Selling Fake Service Dog Identification Tags

Today I came across another one of those websites that sells fake service dog identification tags.  I’m not going to post the name of the site or the URL because I don’t want to send them any customers.  The website offers laminated tags complete with a photo of your dog and the words “Emotional Support Animal” or “Service Animal,” your choice, for just $15.  The site then goes on to list the benefits of having “service dog tags:”

“Some rules and benefits of having service dog tags:

• Ability to bring your dog aboard an airline free of charge.
• Ability to take your dog into any shopping center or public area free of harassment
• Ability to bring your dog into hotels while travelling regardless of a no-pet policy. They are not allowed to charge you for the animal.
• Your dog will be allowed to live in apartments/homes that under normal circumstances do not allow animals, free of charge.”

Um… not quite.

• You cannot bring your dog aboard an airline free of charge unless you are disabled and your dog is a service dog, trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability, or you are mentally disabled and your treating physician writes a letter stating that your dog is an emotional support animal and you need to have your dog on the plane.  Having a “service dog tag” will not exempt you from these requirements, and if you meet these requirements, you don’t need any type of service dog tag.
• You cannot take your dog into shopping centers or other public areas (unless pets are always permitted there, in which case you don’t need service dog tags) unless you are disabled and your dog is a service dog, trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability.  Having a “service dog tag” will not exempt you from these requirements, and if you meet these requirements, you don’t need any type of service dog tag.  In addition, having a service dog tag does not guarantee no one will harass you in a public place.
• You cannot bring your dog into hotels while traveling regardless of a no-pet policy unless you are disabled and your dog is a service dog, trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability.  Having a “service dog tag” will not exempt you from these requirements, and if you meet these requirements, you don’t need any type of service dog tag.  Are you beginning to sense a pattern here?
• Your dog will not be allowed to live in apartments/homes that under normal circumstances do not allow animals free of charge unless you are disabled and your dog is a service dog, trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability, or you are mentally disabled and your treating physician writes a letter stating that your dog is an emotional support animal and is a necessary component of your treatment plan.  Having a “service dog tag” will not exempt you from these requirements, and if you meet these requirements, you don’t need any type of service dog tag.

And if that’s not all bad enough, the site goes on to explain that “the Definition of a Service Animal under the Americans With Disabilities Act and Guidance documents from the U.S. Department of Justice is any animal that provides unconditional love, comfort, serves as a crime deterant or pehaps in some way enhances someones physical or mental health by their presence.”

I decided not to correct the multiple misspellings and grammatical errors because I think they just further demonstrate the unprofessionalism of the website I’m talking about.

And of course, that’s not the definition of a service animal under the ADA.  Not even close.  Here is the real definition: “Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks includeguiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling awheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, remindinga person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a personwith Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, orperforming other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. Thework or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to theperson’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort oremotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.” 

I’m just amazed at the misinformation on this site.  I guess some people will do anything to make $15.