Documentation

Today I had to go to the ER. I've never had any problems at my local hospital before, not in the ER or the lab or the x-ray department or visiting patients. But today the triage nurse asked me "Is that a certified service dog?"

I said "He is a service dog but there is no certification."

She looked like she didn't believe me and asked "Do you have documentation?"

I said "I do" and pulled out a rather tattered copy of the ADA Business Brief (note to self: put a new one in my purse) and showed here where it says businesses can ask if a dog is a service dog and what the dog is trained to do but that they cannot ask for ID or documentation.

Best service dog documentation I can carry.

I am going to contact whomever is in charge of the ER and make sure they educate their employees.  But I was not feeling well enough to deal with it today.

One More Reason We Don't Need New Laws about Certification for Service Dogs

There are already laws in place about what qualifies a dog as a service dog and where they are allowed to go.  We don't need new laws because we already have laws.  They are just not being enforced very often.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a business is allowed to ask two questions when someone comes in with a dog.  Is that a service dog?  What tasks is the dog trained to perform?  If the handler answers yes, it is a service dog, and is able to say what tasks the dog is trained to perform, the business is supposed to take them at their work and allow the dog in.

Sure, people could lie and say there pet is a service dog.  They might make up something when asked about tasks, but I think that question would stump many fakers.  So simply asking the two questions allowed by law would screen out some fakers.   Not all, but some.

Now, under the ADA, businesses are allowed to ask a handler to remove a dog that is not housebroken or that is disruptive or behaves aggressively.  But often they don't. 

If they did, though, I think people with poorly trained dogs would soon stop taking them places.  I mean, why drag your pet dog to the store every time you go if every time you were asked to remove him?  That would be a big hassle.  You'd start leaving Fido at home, right?

Some states also have laws making it illegal to misrepresent a pet as a service dog.  I don't think those laws are enforced much, if ever, though.  But they could be.

Wouldn't it be easier to enforce existing laws than to pass and enforce new ones?

More on Why I am Opposed to Certification for Service Dogs

A while back I wrote about how I am opposed to certification for service dogs because I believe it would create barriers for people with disabilities.  It would cost money and I believe service dog handlers would have to bear at least some of that cost.  Lack of accessible transportation would also create a barrier if a handler had to go somewhere to get their dog certified. 

But here's more.  And this is possibly the most important thing, I think.

Most people do not need a special ID card or certification to go to Walmart or McDonald's or wherever.  I don't believe I should have to have a special ID just because I am disabled and need a service dog.  

Yes, I realize most people do not get to take a dog to Walmart or McDonald's, so there is something different about  me.  But then, most people don't have PTSD and fibromyalgia, either.  Most people are not disabled.

It's a civil rights issue, really.  The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law.  Requiring someone to have a special ID just because they are disabled would be a violation of their civil rights.  And yes, some might say the ID is not because I am disabled, it is because I have a service dog.  But I have a service dog, I need a service dog, because I am disabled.

I don't believe I should have to show ID to go to Walmart unless everyone is going to be required to do so.  It's about civil rights.  It's about equality. 

Why I Am Not in Favor of Certification for Service Dogs

There is a lot of debate in the service dog community about whether or not there should be some sort of certification for service dogs.  For a long time, I thought it would be a good idea.  I mean, there should be some standards, right?  Service dogs should have to be trained properly.

And I still think it is important for there to be some standards and for service dogs to be trained well.  I just don't think certification is a good idea.  And here is why I think that.

Any type of certification system would create barriers for people with disabilities.

Let's say the system required you to have a form signed by your doctor saying you needed a service dog and then you and your dog had to pass a public access test, in which you demonstrated that your dog could behave appropriately in public.  Now, anyone with a service dog should be disabled and ideally would have their doctor on board with the idea of a service dog.  So they shouldn't have trouble getting such a form signed.  And if someone cannot pass a public access test with their dog, they probably shouldn't be taking their dog out in public.

So how would that be a problem?

It would cost something.  Who is going to pay for it?  Probably the person with a disability would be required to pay a fee in order to take the public access test and get a license for their service dog, kind of like when you get a driver's license.  You have to pay to take the test.  You have to pay to renew your license every so many years.

But getting a driver's license is optional.  If you can't afford to take the test, you don't have to get a license.  Having a disability and needing a service dog isn't optional.  You could argue that the disability part is not optional but that the service dog part is optional.  But service dogs are already expensive enough.  I am not in favor of creating additional costs.  And people with disabilities often live on very limited incomes.  Even a small fee could be a significant barrier.

What if it was free to register your service dog?  If it was free to take the test?  Well, I'm skeptical that it would be, because that means tax payers would have to cover that cost, probably by raising taxes, and tax payers are generally not in favor of paying for things for people with disabilities and low incomes, which is why Medicaid doesn't pay for service dogs in the first place.  But what if it was free?

Then there is the question of accessibility.  Where would the public access test be administered?  Getting places is a real challenge for many people with disabilities.  I am fortunate that I am able to drive and have my own car, but many people with disabilities do not.

Those that are able to use public transportation and have access to public transportation rely on that.  But not everyone lives in areas with buses, trains or subways.  I don't.  And some people are unable to use public transportation due to their disability.  For instance, not all buses, trains, train stations, subways and subway stops are wheelchair accessible.  But even when they are, or are supposed to be, there can be problems.

Talk to someone that relies on public buses or subways for transportation and uses a wheelchair.  You'll hear stories about buses with wheelchair lifts that don't work, bus drivers that say they don't know how to deploy the wheelchair lift, and bus drivers that just flat out refuse to allow someone in a wheelchair to board.  Yeah, seriously, that happens.  You'll hear stories about getting off the subway at a stop that is supposed to be wheelchair accessible, then finding the elevator is out of order and there is no way to get out of the underground subway station except to wait for the next train and take it to the next accessible stop.  Yeah, that happens, too.

So imagine you have this test you have to take with your service dog and you get to the bus stop in plenty of time to take the bus to the test site, but the driver tells you the wheelchair lift is broken.  Or simply refuses to let you board, telling you to wait for the next bus because he's in a hurry.  But if you wait for the next bus, you'll be late for the test and have to reschedule.

And what about people with disabilities that can't use public transportation?  Either it doesn't exist in their area, or the public transportation in their areas is not wheelchair accessible, or their disability in some way prevents them from using public transportation.  In large cities, there is usually some sort of transportation for people that can't use regular public transportation, often referred to as para-transit.  The service has to be booked in advance and provides wheelchair accessible rides for a fee.

Supposing the fee is not a problem for a person with a disability living on a very small income, the reliability of these services is often an issue.  I am frequently reminded of how lucky I am not to have to rely on such a service when my friends that do talk about how they were an hour late for a doctor's appointment because their ride was late and then the doctor was unable to see them and they had to reschedule and then they had to wait several hours for their ride back home.  They talk about having to be picked up at 8:00 am for a noon appointment and not being able to get a ride home until 4:00 pm, and then that ride being two hours late, so it takes 10 hours to go to a doctor's appointment.  They talk about how their ride home was several hours late and their doctor's office was closing so they had to sit outside in the dark or the rain, hoping their ride really would eventually show up.  What if you had to rely on that service to get to the test site?

Of course, there is no para-transit service in some areas.  There is none where I live.  The only type of transportation service available to me is through the Medicaid office, and it only provides transportation to medical appointments that are covered by Medicaid.  So if you lived in my area and didn't drive or have a friend to take you, I have no clue how you'd get to the test site at all.

And all this talk about transportation is assuming there would be test sites in every county or every city or something, so that there would be a test site close to everyone that needed to take the test.  But I kind of doubt it would work that way.  In small towns or rural counties, there probably would not be enough people needing to take the test with their dog to make it feasible or cost-effective to have a test site there.  Maybe they would only be in big cities.  But para-transit services are often limited to one city or one county and buses and subways are often limited to a similar area.  So even people with access to para-transit services or public transportation may not be able to get where they needed to go.

In a nutshell,  cost and accessibility would create real barriers for people with disabilities that need service dogs.  And people with disabilities typically deal with enough barriers in day-to-day life already.  I am opposed to creating new barriers.

Can You Certify Your Dog as a Psychiatric Service Dog?

This is another article I wrote which ended up not being published.

Can You Certify Your Dog as a Psychiatric Service Dog?

Psychiatric service dogs are dogs that have been specially trained to perform tasks that mitigate their handlers’ disabilities. People with a wide range of psychiatric conditions can benefit from service dogs, including people with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and dissociative disorders. Many people with post-traumatic stress disorder, including veterans returning from war, are also aided by trained service dogs. I have post-traumatic stress disorder and am currently preparing for my own service dog, so I’ve been learning a lot about them.

Many people with psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety find they feel better in the company of their dogs and they wonder how to get their dogs certified as psychiatric service dogs so that they can take their dogs into public places where pets are usually not allowed. Sometimes a person’s pet can become a psychiatric service dog, but not always. There are several factors to consider.

Are You Disabled?

As explained by Service Dog Central, in order to have a psychiatric service dog (or any other kind of service dog), you must be considered disabled under the guidelines established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means you must have a psychiatric disability that substantially limits your ability to function with regard to major life activities (things like seeing, hearing, thinking, walking, talking and communicating). Simply being diagnosed with a psychiatric condition like depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia does not mean you’ll meet the definition of disabled under the ADA. Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or other disability benefits does not mean you’ll meet the definition of disabled under the ADA, either.

I am disabled under the American’s with Disabilities Act guidelines, since post-traumatic stress disorder interferes at times with my ability to think clearly, makes it difficult to concentrate and at times even makes it hard for me to communicate with others. My condition is severe enough that I am unable to work at a regular job and I have had to be hospitalized numerous times. Talk with your psychiatrist or another mental health care professional if you’re not sure whether or not you disabled according to the definition provided by the ADA.

Is Your Dog Trained to Perform Tasks that Mitigate Your Disability?

Service Dog Central explains that in order for your dog to be considered a service dog, he must be trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability. The specific tasks that mitigate a person’s disability will vary from person to person, of course. Tasks have to be things your dog was trained to do, though, not things dogs do naturally. For instance, many people with anxiety disorders calm down when their dog cuddles them. However, dogs are naturally cuddly; they don’t have to be trained to do this. Therefore it isn’t considered a trained task.

The tasks must be things you cannot do for yourself due to your disability. For instance, you might train a dog to fetch items like a telephone and a drink for you, but this is only considered a task that mitigates your disability if you are unable to get these things yourself. If you are able to fetch these items yourself, then you do not need a service dog to do them for you and having a dog that is trained to do it does not mean your dog would be considered a service dog.

Some of the things my service dog will be trained to do include bringing me medication when I have an anxiety attack, because at those times I cannot think clearly enough to remember to get the medication myself; leading me out of a store or other noisy, crowded place when I have an anxiety attack, because I cannot think clearly enough at those times to get myself to a safe place to try to calm down; and leading me home if I am out and about in my neighborhood and get disoriented, which sometimes happens if I have a flashback.

Certification

There is no national certification program for service dogs and the Americans with Disabilities Act does not require that service dogs be certified in order to accompany their handlers into public places. There are some companies that sell certification kits for service dogs but these are not necessary and do not ensure that a dog is a real service dog. Your dog is a psychiatric service dog if you are disabled by a psychiatric condition and if your dog has been trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability. That’s all that is required.

However, dogs must have very good behavior in order to accompany their handlers’ into public places where pets are not typically permitted. It usually takes 18 to 24 months to train a service dog for public access. Not all dogs are suitable to be service dogs and your pet dog may not have what it takes. If you want to find out if your pet dog can be trained to be a psychiatric service dog, contact a professional trainer to arrange for an assessment of your dog.

Sources:

Service Dog Central. http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/77. What Tasks Do Psychiatric Service Dogs Perform?

U.S Department of Justice. http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm. Service Animals.

Service Dog Central. http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/faq. Frequently Asked Questions.