What to Do? Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. Wants to Help
Listening to a local radio station last week, I was stupefied by a conversation being held between the 2 DJs on a popular morning show. One of them was getting ready to go on vacation and was struggling with the fact that it’s the annual family vacation and the hotel they always stay at doesn’t accept pets.
She was concerned that she didn’t want to board her new dog and had no one she trusted enough to leave him with while she was away. As a result, she was contemplating getting her little 10 pound dog quickly certified as an emotional support dog which would allow her to dodge the hotel policy. She also discussed the possibility of just bringing the dog and claiming ignorance if discovered.
Her co-host was not in favor of either of these options, so the question was posed to the audience who was asked to call in with their opinions. As the parent of a young man paired with a Florida mobility service dog, and yes, as a Board Member of Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc., I couldn’t believe the blatant audacity of this discussion. Part of the vision of Genesis is to help educate the public about assistance animals and compliance under the ADA. So I decided I would call in.
After my blood pressure returned to normal, I spent the next hour and a half trying to successfully connect with her. As the show continued and I dialed, I heard several callers responses to the options presented for what she should do with the dog. As I anticipated, there was a mixed bag of responses to her suggestion about getting the dog “certified” and some callers stated she shouldn’t do it. Unfortunately, no one ever said why it was a poor decision to make. Finally, I got through.
I thanked her for the opportunity to weigh in on her dilemma and then explained to her that she would be wasting her money to purchase certification for her dog. She asked why, and I told her about the ADA guidelines and how she should familiarize herself with them before all else. I explained that according to the United States Department of Justice there are no requirements for licensing, certification or identification of Florida mobility service dogs and that in many circumstances an emotional support dog does not fall under the umbrella. Assistance animals are not required to wear special collars, vests or harnesses. In addition the ADA makes it unlawful to require proof of a disability for the handler or identification for the animal. Her paperwork, if purchased, would truly be a waste of money.
I also shared that people who are paired with true assistance dogs already have a tough enough time legitimately maneuvering in their community without having to worry about imposters trying to do the same thing. Being a pet parent means making sacrifices and if she was that worried about her dog perhaps she shouldn’t take the vacation. Oh, and I also mentioned the fact that if she was caught violating the law she would be committing a misdemeanor of the second degree and would be ordered by the court to perform 30 hours of community service.
We had a pleasant enough conversation – there was give and take; yet oddly enough the truth must have rung true, or I worried the censors with my facts; my discussion with them didn’t make it on air. I feel that I succeeded in educating both of the DJs about service dogs and the ADA and that’s 2 more folks who know more about service animals then they did before. My hope is that if you are reading this blog you will join Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. in helping dispel the untruths in our communities about assistance dogs.
