Combating Service Dog “Certification” Scams

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Written by K9 Partners for Patriots

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Service Dog Fraud | Articles

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March 4, 2016

Discover why flea markets may not be the best environment for service dogs.

Learn about risks, distractions, and considerations for handlers.

1. Crowded Environment: Flea markets are often bustling with crowds, which can be overwhelming for a service dog. The dog may become stressed or anxious in such a busy atmosphere.

2. Distractions: Flea markets are filled with various sights, sounds, and smells that can distract a service dog from its duties. This could potentially compromise its ability to assist its handler effectively.

3. Unpredictable Behavior of Other Animals: Other visitors to the flea market may bring their pets along, which can lead to encounters with unfamiliar animals. This may pose a risk to the safety and focus of the service dog.

4. Risk of Injury: With so many people moving around and browsing items, there’s an increased risk of accidental tripping or stepping on the service dog, which could lead to injury.

5. Exposure to Unsanitary Conditions: Flea markets may not always maintain the cleanest environment, and the service dog may come into contact with unsanitary surfaces or substances.

6. Lack of Accommodation for the Dog: Flea markets may not be equipped to handle service dogs properly, such as providing suitable resting areas, water, or relief spots for the dog.

7. Potential Stress for the Dog: A flea market’s constant stimulation and unfamiliar surroundings could cause stress or discomfort for the service dog, which may affect its overall well-being and ability to perform its tasks.

Given these factors, it’s important for service dog handlers to carefully consider whether taking their dog to a flea market is truly necessary and in the best interest of the dog’s welfare and effectiveness in assisting its handler.

Service dog registration fraud and certification scams are on the rise making an already difficult situation worse. K9 Partners for Patriots is more than a little upset about it.

Online businesses with very official sounding names are emerging exponentially claiming to certify any dog – sight unseen as a service animal. Without ever testing the dog or verifying a disability, they will provide a service dog tag, vest and certification for nothing more than a fee.

No certification required!

Service dogs don’t require a certification or an ID. In fact, no one can legally ask for such proof. The only requirement under the ADA is that the dog be trained to mitigate a disability. Businesses and their staff are only permitted to legally ask a service dog handler two questions:

Is the dog a service animal?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

They can’t ask what the disability is or require the handler to show certification or ID. Although, K9 P4P Program Veterans are proud to show their ID as an opportunity to inform a presumably unknowing public that they’re not required to show it.

ADA requirements regarding Service Animals.

Downloadable PDF

Service Animals as defined under the ADA

It is clear under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for title II (State and local government services) and title III (public accommodations and commercial facilities) that a service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Such tasks include:

guiding people who are blind
alerting people who are deaf
pulling a wheelchair
alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure
reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications
calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties such as assisting a person with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with balance issues.

Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Harder and harder to be taken seriously

Service dog fraud is making it harder and harder for authentic, qualified handlers like K9 P4P Program Veterans to be taken seriously in the public arena. Many of our program veterans have encountered these counterfeit service dogs in public and report aggressive behavior and a blatant disregard by the owner to control their untrained “pet”.

Authentic service dog owners know the law and their k9’s are highly trained, good citizens that get along well with people and other animals.

Highest standards for service dogs

Counterfeit service animals and their owners are causing business owners to become increasingly suspicious of all service dogs. K9 Partners for Patriots is proud of our exceedingly high standards and every single veteran/service dog team that we’ve graduated through this program. These men and women have worked themselves and their service dogs diligently to earn the privilege to wear a service dog vest.

Don’t people with disabilities already have a hard enough time?

It’s an injustice for people with disabilities and service dogs to have to face the embarrassment and humiliation of being questioned or asked to leave an establishment with their service dog when they already have a lawful right to be there.

Service dog certification scams are abusing the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and putting the rights of people with disabilities at risk. They claim to help people and I guess they are. They’re helping themselves with no regard for the fact that they’re hurting the very people that the ADA was designed to protect — real people with real disabilities. Anyone that purchases their products is just as guilty.