well that is a business either choosing their battles or an ill trained management team. Squirrels are not protected by the ADA at this time and therefore do not have to be given accommodation.

 

[NYDisGuy]

Mini horses can live up to 4x longer than dogs and can handle certain disabilities better which is why some people choose them. You have to remember, these animals are the equivalent to wheelchairs in terms of a device and their purpose is to blend in as such.

 

[HopperFan]

I'm not only speaking of theme parks, I'm talking that in general, it may benefit the ADA to require a verification system to be put in place for animals covered by the ADA. Hotels, workplace, etc. It would cut down on the abuse seen everywhere. Like this support squirrel https://i.redd.it/6w8gfdgpuw1z.jpg

Squirrel? Hmmm ...

PS Is that squirrel excessively overweight?

 

[danikoski]

Ok, I get it - actually meant miniature horses, was thinking of ponies and that's what I typed!

In all seriousness though, for an animal to be a service animal, they should be with the person they're serving at all times, to be effective, right? No matter how good they are, seems a very poor choice to me, unless they are in the house! If they're in stores and MK, where would they 'not' be??

The mini service horse lives in the house. They are with their person pretty much all the time. I've met one service mini. He was for a partially blind woman with balance problems. And minis do amazingly well in houses, and are smart enough to be housebroken. I've worked with therapy minis for years, and we've had them go into schools, and haven't ever had an accident. They go when they get outside.

 

[maltdizzy]

Like this support squirrel https://i.redd.it/6w8gfdgpuw1z.jpg

Wow. That's a new one.

Though I'm pretty sure support squirrels not protected by ADA.

 

[L&Lfan]

I've never seen a squirrel that fat! What the hell is she feeding it?

 

[IrishNYC]

Wow. That's a new one.

Though I'm pretty sure support squirrels not protected by ADA.

They're not, and that's my point. No business, including Disney, has to let these animals in because they are not protected by the ADA.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I have a good friend with a daughter who has type 1 diabetes and they are not financially strapped and they cannot afford a dog. So
I guess it isn't just seeing eye dogs that are expensive like you think

Cost differs by region, and also peoples priorities differ. Have you personally looked into them getting a service dog or are you just accepting their word on the fact they can't afford it?

Honestly, I know a few people who need them but don't have them because they think it would be too much effort or they have a spouse or other family member who they live with who are against the idea of any animal. They tell people it's because of the expense but I know it's because they just don't want a service dog at this time. And I know people who are definitely not rolling in it that have managed to find a way to have one because it helps it so much.

Nonservice dogs are really easy to spot generally. But in my experience, there are more legit dogs than cheaters. It's a big responsibility to take a service dog places- you have to consider behavior, crowds, where you can sit in restaurants, taking time out of whatever you're doing to take the dog outside to relieve itself. The cheaters I've met are way more likely to take their dog into the grocery store than a place like Disney, because they'd have to compromise if they took the dog to an amusement park.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I've never seen a squirrel that fat! What the hell is she feeding it?

The squirrel's diet may be fine, but obviously, it is not getting enough exercise riding an ECV instead of scampering or whatever it is non-service squirrels do to move around.

 

[1GoldenSun]

It might be tough to keep a squirrel out of Disney. They kind of go where they want.

 

[Westcoastwild]

My husband had to fly next to a woman with her dog on her lap the whole flight and my husband is allergic to dogs as well. I agree, they don't seem to ask people who have an allergy to these peoples pets. Isn't someone who is having an allergic reaction just as important as someone who needs their therapy dog on an airplane?

It's kind of on the person with the allergy to handle it though. Unless you also support banning things like peanut butter sandwiches from planes. And generally peanut butter allergy is a lot more serious than a pet allergy. There are so many allergies in the world that there just isn't any such thing as an allergen free public space.

I'm allergic to cats, though, so I get it. It's hard enough to just decline to sit on someone's couch because people don't really understand how miserable fluffy can make people. But unless the allergy is deadly, I think I'd rather put up with it than bar the person from traveling with their necessary therapy animal.

 

[Westcoastwild]

We stayed in a room at Boardwalk that had a dog in it before us. (dog hair on the decorative throw pillows) My daughter is allergic so we had to request a change of room. So went from a lovely view to a parking lot view. I do wish they would set aside rooms at all hotels for people who travel with pets/animals. We can not stay in those rooms.

Except it doesn't work that way. Because they can't refuse a service dog on the basis that they have no pet friendly rooms. So you would still get service dogs in all of the rooms.

But I think the bigger issue is that if there was dog hair on the pillows, that's a housekeeping fail.

 

[erin1715]

Cost differs by region, and also peoples priorities differ. Have you personally looked into them getting a service dog or are you just accepting their word on the fact they can't afford it?

Honestly, I know a few people who need them but don't have them because they think it would be too much effort or they have a spouse or other family member who they live with who are against the idea of any animal. They tell people it's because of the expense but I know it's because they just don't want a service dog at this time. And I know people who are definitely not rolling in it that have managed to find a way to have one because it helps it so much.

Nonservice dogs are really easy to spot generally. But in my experience, there are more legit dogs than cheaters. It's a big responsibility to take a service dog places- you have to consider behavior, crowds, where you can sit in restaurants, taking time out of whatever you're doing to take the dog outside to relieve itself. The cheaters I've met are way more likely to take their dog into the grocery store than a place like Disney, because they'd have to compromise if they took the dog to an amusement park.

I'm fairly certain they have looked into it. They already own a family dog and a rabbit, so they love animals. And the mother talks a lot about how hard it is to control her daughter's blood sugar, having to check her daughter in the middle of the night, etc.

Also, what would indicate a nonservice dog to you?

 

[erin1715]

It's kind of on the person with the allergy to handle it though. Unless you also support banning things like peanut butter sandwiches from planes. And generally peanut butter allergy is a lot more serious than a pet allergy. There are so many allergies in the world that there just isn't any such thing as an allergen free public space.

I'm allergic to cats, though, so I get it. It's hard enough to just decline to sit on someone's couch because people don't really understand how miserable fluffy can make people. But unless the allergy is deadly, I think I'd rather put up with it than bar the person from traveling with their necessary therapy animal.

Actually, Ghirardelli has done just that - they no longer carry any peanut products (at least at the stores in Disney locations) due to others severe allergies. Personally, I loved their Gold Rush sundae with PB so I was disappointed with that decision.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

o/t but I wonder if stores well stop selling peanut products

 

[wilkeliza]

o/t but I wonder if stores well stop selling peanut products

No that will never happen. There are still a vast majority of people who eat peanut butter especially as a child hood staple. In the entire US roughly .6% of the population has peanut allergies. That would be like saying the entire country needs to keep Kosher because 2% of the population does.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I'm fairly certain they have looked into it. They already own a family dog and a rabbit, so they love animals. And the mother talks a lot about how hard it is to control her daughter's blood sugar, having to check her daughter in the middle of the night, etc.

Also, what would indicate a nonservice dog to you?

Could be they don't want a second dog then. Or they haven't found the right dog.


As for spotting fakes...
Misbehaving. Not being treated like a service dog. Wearing clothes and I don't mean a service vest.

I saw a lot of fake AND real service dogs when I was working retail. The people who own actual service dogs treat them as service dogs. It doesn't matter what the disability is or whether or not they're wearing clothes. Usually, you would not notice a service dog unless you were looking. They're trained to lay or sit in specific way, they're trained not to bark, they should be calm unless they're doing their job and alerting their person.

The people who have fake service don't care as much about the dog behaving in public, often let the dog loose in inapropriate spots, let the dog bark or lunge at passerbys. Often if they have the dog on a retractable lead, it's not a service dog.

And we could- and frequently did- ask the fakes to leave the store on the basis of behavior. But we were absolutely not supposed to ask those questions- if we had doubts, we were supposed to notify the manager. Being sued for ADA noncompliance is no joke. Businesses like disney rather put up with the well behaved fakes than risk that.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Actually, Ghirardelli has done just that - they no longer carry any peanut products (at least at the stores in Disney locations) due to others severe allergies. Personally, I loved their Gold Rush sundae with PB so I was disappointed with that decision.

Bit different than a form of transit banning it, though. It's interesting that they would do it- I would have assumed that their chocolate was produced in a factory that handles nut products, making it unsafe anyway.

And as a side note, that is SO disappointing. I LOVED gold rush!

 

[erin1715]

No that will never happen. There are still a vast majority of people who eat peanut butter especially as a child hood staple. In the entire US roughly .6% of the population has peanut allergies. That would be like saying the entire country needs to keep Kosher because 2% of the population does.

Oh I don't know....if enough people make enough noise (even if they are a small percentage), then we all have to bend to their feelings. At least that's what my interpretation of today's culture is, but that is an entirely new topic

 

[Interpol]

Service animals are considered humans. Just like humans, if they do something egregiously wrong they can get kicked out. But until that time they are a member of the family.

Does that mean they require admission tickets?

There are enough people who are abusing this system today that a crackdown is coming. We already see this on commercial airline flights with "emotional support animals". People have brought emotional support dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, and even chickens onboard aircraft.

One of these days I'm going to try to declare my wife as an "emotional support animal" and see if she can fly for free...