Fake service dogs make things harder on veterans and people with less obvious disabilities. (See below Delta Airlines policy change)

A service dog is trained to help people with disabilities, to do specific tasks. They assist people with visual impairments, physical handicaps, mental illness, seizure disorders, diabetes, etc.

Emotional support dogs provide comfort to an individual.

A therapy dog is trained to provide comfort to groups of people in retirement homes, hospitals, hospice, schools, disaster areas, etc.

Emotional support dogs are not service dogs, and do not have the type of training as an actual service dog.

Somehow they have become very easy to obtain, making things difficult for people with service dogs. Not that they aren’t needed, but that some people are taking advantage of this.

As a dog owner I love and want to take my pet everywhere! But as someone who has dealt with many professionals who have trained and placed service dogs. And having been around those needing service dogs. I have learned how much training and time goes into it, and just how important and needed they really are.

When an untrained dog goes into a stressful and crowded environment there’s no way to know how he or she might react.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been told, ” Oh, he’s never done that before.”

In pet friendly parks and areas we’re always guarded and ask questions. But when you come across a dog labeled as one of the above we somehow think service dog and assume they’ re harmless and well trained for public areas.

It has become so easy to mistake and place all these dogs in a service dog category. They are all different.

There have been enough incidents on flights with emotional support dogs now that have called for more rules when it comes to service dogs.

Delta Airlines has a strict policy change.

Is it really fair for us to put our veterans or disabled in these positions?

Couldn’t we  put more stress on how our pets are cared for on these planes?  Wouldn’t that persuade pet owners from trying to sneak them on with passengers?  As a pet owner myself, I can understand the fear they face with placing their pets in baggage. Especially after reported deaths of pets on airlines….
That would be better for all involved including our beloved pets.

Image from www.servicedogiq.com