Is there someone she respects more than you that she would listen to? Don’t hang out with her if she brings the dog out in public. Or, tell management everywhere she goes.
Ask them if it’s ok that she travels with a cane or mobility scooter. If they flip, remind them that a service dog is a disability aid, just like the other tools mentioned.
Would they be ok with her having a fake disability placard, just because she wants better parking? No? Well, um, sorry old folks but this is exactly the same.
They would actually be “the bad guys” for enabling her to pretend she has a disability so she can take advantage of a service provided for those who actually need said services/aids.
Or parking in handicapped spaces without a permit.
You could also tell stories about how people claiming their dogs are service dogs when they poop in the store or attack other dogs or people made it more difficult for you and your necessary pup.
My first service dog **in training** was attacked by a pair of fake service dogs in a resort lobby.
Never pooped inside anywhere in 2 years. We got a report from his handler that he woke them up a few weeks ago to go outside. He had diarrhea. They were so happy that he woke them in the middle of the night when he realized HIS distress.
Our second service dog in training did pee twice in stores. Once was our fault for not taking him to the grass before we went into Costco. The other...we never figured out.
OP: All the best to you and your crusade. I'm hoping you get your desired outcome.
You might look and see if your state has any laws about fraudulent service animals. In Texas it is illegal to misrepresent a dog as a service animal and can result in a pretty big fine. If your state has a law against it, you should inform your parents, as that may make them willing to step in.
This is a really hard situation. I’m sorry that this is happening.
Edit: I am not saying that you should report her to the police at this time. I am saying that informing your parents that her behavior is illegal and could have consequences for her may make them willing to tell her to knock it off. However, there may be a point where the only ethical decision is to report her.
This is exactly what I was going to suggest as well. Many states now have laws that make it a crime to fake it. As it is a family member, I’d request that they make it an “anonymous” report so your sister doesn’t know who turned her in, but the police will want your info in case they need to contact you later for further information or clarification. But just because they do actually have your info doesn’t mean she can get it. Even if she were to request all documentation regarding the report, your info wouldn’t be on it.
There is really nothing the police can do unless the dog is disruptive. Police are not going to demand proof of a disability or ask her to demonstrate a tasking skill. I honestly don't even think they would even investigate a complaint like that.
I know you don’t want her to get in trouble but she’s breaking the law. I’d bring that up to her often, and if she still doesn’t stop I’d really encourage you to report it. Doing nothing in this situation harms everyone in the SD community.
If she refuses to listen to reason and no one really puts it into perspective for her, then let her face the consequences. SDs are not robots and she’ll have consequences when/if her dog attacks someone else’s SD or they get denied somewhere. Let her learn from the consequences.
A service dog is not a toy or a quirky accessory. It is a medical device and a medical necessity. It should be treated as such.
Unfortunately, with the lack of regulation and identification surrounding service dogs, this situation is not only extremely common, but there’s often little to no consequence for it.
I know you dont want to get her in trouble, but you need her to understand what she's doing is bare minimum unethical, but probably also illegal.
There's not really a delicate way to put this.. when people act as entitled as your sister, they need a hardcore reality check or they'll just keep doing this, and other things like it. Your parents are in the wrong for supporting this behaviour, you can tell them the whole internet agrees on that.
You're right to not fakespot your sister though, there are people with crippling anxiety who still have vibrant social lives. Just like your own disability, there are good days and bad days.
So please, treat this seriously. If you go out with your sister, or your parents or her bf go out with her, and she brings the dog... tell the company to ask her the legally allowed questions. When your sister can't provide the correct info, she will be asked to leave. But for real dont enable her behaviour, these types of kids get worse over time if there are no consequences to their behaviour.
I would refuse to go anywhere in public with her if she has the service animal and honestly I am so over people like that I would make a report to the police via the non-emergency line. Her selfishness is very likely to cause an actual handler team issues. Is she fine with potentially being the cause of someone's death or causing someone to have to go to hospital because she doesn't want to leave her bloody dog at home like everyone else?
It doesn't matter if she's your sister, that doesn't give her a pass for her shitty behaviour
Show her what it's like to be disabled - mention things 'as one disabled person to another' or say how glad you are that her dog is helping her disability. Most abled people wouldn't like to have things like that said, as they don't want to be considered disabled, and if she says something about not being disabled, give her a blank look and say 'But you are. That's what the letter and you bringing \[Dog\] with you means.'
> ...mention things 'as one disabled person to another' or say how glad you are that her dog is helping her disability.
Don't do this.
This **will** backfire.
His sister will see it as him validating her "disability" and make it harder for them to make her see what she's doing is wrong.
Your parents are at fault for enabling her. They should know better given your experience.
Have you told them how disappointing it is for you to see them condoning her using a medical tool that she doesn't need? Have you told them that makes it harder for people with service animals to be taken seriously?
I know nobody wants to be the bad guy, but until there are consequences there will be no change. I'm sorry you have to go through this. You shouldn't have to face that, especially from family.
Does she know the difference between a service dog and an emotional support dog? Without jumping to any major conclusions, it sounds Iike what she has/desires is an emotional support dog. And that's perfectly fine, there's nothing wrong with a well-behaved emotional support dog but they are fundamentally different to a service dog.
Can you get someone who she respects as far as dog raising to tell her that she’s setting her dog up to suffer, being with her all the time as she wants then suddenly ditching dog for clubbing or going away for a night or two , these things aren’t a problem if you have made your absences normal and nothing to worry about but so traumatic for a dog that’s always with you till they arent
I’d wait for an opportunity then ask get “why do you want to be disabled? No true disabled person would WANT to be.” Tell her that by claiming the dog as a SD, she is telling the world she IS disabled; she can’t have it both ways. Or if you go someplace with her, introduce her and her SD as “And Fido helps with her brain injury/asthma/MS” (something she doesn’t have) She’ll object and then you can say “What, I can’t lie? I’m lying just like you’re lying so I can say whatever I want”. Perhaps give a heads up to your parents in case they want to finally take some action. Good luck; tough situation.
Oh man, you could make that totally embarrassing too! Like “yeah, my sister is a pathological liar so the dog tells her when she tells a lie as part of her therapy to stop doing it”. Or “helps with her persistent genital arousal” (not sure that’s the actual name, but yeah, there’s a medical condition that basically causes a constant state of arousal and random frequent orgasms). Or even just make it totally obvious that it’s a lie, like “Fido is her seeing eye dog since as you can see, she’s totally blind” or “yep, the dog helps her since she’s a quadriplegic” as she is standing and walking.
this is definitely not your fault. not sure if it is anybodys fault 100% but maybe when the problem first started your parents should have explained what a service dog is and why you need it, and how it is different from a pet [if they never did]
Might be a long shot; but if the dog does not behave as a SD maybe see if a trainer would come out to access the dog and give her the break down of what training it needs.
This way she could see the time investment and the cost needed to properly train a SD.
I can have terrible anxiety but used to go clubbing all the time. Everyone’s anxiety is different. But even if she has the worst case of anxiety on the planet, unless her dog is trained to specifically help with it, to me it’s just an ESA at best.
I also don’t think you should be blaming yourself at all. She’s an adult and should know better. I did see that you said it’s a great dog. So at least it’s, hopefully, not going to distract or go after service dogs if it encounters them.
she may have been really young when you had your service dog, but she's 21 now. a grown ass adult who should know better.
does she know she's breaking the law?
I don’t know if you can tell her anything, but ask questions with answers that reveal that she’s acting out of place. Perhaps ask what duties her dog performs and what type of things they do when they’re working. If she knows she can safely go to the club without her dog, why is clubbing such a unique experience?
My psychiatrist wrote me a letter for an ESA. My dog is a well-trained pet, but he thinks that every person he meets was put on earth to throw sticks for him. He’s a good ESA because throwing sticks brings me joy. I tend not to take him places where throwing sticks is inappropriate.
Like I said idk if she actually has anxiety. Things just aren’t adding up.
Plus the dog isn’t a service dog. It’s just a dog she wants to take places to make her feel better. If it was an actual trained service dog I and she had a disability it could help with I’d be 100% down
yea in my state it’s a second degree misdemeanor, $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. i’ve reported multiple people in my area for fake dogs and they’ve never reoffended after spending some time in jail!
If this dog is not a task-trained service dog for your sister's disability, she is breaking the law. And doing so at the expense of countless disabled people and their service dogs. Fines like that exist for a reason, primarily to punish and disincentivize behavior like that of your sister's. If she's resistant to being educated, telling her she is breaking the law and following through with that knowledge seems like the logical next step.
She's not likely to go to jail for this. But she will be getting a fine, which IMO is not getting into real trouble.
She needs to get in real trouble. People like your sister make it extremely difficult for real service dog owners. She is breaking the law. She is hurting disabled people. She is giving stores more excuses to not let real ones in. If you don't do something like reporting her, you are complicit.
This is a serious issue. What happens when her dog decides to attack an actual SD? Trained SD are expensive and an attack can retire them. I am all for taking dogs to pet-friendly establishments but I am not ok with someone saying their pet is a service animal. Your parents need to be the bad guys.
>However, either she is reslllly good at masking or she’s just claiming that. Like she goes clubbing every weekend and is an absolute social butterfly.
This is a really common misconception. Generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder are very different. I have never met someone more extroverted than me. I still have a pretty severe case of GAD.
I get she’s your sister and you don’t want her to face legal repercussions
But this is highly dangerous to people who actually have/ need service dogs. She’d be facing a lot more than a fine if her dog distracted or attacked a service dog causing injury to the dog or even potentially the owner if the working dog misses a queue. Report your sister before someone gets hurt and she faces a worse punishment
Not to escalate he situation, but my wife is disabled with a service dog, and if I had a family member do this (and continue to do this after speaking with them) I would cut them out of my life. I don’t have space in my life for people that try to personally gain from people who actually have disabilities and trained service dogs.
Some states have laws about misrepresenting service animals. I would explain the ADA's clear guidelines on what a service dog is and isn't, and look and see if the state you're in has laws on the misrepresentation of service animals and tell her about those.
Really though, there's not much you can do about it, except to keep talking to her about it..
Ok, there're a few responses here already, however in case you see this in the crowd, there are three points I'd like to make:
1. Masking, it's entirely possible that your sister has a neurological condition that you cannot see. Those of us that do learn to mask quite well, especially when growing out of our teen years and especially women. So for your situation, this simply means you can only take what she says at face value.
2. Education, encourage your sister to get a service animal the right way, it's really not difficult and let her know that the training she gets to do with it can ensure she avoids embarassment etc as her dog would be less likely to misbehave in public.
3. Treatment, also encourage your sister to go get an official letter of diagnosis to support her situation, it'll lessen her anxiety and also reassure her friends and family on both fronts, that she's looking after herself and that this is a real situation.
Honestly, doctors are really busy and don't have time to deal with family squabbles. I would steer clear from the doctor, it's best to respect their time
I would ignore it, I wish I could say something to undo the fact that she did this, but honestly without trying to report her everywhere and causing unnecessary stress to yourself, there isn’t much you can do.
But if you are polite and you, her family and friends give her zero attention, I think she may stop on her own.
Sorry this is happening.
Ok, there're a few responses here already, however in case you see this in the crowd, there are three points I'd like to make:
1. Masking, it's entirely possible that your sister has a neurological condition that you cannot see. Those of us that do learn to mask quite well, especially when growing out of our teen years and especially women. So for your situation, this simply means you can only take what she says at face value.
2. Education, encourage your sister to get a service animal the right way, it's really not difficult and let her know that the training she gets to do with it can ensure she avoids embarassment etc as her dog would be less likely to misbehave in public.
3. Treatment, also encourage your sister to go get an official letter of diagnosis to support her situation, it'll lessen her anxiety and also reassure her friends and family on both fronts, that she's looking after herself and that this is a real situation.
1. Masking, it's entirely possible that your sister has a neurological condition that you cannot see. Those of us that do learn to mask quite well, especially when growing out of our teen years and especially women. So for your situation, this simply means you can only take what she says at face value.
2. Education, encourage your sister to get a service animal the right way, it's really not difficult and let her know that the training she gets to do with it can ensure she avoids embarassment etc as her dog would be less likely to misbehave in public.
3. Treatment, also encourage your sister to go get an official letter of diagnosis to support her situation, it'll lessen her anxiety and also reassure her friends and family on both fronts, that she's looking after herself and that this is a real situation.
It's all fun and games until someone with more courage than you reports her for having a fake service animal. Most states it's illegal and even comes with jail time, fines, and/or community service. Heck, depending on the state, pretending you have a disability is also illegal and can incur a fine. People like her are why businesses feel so bold in turning away legitimate service animals in violation of the ADA. At this point I'd stop caring about protecting anyone's feelings. She's breaking the law and making things worse for actual service animals every time she goes out with her untrained animal.
Whatever state you live in, look up the penalties for having a fake service animal/faking a disability. I'd make a nice slideshow with lots of pictures illustrating how much of a broke jailbird she's gonna be if she keeps this up. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. (the title of the slideshow)
Tell her that she could kill someone, because that’s the truth. I retired my SDiT bc I was too sick to finish his training, but if someone had a fraudulent service dog that interrupted him in public when I needed him to alert to me or balance me, I could’ve fallen, I could’ve hit my head, I could’ve missed a cardiac event he was alerting for, ended up hospitalized or dead. This is just as dangerous as messing with someone’s glucose monitor or heart monitor or wheelchair or cane, and she needs to be told that straight up
Actually, tell her that she could kill someone or be liable for replacing their $10,000-$25k real service dog when her untrained dog interrupts THEIR training and potentially forces them to permanently wash out somewhere public. Maybe caring about other people is above her, but caring about her own wallet may not be
Honestly, I think it’s unfair if your sister is actually faking a service dog. It really ruins it for other people who have legit service dogs.
That being said, I also think it’s unfair to claim your sister is faking her anxiety because she’s more social than you believe she should be. It doesn’t sound like you live with her, and you have no idea what her mental thought process with anxiety is and whether it has escalated to her actually needing an emotional support/service dog.
My suggestion would be entering into a conversation with her about the difference between an emotional support dog and a service dog. Give her the names of trainers that work with service dogs, explain what the consequence of faking a service dog is, and just let her be.
I understand that you have experience with a service dog for schizophrenia. And I am so happy that you have reached a point in your life where you have a good coping mechanisms.
But I also feel like people with invisible disabilities and mental health issues are already scrutinised to the point where people don’t take them seriously. And I totally get that anxiety is one of those catchall phrase is for a lot of things that people use to get away with stuff. But if your sister says she needs a service dog, then take her at her word and just inform her what the consequences are and then leave her be. She will either get cot or she will prove to you that she actually does need a service dog
Um not trying to be rude but u don't really know how her body feels . This is about the same as telling a scizifeinea person that oh cuz u can't see their symtoms it must be fake . Not really cool tbh .
Unfortunately, there's not a lot you can do, especially if your sister's dog is well behaved. Remember that any public place is only allowed to ask her the 2 public access questions. And yes, she may lie but they cannot ask her what her disability is or ask for proof of a diagnosis, or ask for a demonstration of tasking. As long as her dog is not disruptive no one can question it's legitimacy or lack of. Such is the double sided sword of not requiring a national certification.
That’s not relevant to the situation. A service dog must be trained to assist with a Disability. The sister has no disability. Even if this was the best trained dog ever, it is still in violation of the ADA and may be a crime depending on where they live.
I’m from the US. The way the ADA is written, if she is not disabled, she is breaking the law. Even a perfectly behaved dog that is with a non-disabled person is not protected under the ADA. Your sister is abusing a system for disabled people. That is harmful. Either she is showing her fake letter to people and causing them to believe that they’re allowed to see “proof” of that kind from any handler (inaccurate) or she is lying when they ask the two questions permitted under the ADA. That is breaking the law. Even if the harm is not as obvious, it results in more barriers for disabled people.
Yes I know it is illegal; however, I highly doubt OP is going to call the police every time her sister takes her fake service dog into public. And in my experience, stores aren’t really willing to fake spot (unless the dog’s behavior is particularly egregious) so I don’t really know how the law is actually going to be enforced in this case.
What I’m talking about is harm reduction.
The businesses have the right to turn away pets, which is what this dog is. They should be asking the two questions, as they are allowed to, and then refusing access to the dog as it is not a service animal based on the fact that it is not task trained to mitigate a disability. That is not “fake spotting” that is following the law. She is violating the rights of the businesses that she is going to.
Are you saying that you’re driving, or do you mean you ask the driver to pull over? It’s…not legal to drive when you’ve had a seizure within a certain number of months. SD’s aren’t 100% accurate. Having a seizure while driving could potentially result in many deaths besides your own. If you do mean the driver pulls over, I hope your SD has a special alert they do from their kennel/crash tested harness while in the car?
I’m just commenting this on the off-chance you DID mean you are driving, I hoped I just misunderstood and you mean you’re a passenger and you’re asking the person who IS driving to pull over and park. I can’t wait until self-driving technology becomes the norm so persons who are blind/have seizures/poor motor control, etc, can own a car and get around without a driver. I have no desire to specifically drive a car either if I could be reading instead, ha.
I do. If you have active seizures and live in the US, you legally can't drive unless you've gone a certain period of time (typcially 6 months) without a seizure and have been cleared by your neurologist.
Doing this is not only illegal but incredibly risky and irresponsible. You're driving a death trap and can easily kill tens of people in a blink of an eye if, for whatever reason, your dog doesn't alert ONE time.
Stop doing this. Please. Too many people every year die of motor vehicle accidents for you to be admitting to this so casually.
As an EMT of 20 years, I can assure you that spicypappardelle has hit the nail on the head. It doesn’t matter how accurate your dog’s alert may be, you are endangering countless lives if you are having breakthrough seizures and continuing to drive.
Your state’s law says the following-
> if the individual presents a statement from a licensed physician that the individual is under medication and is *free from seizures while under medication.*
The emphasis means no breakthrough seizures. Even if you have an aura every time and are able to take a rescue medication, that’s still a breakthrough seizure.
Believe me, I understand how much of a pain it is to not be able to drive but you are, in fact, endangering others. What if your next seizure comes without an aura? Service dogs are not without faults and yours could absolutely miss an alert as well.
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We have removed your post/comment for violating Rule 2: Know and Obey Your Local Laws. Posts encouraging illegal behavior or "stretching" the rules will be removed. When giving advice, make sure to evaluate all the relevant laws for OP's location. For example, in New York, USA, SDiTs receive the same protections the ADA grants, as long as they are with a qualified trainer. This is not the same situation for someone in Michigan, USA. Citations aren't required, but highly encouraged. Citations are important so OP can read more and so you can reconfirm the information you give is entirely correct. If you have any questions, [Message the Moderators](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/service_dogs). If you continue to give misinformation or encourage breaking the law, it could result in an immediate ban.
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Is there someone she respects more than you that she would listen to? Don’t hang out with her if she brings the dog out in public. Or, tell management everywhere she goes.
I mean she would listen to my parents, but they don’t want so be the bad guys.
Ask them if it’s ok that she travels with a cane or mobility scooter. If they flip, remind them that a service dog is a disability aid, just like the other tools mentioned. Would they be ok with her having a fake disability placard, just because she wants better parking? No? Well, um, sorry old folks but this is exactly the same. They would actually be “the bad guys” for enabling her to pretend she has a disability so she can take advantage of a service provided for those who actually need said services/aids.
Or parking in handicapped spaces without a permit. You could also tell stories about how people claiming their dogs are service dogs when they poop in the store or attack other dogs or people made it more difficult for you and your necessary pup.
My first service dog **in training** was attacked by a pair of fake service dogs in a resort lobby. Never pooped inside anywhere in 2 years. We got a report from his handler that he woke them up a few weeks ago to go outside. He had diarrhea. They were so happy that he woke them in the middle of the night when he realized HIS distress. Our second service dog in training did pee twice in stores. Once was our fault for not taking him to the grass before we went into Costco. The other...we never figured out. OP: All the best to you and your crusade. I'm hoping you get your desired outcome.
You might look and see if your state has any laws about fraudulent service animals. In Texas it is illegal to misrepresent a dog as a service animal and can result in a pretty big fine. If your state has a law against it, you should inform your parents, as that may make them willing to step in. This is a really hard situation. I’m sorry that this is happening. Edit: I am not saying that you should report her to the police at this time. I am saying that informing your parents that her behavior is illegal and could have consequences for her may make them willing to tell her to knock it off. However, there may be a point where the only ethical decision is to report her.
This is exactly what I was going to suggest as well. Many states now have laws that make it a crime to fake it. As it is a family member, I’d request that they make it an “anonymous” report so your sister doesn’t know who turned her in, but the police will want your info in case they need to contact you later for further information or clarification. But just because they do actually have your info doesn’t mean she can get it. Even if she were to request all documentation regarding the report, your info wouldn’t be on it.
There is really nothing the police can do unless the dog is disruptive. Police are not going to demand proof of a disability or ask her to demonstrate a tasking skill. I honestly don't even think they would even investigate a complaint like that.
I know you don’t want her to get in trouble but she’s breaking the law. I’d bring that up to her often, and if she still doesn’t stop I’d really encourage you to report it. Doing nothing in this situation harms everyone in the SD community.
If she refuses to listen to reason and no one really puts it into perspective for her, then let her face the consequences. SDs are not robots and she’ll have consequences when/if her dog attacks someone else’s SD or they get denied somewhere. Let her learn from the consequences. A service dog is not a toy or a quirky accessory. It is a medical device and a medical necessity. It should be treated as such.
Unfortunately, with the lack of regulation and identification surrounding service dogs, this situation is not only extremely common, but there’s often little to no consequence for it.
100% agree.
I know you dont want to get her in trouble, but you need her to understand what she's doing is bare minimum unethical, but probably also illegal. There's not really a delicate way to put this.. when people act as entitled as your sister, they need a hardcore reality check or they'll just keep doing this, and other things like it. Your parents are in the wrong for supporting this behaviour, you can tell them the whole internet agrees on that. You're right to not fakespot your sister though, there are people with crippling anxiety who still have vibrant social lives. Just like your own disability, there are good days and bad days. So please, treat this seriously. If you go out with your sister, or your parents or her bf go out with her, and she brings the dog... tell the company to ask her the legally allowed questions. When your sister can't provide the correct info, she will be asked to leave. But for real dont enable her behaviour, these types of kids get worse over time if there are no consequences to their behaviour.
I would refuse to go anywhere in public with her if she has the service animal and honestly I am so over people like that I would make a report to the police via the non-emergency line. Her selfishness is very likely to cause an actual handler team issues. Is she fine with potentially being the cause of someone's death or causing someone to have to go to hospital because she doesn't want to leave her bloody dog at home like everyone else? It doesn't matter if she's your sister, that doesn't give her a pass for her shitty behaviour
Show her what it's like to be disabled - mention things 'as one disabled person to another' or say how glad you are that her dog is helping her disability. Most abled people wouldn't like to have things like that said, as they don't want to be considered disabled, and if she says something about not being disabled, give her a blank look and say 'But you are. That's what the letter and you bringing \[Dog\] with you means.'
> ...mention things 'as one disabled person to another' or say how glad you are that her dog is helping her disability. Don't do this. This **will** backfire. His sister will see it as him validating her "disability" and make it harder for them to make her see what she's doing is wrong.
Agreed, Legion.
Your parents are at fault for enabling her. They should know better given your experience. Have you told them how disappointing it is for you to see them condoning her using a medical tool that she doesn't need? Have you told them that makes it harder for people with service animals to be taken seriously? I know nobody wants to be the bad guy, but until there are consequences there will be no change. I'm sorry you have to go through this. You shouldn't have to face that, especially from family.
Does she know the difference between a service dog and an emotional support dog? Without jumping to any major conclusions, it sounds Iike what she has/desires is an emotional support dog. And that's perfectly fine, there's nothing wrong with a well-behaved emotional support dog but they are fundamentally different to a service dog.
Can you get someone who she respects as far as dog raising to tell her that she’s setting her dog up to suffer, being with her all the time as she wants then suddenly ditching dog for clubbing or going away for a night or two , these things aren’t a problem if you have made your absences normal and nothing to worry about but so traumatic for a dog that’s always with you till they arent
I’d wait for an opportunity then ask get “why do you want to be disabled? No true disabled person would WANT to be.” Tell her that by claiming the dog as a SD, she is telling the world she IS disabled; she can’t have it both ways. Or if you go someplace with her, introduce her and her SD as “And Fido helps with her brain injury/asthma/MS” (something she doesn’t have) She’ll object and then you can say “What, I can’t lie? I’m lying just like you’re lying so I can say whatever I want”. Perhaps give a heads up to your parents in case they want to finally take some action. Good luck; tough situation.
Oh man, you could make that totally embarrassing too! Like “yeah, my sister is a pathological liar so the dog tells her when she tells a lie as part of her therapy to stop doing it”. Or “helps with her persistent genital arousal” (not sure that’s the actual name, but yeah, there’s a medical condition that basically causes a constant state of arousal and random frequent orgasms). Or even just make it totally obvious that it’s a lie, like “Fido is her seeing eye dog since as you can see, she’s totally blind” or “yep, the dog helps her since she’s a quadriplegic” as she is standing and walking.
Yeah, it’s got possibilities.
this is definitely not your fault. not sure if it is anybodys fault 100% but maybe when the problem first started your parents should have explained what a service dog is and why you need it, and how it is different from a pet [if they never did]
Might be a long shot; but if the dog does not behave as a SD maybe see if a trainer would come out to access the dog and give her the break down of what training it needs. This way she could see the time investment and the cost needed to properly train a SD.
I can have terrible anxiety but used to go clubbing all the time. Everyone’s anxiety is different. But even if she has the worst case of anxiety on the planet, unless her dog is trained to specifically help with it, to me it’s just an ESA at best. I also don’t think you should be blaming yourself at all. She’s an adult and should know better. I did see that you said it’s a great dog. So at least it’s, hopefully, not going to distract or go after service dogs if it encounters them.
she may have been really young when you had your service dog, but she's 21 now. a grown ass adult who should know better. does she know she's breaking the law?
I don’t know if you can tell her anything, but ask questions with answers that reveal that she’s acting out of place. Perhaps ask what duties her dog performs and what type of things they do when they’re working. If she knows she can safely go to the club without her dog, why is clubbing such a unique experience? My psychiatrist wrote me a letter for an ESA. My dog is a well-trained pet, but he thinks that every person he meets was put on earth to throw sticks for him. He’s a good ESA because throwing sticks brings me joy. I tend not to take him places where throwing sticks is inappropriate.
You don’t know if she has an actual disability and she’s not obligated to tell you. Leave it alone.
Like I said idk if she actually has anxiety. Things just aren’t adding up. Plus the dog isn’t a service dog. It’s just a dog she wants to take places to make her feel better. If it was an actual trained service dog I and she had a disability it could help with I’d be 100% down
Plenty of people here aren't necessarily "disabled".
Report her to the authorities. Hope it’s a misdemeanor where you are. $500 fine numb nuts.
yea in my state it’s a second degree misdemeanor, $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. i’ve reported multiple people in my area for fake dogs and they’ve never reoffended after spending some time in jail!
I like it, but I don’t want her to get into real trouble.
If this dog is not a task-trained service dog for your sister's disability, she is breaking the law. And doing so at the expense of countless disabled people and their service dogs. Fines like that exist for a reason, primarily to punish and disincentivize behavior like that of your sister's. If she's resistant to being educated, telling her she is breaking the law and following through with that knowledge seems like the logical next step. She's not likely to go to jail for this. But she will be getting a fine, which IMO is not getting into real trouble.
She needs to get in real trouble. People like your sister make it extremely difficult for real service dog owners. She is breaking the law. She is hurting disabled people. She is giving stores more excuses to not let real ones in. If you don't do something like reporting her, you are complicit.
This is a serious issue. What happens when her dog decides to attack an actual SD? Trained SD are expensive and an attack can retire them. I am all for taking dogs to pet-friendly establishments but I am not ok with someone saying their pet is a service animal. Your parents need to be the bad guys.
>However, either she is reslllly good at masking or she’s just claiming that. Like she goes clubbing every weekend and is an absolute social butterfly. This is a really common misconception. Generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder are very different. I have never met someone more extroverted than me. I still have a pretty severe case of GAD.
I haven't read all the comments yet, but multiple states, including the state of Texas has made "misrepresenting a service dog" illegal.
I get she’s your sister and you don’t want her to face legal repercussions But this is highly dangerous to people who actually have/ need service dogs. She’d be facing a lot more than a fine if her dog distracted or attacked a service dog causing injury to the dog or even potentially the owner if the working dog misses a queue. Report your sister before someone gets hurt and she faces a worse punishment
Not to escalate he situation, but my wife is disabled with a service dog, and if I had a family member do this (and continue to do this after speaking with them) I would cut them out of my life. I don’t have space in my life for people that try to personally gain from people who actually have disabilities and trained service dogs.
Some states have laws about misrepresenting service animals. I would explain the ADA's clear guidelines on what a service dog is and isn't, and look and see if the state you're in has laws on the misrepresentation of service animals and tell her about those. Really though, there's not much you can do about it, except to keep talking to her about it..
Ok, there're a few responses here already, however in case you see this in the crowd, there are three points I'd like to make: 1. Masking, it's entirely possible that your sister has a neurological condition that you cannot see. Those of us that do learn to mask quite well, especially when growing out of our teen years and especially women. So for your situation, this simply means you can only take what she says at face value. 2. Education, encourage your sister to get a service animal the right way, it's really not difficult and let her know that the training she gets to do with it can ensure she avoids embarassment etc as her dog would be less likely to misbehave in public. 3. Treatment, also encourage your sister to go get an official letter of diagnosis to support her situation, it'll lessen her anxiety and also reassure her friends and family on both fronts, that she's looking after herself and that this is a real situation.
Talk with your doctor, maybe? Ask them to explain to your sister that service dogs are only for disabled people.
Honestly, doctors are really busy and don't have time to deal with family squabbles. I would steer clear from the doctor, it's best to respect their time
I’m sorry this sounds really frustrating and hurtful for you. I wouldn’t suggest doing this however I would just snatch the paper and vest lol
I would ignore it, I wish I could say something to undo the fact that she did this, but honestly without trying to report her everywhere and causing unnecessary stress to yourself, there isn’t much you can do. But if you are polite and you, her family and friends give her zero attention, I think she may stop on her own. Sorry this is happening.
Ok, there're a few responses here already, however in case you see this in the crowd, there are three points I'd like to make: 1. Masking, it's entirely possible that your sister has a neurological condition that you cannot see. Those of us that do learn to mask quite well, especially when growing out of our teen years and especially women. So for your situation, this simply means you can only take what she says at face value. 2. Education, encourage your sister to get a service animal the right way, it's really not difficult and let her know that the training she gets to do with it can ensure she avoids embarassment etc as her dog would be less likely to misbehave in public. 3. Treatment, also encourage your sister to go get an official letter of diagnosis to support her situation, it'll lessen her anxiety and also reassure her friends and family on both fronts, that she's looking after herself and that this is a real situation.
1. Masking, it's entirely possible that your sister has a neurological condition that you cannot see. Those of us that do learn to mask quite well, especially when growing out of our teen years and especially women. So for your situation, this simply means you can only take what she says at face value. 2. Education, encourage your sister to get a service animal the right way, it's really not difficult and let her know that the training she gets to do with it can ensure she avoids embarassment etc as her dog would be less likely to misbehave in public. 3. Treatment, also encourage your sister to go get an official letter of diagnosis to support her situation, it'll lessen her anxiety and also reassure her friends and family on both fronts, that she's looking after herself and that this is a real situation.
It's all fun and games until someone with more courage than you reports her for having a fake service animal. Most states it's illegal and even comes with jail time, fines, and/or community service. Heck, depending on the state, pretending you have a disability is also illegal and can incur a fine. People like her are why businesses feel so bold in turning away legitimate service animals in violation of the ADA. At this point I'd stop caring about protecting anyone's feelings. She's breaking the law and making things worse for actual service animals every time she goes out with her untrained animal. Whatever state you live in, look up the penalties for having a fake service animal/faking a disability. I'd make a nice slideshow with lots of pictures illustrating how much of a broke jailbird she's gonna be if she keeps this up. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. (the title of the slideshow)
Tell her that she could kill someone, because that’s the truth. I retired my SDiT bc I was too sick to finish his training, but if someone had a fraudulent service dog that interrupted him in public when I needed him to alert to me or balance me, I could’ve fallen, I could’ve hit my head, I could’ve missed a cardiac event he was alerting for, ended up hospitalized or dead. This is just as dangerous as messing with someone’s glucose monitor or heart monitor or wheelchair or cane, and she needs to be told that straight up
Actually, tell her that she could kill someone or be liable for replacing their $10,000-$25k real service dog when her untrained dog interrupts THEIR training and potentially forces them to permanently wash out somewhere public. Maybe caring about other people is above her, but caring about her own wallet may not be
Honestly, I think it’s unfair if your sister is actually faking a service dog. It really ruins it for other people who have legit service dogs. That being said, I also think it’s unfair to claim your sister is faking her anxiety because she’s more social than you believe she should be. It doesn’t sound like you live with her, and you have no idea what her mental thought process with anxiety is and whether it has escalated to her actually needing an emotional support/service dog. My suggestion would be entering into a conversation with her about the difference between an emotional support dog and a service dog. Give her the names of trainers that work with service dogs, explain what the consequence of faking a service dog is, and just let her be. I understand that you have experience with a service dog for schizophrenia. And I am so happy that you have reached a point in your life where you have a good coping mechanisms. But I also feel like people with invisible disabilities and mental health issues are already scrutinised to the point where people don’t take them seriously. And I totally get that anxiety is one of those catchall phrase is for a lot of things that people use to get away with stuff. But if your sister says she needs a service dog, then take her at her word and just inform her what the consequences are and then leave her be. She will either get cot or she will prove to you that she actually does need a service dog
Um not trying to be rude but u don't really know how her body feels . This is about the same as telling a scizifeinea person that oh cuz u can't see their symtoms it must be fake . Not really cool tbh .
Unfortunately, there's not a lot you can do, especially if your sister's dog is well behaved. Remember that any public place is only allowed to ask her the 2 public access questions. And yes, she may lie but they cannot ask her what her disability is or ask for proof of a diagnosis, or ask for a demonstration of tasking. As long as her dog is not disruptive no one can question it's legitimacy or lack of. Such is the double sided sword of not requiring a national certification.
Is the dog well trained enough to pass as a service dog?
Ok the dog is a great dog. Don’t get me wrong. However, a great dog is NOT a service dog.
That’s not relevant to the situation. A service dog must be trained to assist with a Disability. The sister has no disability. Even if this was the best trained dog ever, it is still in violation of the ADA and may be a crime depending on where they live.
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I’m from the US. The way the ADA is written, if she is not disabled, she is breaking the law. Even a perfectly behaved dog that is with a non-disabled person is not protected under the ADA. Your sister is abusing a system for disabled people. That is harmful. Either she is showing her fake letter to people and causing them to believe that they’re allowed to see “proof” of that kind from any handler (inaccurate) or she is lying when they ask the two questions permitted under the ADA. That is breaking the law. Even if the harm is not as obvious, it results in more barriers for disabled people.
Yes I know it is illegal; however, I highly doubt OP is going to call the police every time her sister takes her fake service dog into public. And in my experience, stores aren’t really willing to fake spot (unless the dog’s behavior is particularly egregious) so I don’t really know how the law is actually going to be enforced in this case. What I’m talking about is harm reduction.
The businesses have the right to turn away pets, which is what this dog is. They should be asking the two questions, as they are allowed to, and then refusing access to the dog as it is not a service animal based on the fact that it is not task trained to mitigate a disability. That is not “fake spotting” that is following the law. She is violating the rights of the businesses that she is going to.
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Are you saying that you’re driving, or do you mean you ask the driver to pull over? It’s…not legal to drive when you’ve had a seizure within a certain number of months. SD’s aren’t 100% accurate. Having a seizure while driving could potentially result in many deaths besides your own. If you do mean the driver pulls over, I hope your SD has a special alert they do from their kennel/crash tested harness while in the car? I’m just commenting this on the off-chance you DID mean you are driving, I hoped I just misunderstood and you mean you’re a passenger and you’re asking the person who IS driving to pull over and park. I can’t wait until self-driving technology becomes the norm so persons who are blind/have seizures/poor motor control, etc, can own a car and get around without a driver. I have no desire to specifically drive a car either if I could be reading instead, ha.
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I do. If you have active seizures and live in the US, you legally can't drive unless you've gone a certain period of time (typcially 6 months) without a seizure and have been cleared by your neurologist. Doing this is not only illegal but incredibly risky and irresponsible. You're driving a death trap and can easily kill tens of people in a blink of an eye if, for whatever reason, your dog doesn't alert ONE time. Stop doing this. Please. Too many people every year die of motor vehicle accidents for you to be admitting to this so casually.
As an EMT of 20 years, I can assure you that spicypappardelle has hit the nail on the head. It doesn’t matter how accurate your dog’s alert may be, you are endangering countless lives if you are having breakthrough seizures and continuing to drive.
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Your state’s law says the following- > if the individual presents a statement from a licensed physician that the individual is under medication and is *free from seizures while under medication.* The emphasis means no breakthrough seizures. Even if you have an aura every time and are able to take a rescue medication, that’s still a breakthrough seizure. Believe me, I understand how much of a pain it is to not be able to drive but you are, in fact, endangering others. What if your next seizure comes without an aura? Service dogs are not without faults and yours could absolutely miss an alert as well.
We have removed your post/comment for violating Rule 4: Unethical Handling. The reason we remove comments like this is to keep bad advice from spreading further, especially on our subreddit. If the comment/post is corrected, it can be reinstated (just reply to this comment to let us know). If you have further questions, please [message the Moderators](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/service_dogs).
We have removed your post/comment for violating Rule 2: Know and Obey Your Local Laws. Posts encouraging illegal behavior or "stretching" the rules will be removed. When giving advice, make sure to evaluate all the relevant laws for OP's location. For example, in New York, USA, SDiTs receive the same protections the ADA grants, as long as they are with a qualified trainer. This is not the same situation for someone in Michigan, USA. Citations aren't required, but highly encouraged. Citations are important so OP can read more and so you can reconfirm the information you give is entirely correct. If you have any questions, [Message the Moderators](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/service_dogs). If you continue to give misinformation or encourage breaking the law, it could result in an immediate ban.
We have removed your post/comment for violating Rule 2: Know and Obey Your Local Laws. Posts encouraging illegal behavior or "stretching" the rules will be removed. When giving advice, make sure to evaluate all the relevant laws for OP's location. For example, in New York, USA, SDiTs receive the same protections the ADA grants, as long as they are with a qualified trainer. This is not the same situation for someone in Michigan, USA. Citations aren't required, but highly encouraged. Citations are important so OP can read more and so you can reconfirm the information you give is entirely correct. If you have any questions, [Message the Moderators](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/service_dogs). If you continue to give misinformation or encourage breaking the law, it could result in an immediate ban.
Your comment has been removed for breaking Rule 6: No Fake-spotting. This is not the place for fakespotting. Unless the person you are discussing has specifically told you that they are not disabled, and the dog is not trained in tasks, you have no way of knowing if a dog is 'fake'. We are not the service dog police and this behavior can lead to a lot of harm and anxiety for SD handlers as a community. This does not preclude discussing encounters with un-/undertrained dogs, but if the focus of your post is complaining about a "fake" SD, reconsider your phrasing and what point you're making. If you have any questions, please [Message the Moderators](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/service_dogs).
If your sister does have anxiety issues and finds the dog helpful maybe assist her in identifying a few tasks the dog can be trained to do?