Before I go further, I'm a TOTAL dog lover. Mine is almost 10, she's not my pet, she's my daughter. With that said, I don't understand this thing with "service dogs." Back in my day, the dog would have on a vest with service dog written on the vest. Now, you can jump online and declare your dog a service dog. So, my question is, where is the line drawn as to where you can take them legally? Surely without that service vest on you can't take them into a restaurant, can you? I'm sympathetic to the need, but I don't want dog hair in my food. What do you guys think?

There's no law that I'm aware of that disallows dogs in restaurants.

I've also heard of dog owners threatening to sue restaurants for disallowing their service dogs.

In the end, I think it's a case by case basis.

http://gov.texas.gov/disabilities/resources/assistance_animals

Quote:

---

Texas Law

• Requires public facilities and common transportation carriers to admit a person with a disability accompanied by a service dog for assistance and also to admit a trainer of service dogs accompanied by a dog for training purposes.
• Requires evacuation, transport and temporary shelter of service animals in a disaster.
• Provides a criminal penalty for those who deny access to people with disabilities because of an assistance animal. Offenses are punishable by fines of not more than $300 and 30 hours of community service.
• Provides full and equal access to housing accommodations for people with disabilities with assistance animals.
• Provides that people with disabilities may not be charged extra compensation for assistance animals, however, any damages caused by an assistance animal are the responsibility of the person with a disability using the animal.
• State employees may obtain up to ten days of paid leave to attend a training program to familiarize themselves with an assistance dog.
• Provides protection if an assistance animal is attacked, injured or killed by an individual or an individual's animal.
• Provides that people with disabilities may not be required to show proof of certification for their service animal. Public establishments may only ask if the service animal is required because the person has a disability and what type of work the service animal is trained to perform.

---

IANAL, but i'm guessing that restaurants would count as public facilities. The last bullet makes it hard for a business owner to say no. There's also just the tradeoff between just putting up with it vs having a bunch of aggrieved facebook/yelp/aggieland board posts.

Wonder if service dogs are allowed in these places:

Keep in mind there is a difference between a therapy animal and a service dog. However anyone with a dog can lie and say it's a service dog and there's not much the business owner can do.

redd38 said:

---

Keep in mind there is a difference between a therapy animal and a service dog.

---

Try telling that to the snowflakes of today. In 10 years service dogs will have service dogs.

I have multiple dogs and I completely understand what the benefits of having a service dog are. I suppor the use of service dogs but I am convinced that there is a significant amount of dishonesty with this program no different than people who abuse other programs/services intended to help people that are truely in need.

Remember the Martha's Bloomers incident? We immediately made all our employees aware that if they say it's a service dog, then it's a service dog.

There pretty much is zero regulation on what a "service dog" is. With that not much can be enforced.

InMyOpinion said:

---

redd38 said:

---

Keep in mind there is a difference between a therapy animal and a service dog.

---

Try telling that to the snowflakes of today. In 10 years service dogs will have service dogs.

I have multiple dogs and I completely understand what the benefits of having a service dog are. I suppor the use of service dogs but I am convinced that there is a significant amount of dishonesty with this program no different than people who abuse other programs/services intended to help people that are truely in need.

---

I don't have an issue with service animals, but I wish there were separate dining areas in restaurants for people with animals. There should also be a requirement for owners to show ID for the animals, at a minimum. I'd rather see a regulation requiring a vest.

michellecan said:

---

Now, you can jump online and declare your dog a service dog.

---

...which is illegal (in Virginia and Colorado, maybe more) and certainly immoral, because service dogs have to have a lot of training (they don't really act like dogs anymore), and the fakes aren't (I've heard fakes attacking the submissive real service dogs). Real trained service dogs shouldn't be an issue in a restaurant or other public area because they won't get onto other people or make a mess everywhere.

Real service dog corporations, such as "Canine Companions for Independence", require an actual service dog vest and are very well trained.

Are we talking people who carry around a chihuahua because they are "depressed" ?

If it isnt covered by ADA you dont have to let them in your business. Emotional support and Therapy dogs are not covered by ADA. Blue vests with the symbol are the ones that are legit.

If you are the owner of your workplace and enforce that rule, then kudos to you! Frankly, it's easier to stay under the radar and away from media seeking attention gatherers to go with the "if they say it's a service animal, then it's a service animal" rule.

Hammerheadjim said:

---

If it isnt covered by ADA you dont have to let them in your business. Emotional support and Therapy dogs are not covered by ADA. Blue vests with the symbol are the ones that are legit.

---

Pretty sure this is correct.
Service dogs are only ones allowed in restaurant and they have to have the vest on.
It takes many years to train a service dog.
Sympathy dogs do not have to be allowed in restaurant.. And per health code laws are not allowed.

Throwing my two-cents in that the whole concept seems to be getting abused. There's a difference in a service dog for someone with a physical handicap of some sort or a severe mental disorder like PTSD and someone who abuses the system because they're depressed from some "normal" stressor in their life. Watching people in public, you can tell that more of the latter are happening in the past, and it's upsetting.

AgGunNut said:

---

Throwing my two-cents in that the whole concept seems to be getting abused. There's a difference in a service dog for someone with a physical handicap of some sort or a severe mental disorder like PTSD and someone who abuses the system because they're depressed from some "normal" stressor in their life. Watching people in public, you can tell that more of the latter are happening in the past, and it's upsetting.

---

Agreed. It's unfortunate that some will always try and game the system, whether it's fake service dogs, handicap parking tags, or whatever. They make everyone, including legitimately needful persons, look bad.

Hammerheadjim said:

---

If it isnt covered by ADA you dont have to let them in your business. Emotional support and Therapy dogs are not covered by ADA. Blue vests with the symbol are the ones that are legit.

---

Service dogs DO NOT have to wear a vest.

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Question 8 from the FAQ on ADA's website.

redd38 said:

---

Hammerheadjim said:

---

If it isnt covered by ADA you dont have to let them in your business. Emotional support and Therapy dogs are not covered by ADA. Blue vests with the symbol are the ones that are legit.

---

Service dogs DO NOT have to wear a vest.

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Question 8 from the FAQ on ADA's website.

---

Never said they did....

However you can ask two questions. Is your service dog assisting with a disability. And has it been properly trained as a service dog.

Hammerheadjim said:

---

redd38 said:

---

Hammerheadjim said:

---

If it isnt covered by ADA you dont have to let them in your business. Emotional support and Therapy dogs are not covered by ADA. Blue vests with the symbol are the ones that are legit.

---

Service dogs DO NOT have to wear a vest.

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Question 8 from the FAQ on ADA's website.

---

Never said they did....

However you can ask two questions. Is your service dog assisting with a disability. And has it been properly trained as a service dog.

---

Never said you said they did...

redd38 said:

---

Hammerheadjim said:

---

redd38 said:

---

Hammerheadjim said:

---

If it isnt covered by ADA you dont have to let them in your business. Emotional support and Therapy dogs are not covered by ADA. Blue vests with the symbol are the ones that are legit.

---

Service dogs DO NOT have to wear a vest.

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Question 8 from the FAQ on ADA's website.

---

Never said they did....

However you can ask two questions. Is your service dog assisting with a disability. And has it been properly trained as a service dog.

---

Never said you said they did...

---

I don't have a dog in this fight.

Was in Planet Fitness and there was woman sitting on an elliptical, pedaling real slowly, watching TV and listening with a puppy (not very old) Collie under the bike with an "Official Service Dog" vest on.

I guarantee this puppy was not a service dog, but people just buy those vests on Amazon and no one is going to ever question it lest they appear to be insensitive to some imagined disability.

At this point, people are just buying these vests so they can take their precious dogs every where with them. These are the kind of people that always refer to their pets as "their kids".

I wish the law was as the sign on the Post Office says:

No Pets Allowed-Only Guide Dogs for the Blind Allowed

20/20 did a whole episode on this awhile back. They registered a porcupine as a service animal and the airlines let them on.

Technically a service animal performs a task, like seeing, PTSD, stuff like that but it's stick about emotional support. Most apts and stuff have to let them in because it's not worth the bad publicity.

Fair Housing under HUD allows for therapy and emotional support animals if prescribed by a doctor. That is why apartments, etc allow them.

redd38 said:

---

Hammerheadjim said:

---

redd38 said:

---

Hammerheadjim said:

---

If it isnt covered by ADA you dont have to let them in your business. Emotional support and Therapy dogs are not covered by ADA. Blue vests with the symbol are the ones that are legit.

---

Service dogs DO NOT have to wear a vest.

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Question 8 from the FAQ on ADA's website.

---

Never said they did....

However you can ask two questions. Is your service dog assisting with a disability. And has it been properly trained as a service dog.

---

Never said you said they did...

---

I 'm never sure about anything... Except people take advantage of this law.

91_Aggie said:

---

Was in Planet Fitness and there was woman sitting on an elliptical, pedaling real slowly, watching TV and listening with a puppy (not very old) Collie under the bike with an "Official Service Dog" vest on.

I guarantee this puppy was not a service dog, but people just buy those vests on Amazon and no one is going to ever question it lest they appear to be insensitive to some imagined disability.

At this point, people are just buying these vests so they can take their precious dogs every where with them. These are the kind of people that always refer to their pets as "their kids".

---

Maybe it was in training. A friend of mine's son's 4H group in San Antonio socializes puppies who will become service dogs. They're supposed to bring them everywhere the go, including school so they are exposed to as many social situations as possible. Once they leave him, they go on to specific training before being paired with a handicapped person. They wear vests the whole time and are considered service dogs even as young dogs. They can't learn to do their jobs without this type of training and socialization.

TxElsie said:

---

91_Aggie said:

---

Was in Planet Fitness and there was woman sitting on an elliptical, pedaling real slowly, watching TV and listening with a puppy (not very old) Collie under the bike with an "Official Service Dog" vest on.

I guarantee this puppy was not a service dog, but people just buy those vests on Amazon and no one is going to ever question it lest they appear to be insensitive to some imagined disability.

At this point, people are just buying these vests so they can take their precious dogs every where with them. These are the kind of people that always refer to their pets as "their kids".

---

Maybe it was in training. A friend of mine's son's 4H group in San Antonio socializes puppies who will become service dogs. They're supposed to bring them everywhere the go, including school so they are exposed to as many social situations as possible. Once they leave him, they go on to specific training before being paired with a handicapped person. They wear vests the whole time and are considered service dogs even as young dogs. They can't learn to do their jobs without this type of training and socialization.

---

Real service dogs in training (I'm sure you've seen this in campus) is that the dog has a "No Touch" sign on them during training (petting service dogs-in-training confuses them, or something). Sounds like to me someone bought a fake vest.

If a dog smells, pees, or craps in my store/restaurant and does not have a service dog vest on, you will clean in up and get kicked out. Simple as that.

PS3D said:

---

TxElsie said:

---

91_Aggie said:

---

Was in Planet Fitness and there was woman sitting on an elliptical, pedaling real slowly, watching TV and listening with a puppy (not very old) Collie under the bike with an "Official Service Dog" vest on.

I guarantee this puppy was not a service dog, but people just buy those vests on Amazon and no one is going to ever question it lest they appear to be insensitive to some imagined disability.

At this point, people are just buying these vests so they can take their precious dogs every where with them. These are the kind of people that always refer to their pets as "their kids".

---

Maybe it was in training. A friend of mine's son's 4H group in San Antonio socializes puppies who will become service dogs. They're supposed to bring them everywhere the go, including school so they are exposed to as many social situations as possible. Once they leave him, they go on to specific training before being paired with a handicapped person. They wear vests the whole time and are considered service dogs even as young dogs. They can't learn to do their jobs without this type of training and socialization.

---

Real service dogs in training (I'm sure you've seen this in campus) is that the dog has a "No Touch" sign on them during training (petting service dogs-in-training confuses them, or something). Sounds like to me someone bought a fake vest.

---

To take the unpopular side of this thread, we don't know anything about this person or their animal. Just because someone doesn't look how a disabled person should look to you (general you, not specific) that doesn't mean that they aren't. For instance persons who benefit from PTSD dogs may not look like they have a reason why their dog should be a service dog, yet they truly need the service dog by their side to help keep themselves alive.

Do you want to make specific positive change? Reach out to your state representative and raise your concern, tell them you want laws in place to increase the requirements for labeling/documentation that an animal has to have with them. I'd say do the same with our local governments, but we've seen how effective they are at doing anything besides building crappy apartment housing in established neighborhoods.

saw a girl yesterday in Kroger at RP, had a puppy with little service dog vest. She was carrying the dog everywhere, dog never touched the ground. this was a small breed mix. Girl looked to be under 20, not that it matters.

Maybe there is some need, seems to me just a way to take your dog everywhere you go.

DBSwooper said:

---

To take the unpopular side of this thread, we don't know anything about this person or their animal. Just because someone doesn't look how a disabled person should look to you (general you, not specific) that doesn't mean that they aren't. For instance persons who benefit from PTSD dogs may not look like they have a reason why their dog should be a service dog, yet they truly need the service dog by their side to help keep themselves alive.

Do you want to make specific positive change? Reach out to your state representative and raise your concern, tell them you want laws in place to increase the requirements for labeling/documentation that an animal has to have with them. I'd say do the same with our local governments, but we've seen how effective they are at doing anything besides building crappy apartment housing in established neighborhoods.

---

Nah - just another example of the minority group being given special treatment at the detriment to the rest of us.

same as:

you were born a male, but today you feel like a female.......sure go ahead and enter the women's restroom; go ahead and shower with my high school daughter.

Someone was walking around at the Lake Bryan Icehouse last Saturday night prior to the Kevin Fowler concert with a monkey on their shoulder.

/notametaphor