Service Animals

One of the largest problems facing assistance animals is the growing prevalence of fraudulent cases. Because the ADA does not specify training standards for service dogs and ESAs, people have been able to falsely certify their pets as an assistance animal. Similarly, to how college students buy fake IDs, pet owners will buy fake certifications that come with harnesses, etc. so that their pets will appear like an assistance animal.

Some of the things that we can do as college students is to educate ourselves on how to distinguish between service animals, ESAs, and pets. By knowing the difference of when we need to allow access and when we have the right to ask the animal to be removed, it can defer people to bring in fake assistance animals.

For example, if you see a “service dog” in a shopping cart, it’s obviously not one. They are trained dogs so they will not do things like that. Their actions should speak louder than words. Real Service Dog manners, behavior, and training cannot be faked.

“Educate the masses, elevate their standard of intelligence, and you will certainly have a successful nation”

-Minoru Chou
Animal Welfare Director (18-19)
minoru.chou@uoflelsb.org