You forgot the [NSFW] tag.

Honestly, I love animals and the more I see them the happier I am, but I do see the drawbacks. I think people with diagnosed, biological mental incapacity should be able to have service animals. I’ve seen the good animals can do.

Enabling is mostly used as a bullshit reason others use to respond to things they do not understand. Enabling is often psychological itself, and must be diagnosed by someone with the skill to do so, not some idiot on the internet that read a self-help book once.

My last one needed more salt. Too gamy.

If it helps people with mental illnesses then it is a medical treatment. I’m not going to judge other people’s medical treatments just because I don’t understand how or why they work.

I don’t know how the certificate is obtained. Is it easy to do, or does it require proof of a mental health condition / recommendation from a doctor?

I don’t know enough to judge whether it is being abused.

I’m all for more animals in our lives. If someone takes their dog on the bus, I encourage them to sit next to me as a safe person who doesn’t mind dog hair on my clothes. I wish I could get a dog to add to my tiny family here, but we don’t have the time or the space. It’s bad enough I have to leave my kid at 7am and don’t get home until 5.30–6.00pm.

Everything has its time and place. As you said, people may be afraid of or allergic to animals, you can’t just drag your pet wherever you go. Animals in movie theaters (or any other public place; even on the streets) can get real annoying if they start making a mess. If the pet becomes angry or scared in some environment, it only becomes a drag. Not to mention that the pet everyone drags out of the house is the dog, that tends to bark, bite, shit on the floor and whatnot.

To each his own, but I wouldn’t do that.

I’m all about well trained animals in public. Love them.

It’s the shitheel owners who buy a vest on Amazon so they can take Their Precious Pookie to the Chuck E Cheese with them, where the ankle biting monster is obviously uncomfortable with the crowd of younglings. That’s how people get bitten.

Your dog doesn’t deserve to be euthanized so you can show off for strangers.

I totally beleive in service and emotional support animals but…just like anything, a lot of neurotic people will claim their pet is an “emotional support” animal just because they want to take them everywhere with them. If there truly is a valid psychological need then I’m all for it, but if you just want a free pass to take your hairy little mongrel into a restaurant, well, no.
I think most people consider their pets to lend emotional support but this doesn’t mean I am going to take my cats to the grocery store with me. Like a lot of things the potential for abuse is really high and uness you do suffer from some fairly serious mental/emotional health issues it is rude to impose your pets on others in public places in many instances.

My wife worked in HR when this was becoming an issue. It was indeed being abused in the workplace. IMO dogs in general offer emotional support. I have seldom met one I did not like. I’m not so sure they belong in traditional workplaces though.

How are these different from drugs, liquor, or anything else that purports to give “emotional support”?

It is a form of enabling, and it’s not good social policy, in the big picture. Your ‘emotional support” may be my stress creator. Who wins?

I don’t think the problem is with assistance dogs. Having an assistance dog can help people with dementia, autism, physical disabilities and other mental health problems. The idea that you can get a certificate for your dog for $25 is ridiculous and demeans the whole purpose and value of these dogs. Here, dogs go through a two-year training program and you can’t just take your own dog along and say they are an assistance dog. I very rarely see people with assistance dogs and when I do, they are exceptionally well behaved.

@elbanditoroso Animals actually are healthy where the other things you mentioned can make you ill or destroy your life. Maybe you need some professional help to get over your irrational fears.

@cazzie – huh? I was answering question and giving examples, and you make up some personality smear about me?

Where did your answer come from?

On NPR, a lady called in who was terrified of dogs. @elbanditoroso , you made a good point. The emotional support animal, in that case, causes another person a problem.

Again. We’re talking about emotional support animals, whom aren’t required to have any special training. Unlike a highly trained, docile, self controlled seeing eye dog , or the like.

Another caller brought up maybe two different animals not liking each other, and fighting on a plane. That wouldn’t be fun.

@Earthbound_Misfit . Sounds like Australia has a good policy on animals. I would prefer something like that here.

@MrGrimm888 That sounds like a very ridiculous policy that the dogs aren’t trained. They are putting their dog and other people at risk if that dog isn’t socialised properly. It never occurred to me that people would be that stupid, but I’m continually surprised, and naively so, I guess.

Most people’s fear of dogs is irrational and they should get help for it.

Unfortunately, the current federal law under the ADA doesn’t have any real standard enforcement.

You don’t have to “prove” your animal is trained, or that you need it. A shop owner, for instance, is only allowed to ask if the animal is trained to perform a task. Can’t ask what is trained for, and can’t do anything unless and until the dog bites someone or urinates on the merchandise.

I’m all about making life easier for people who need service animals, but the sheer number of untrained mongrels being passed off as service dogs and causing problems is out of control.

^I agree. I see them everywhere now. And it’s just too many people who just want their dog in a store, or plane, or concert, or gym, or whatever. And they’re usually very rude if you ask why they have a dog. At least that’s the response I almost always get….

The people who need them,obviously need them. And the animals are usually very well trained.

But it’s interesting to me, that some businesses won’t allow me in with a sleeveless shirt. But someone can walk in with an animal (if they get the online certificate.)

The questions on the test are like “does your dog provide emotional support?” “Do you get nervous in large crowds?” etc….

It’s quite easy to obtain a certificate, and I would like the whole process to be re-evaluated, and changed.

Oh, and @cazzie . Don’t ever be surprised by stupid people. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, they can outdo themselves…

@MrGrimm888 I think I’ll get a service animal; a dragon.

^That’d be sweet…

I heard in CT, people (store owners, etc.) are not allowed to ask for papers for the animal. So I guess that means anybody can say their dog is a service animal and that’s that.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/2014/rpt/pdf/2014-R-0025.pdf

There is no regulating agency handing out certificates. You can just as easily lie about your service dog without a certificate.

But props to the website for finding a way to scam the scam artists.

I @jca That is not the law under current Federal regulations. You can look them up. It doesn ‘t matter that a state says something is not required if the Federal law says it is and vice versa.

I think it’s 95% bullshit.

@MollyMcGuire: I’m not understanding what you are trying to say. I’m saying the stores and facilities are not allowed to request documentation and my link backs up what I’m saying. Maybe I’m misunderstanding you.

^That’s how it is here. Can’t ask why it’s a service dog, or for documentation. So, yeah, people can just throw that up, and bring a per anywhere.

Well maybe I should start taking one of the donkeys into restaurants with me. “This is June Bug, she’s my emotional support ass.” lol

^I think most places would have to let you in….

@Coloma no comma after support? Haha

^ haha