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Untrained dogs in public ruin it for service dogs, says South Colton resident

Posted 7/22/16

To the Editor: A local grocery store recently posted notices at its entrances stating that while the establishment welcomes customers with service animals, it can’t allow people to bring their …

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Untrained dogs in public ruin it for service dogs, says South Colton resident

Posted

To the Editor:

A local grocery store recently posted notices at its entrances stating that while the establishment welcomes customers with service animals, it can’t allow people to bring their comfort animals into the store.

The signs were necessary, because people keep bringing their pet dogs into grocery stores, among other places, which is against NY Ag and Markets and NY State Department of Health law. Much like laws against driving and using cell phones, it is widely ignored.

Trained service dogs are a very specific group; and they are rarely, if ever, held in a person’s arms. That’s because as a service dog, they perform tasks for their people. a service dog means any dog “That does work or tasks must be directly related to the individual’s disability."

Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision or less than 20 degrees peripheral vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting individuals to the presence of allergens, calling 911, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with neurological and mobility disabilities.

However, the Americans with Disabilities Act specifies that “The crime deterrent effects of an animal’s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks.”

The problem of too many untrained dogs in grocery stores and restaurants arises from another part of the Federal and State laws that ban discrimination against anyone with a service dog.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, storeowners can only ask two questions: Is that a service dog? And what task does it perform for you?

All the online registries, service dog vests and certificates don’t mean anything. But those are two very good questions, and store owners and patrons shouldn’t be afraid to ask them of someone holding a dog, a dog in grocery cart, urinating or defecating, off a leash, barking, growling or pushing one in a baby carriage. Disabled people with real service dogs are more than happy to tell storeowners just what tasks the dog does. People with so-called “comfort dogs,” just make it harder for those with legitimate service dogs.

For the sake of public health and safety, more restaurants and grocery stores should follow suit and prominently display a sign restating state law that bans pets from entering and immediately ask any person with a dog the 2 questions permitted by the ADA. NY Ag and Markets and the health department do enforce the No-Pets law in NY State.

The state has proposed legislation to make faking a disability or passing off a pet as a trained service dog a crime: http://bit.ly/29Kbowh

Jon Sabin

South Colton