hello!! september is national service dog awareness month. there is a ton of misinformation about service dogs so each day this month i’m going to add to this thread with a fact, law, common misconception, etc. feel free to ask questions or things you want me to include

to preface this will mostly be ADA law as that’s what i’m most familiar with. if there’s something i know is different in different countries i will make sure to say so :)

1. we will start off with the very basics for today! a service animal is a dog or miniature horse that is trained to do specific tasks to mitigate their handlers disability. emotional support does not count as a task.

2. one of the biggest misconceptions i see is that esas and service dogs are the same. while they are both important, service dogs require intense training and are allowed pretty much everywhere while esas are only allowed in non pet friendly housing and planes (more below)

tw // slight food mention
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3. do they have to be registered? in the US? absolutely fucking not. those sites are all scams and do not give you any rights whatsoever. fuck i’ve even seen someone register a jar of nutella it show how fake they are. 1/2

- in some countries like canada however, there is a federal certification where the dogs have to pass a test.

4. What if i have anxiety. Can I still have a service dog? Well that depends on if it is disabling or not. It’s always best to try other options first before relying on a dog full time. A common task for those with psychiatric conditions is DPT (what my dog is doing below)

5. can you train you own service dog? yes! most people think you have to get a service animal from a big organization like CCI but most people owner train (usually with the help of a professional) because it is so much cheaper and you don’t have to wait 5+ years on a waiting list

6. how do i spot a fake service dog? in short don’t. dogs aren’t robots and slip up sometimes in public. if the dog isn’t lunging, barking, etc just ignore. those who constantly seek and record fake service dogs are toxic -

-if the dog is truly being a nuisance/is a public risk and report to the manager and continue with your day. under ada law they are allowed to be removed if they are out of control. please try not to record a dog slightly slipping it up and post it all over the internet.

7. why is it important not to pet/distract service dogs? okay this is a BIG one. my service dog is not there for your entertainment. it is crucial for my health you do not purposely distract my dog.

-many service dogs are medical alert meaning they alert telling their handler to prepare for a medical episode. remember dogs are not robots. service animals are trained to ignore distractions but they can still slip up.

8. is it rude to ask people about their service dogs/disabilities? most of the time yes. some handlers like myself like to spread awareness and educate when we can but most just want to go about their day without getting stoped dozens of times (and that’s totally valid!)

-you need to remember to respect the handlers boundaries and don’t get offended if they want to be left alone. unless you are a worker there and asking the two legal questions it’s probably best to let the handler and their dog be.

-if you truly can’t fight the urge to ask a question please just be polite about it. we aren’t entitled to tell you our medical history and life story

-forgot to add, if the dog is tasking (for example laying on their handlers legs, picking something up, under the handlers legs, circling around the owner, etc) LEAVE THEM ALONE !!

9. what can businesses ask about service dogs? this in a way relates to yesterdays question. so in america (i don’t know about other countries sorry) staff are not allowed to ask about your disability or ask that you provide any sort of certification

-so how do business owners know the dog is legit enough to let in? businesses are legally allowed ask two questions about the animal: 1) is this a service animal required because of a disability and 2) what tasks has is it trained to perform