Noticing increasing number of "Service" animals!!!

[chengkp75]

Did the cruise line kick off these pets/fake service dogs for their behavior? If not the cruise lines just exacerbates the issue by allow these folks to get away with it. If the cruise lines and all businesses would kick dogs out for behavior unbecoming a service dog which is outlined on the ADA website (being fed at a table, sitting on a table, sitting on a chair, pooping or peeing outside where they should, barking, being aggressive, etc.), folks would eventually stop bringing untrained pets on ships or in businesses.

 

Typically not, unless there were a few passenger complaints. I agree that the cruise lines are looking only to avoid lawsuits, which would all be settled at a price to the line, so until there is a lawsuit because muffy bit someone onboard, things won't change. My advocacy is to write to CLIA and express your dissatisfaction with the cruise lines' handling of this, and propose that CLIA draft a "service animal" code of conduct, just like the cruise lines have in their ticket contracts for human passengers. Really, until CLIA sees the pressure, and comes up with an industry wide solution, there isn't much hope of change.

[alexspepa]

I dont't have any good suggestions on how to "weed out" abuses of Service Dog Animal utilization. It is an extreme shame to read of behavior that is contrary to the requirements of service animal certification practices. These items sited exhibit behavior that would remove any animal from the program. Being a handler of a service animal that cruises, I see these allegations driving those of us that utilize service animals to avoid direct public contact more and more often. On board I always try to avoid direct contact with groups of people. My biggest compliment is when the service animal is under the table and when we leave staff and others around mention that they did not even know she was there. We try to be as invisible as possible and threads like this just makes everything that much more uncomfortable. Our intent when asked questions to be as good ambassadors as possible by example. We were also on the Mexican cruise that was the precursor of the on the one that went on to Hawaii this year that NavyBankerTeacher was scheduled to go on. Anyway, just my two cents as I suspect some of us might meet in the future. This year we still intend to do Alaska and hope to continue to make a positive example of a Service Dog team to provide standard of behavior for public opinion.

Hi Lost Spoke - I have a great Cruise Critic forum for you to visit:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=585728&page=922

 

10 years and 18,000 posts going it is all about cruising with Service Dogs! Please come share your experiences with us...tell them Keith sent you.

[bUU]

Well, the assumption that I go on is that if the dog, one does not relieve itself on command, two does not remain on the floor or in the owner's arms, three barks at all hours for extended periods, and four is left alone in the cabin while the owners are ashore, and five jumps around and yaps and licks, or any one of these, then a big yes the animal is a phony.

Yet the prejudicial comments made by others earlier in the thread, to which my comments were in reply, don't show such reasonable criteria.

[bUU]

We are talking about phoney service animals - not about assumptions.

I disagree. You aren't in a position to know that for every service animal you see. That makes it a cavalier assumption.

 

I will accept your politically correct disparagement ...

Political correctness is a red herring. I'm talking about simple human kindness and consideration.

[navybankerteacher]

Yet the prejudicial comments made by others earlier in the thread, to which my comments were in reply, don't show such reasonable criteria.

 

Please cite, by post number, the comments you judge as "prejudicial"

 

-- or do you automaticly deem any comment which deplores the selfish tendency of some to pervert the laudable use of service animals so they can impose their pets on others who have reasonable expectations of not having to deal with other peoples' pets,

[bUU]

Please cite, by post number, the comments you judge as "prejudicial"

No. The messages that exhibit callous regard toward those who need service animal assistance are easy to pick out. And I surely won't give offensive comments a second promotion.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[navybankerteacher]

No. The messages that exhibit callous regard toward those who need service animal assistance are easy to pick out. And I surely won't give offensive comments a second promotion.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

 

Ah ! So there we are: political correctness so correct that imagined offensive comments cannot even be identified by number lest some might think that simple identification represents endorsement.

 

Good night.

[BeagleOne]

bUU:

 

Oh yeah... One more anecdote. A personal friend who I worked with (Many many years ago) was a gate agent on a flight out of Hartford that had an emotional support pig on board... No, a REAL pig who screached, sh*t, and struggled until the crew finally rebelled and kicked her off... And she sued... and she won. Dont believe me? read here: http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/30/travel/emotional-support-pig-booted-flight/

 

 

It has to change... and will if this sort of stuff continues.

 

While I agree with you that the fake service/emotional support animal BS has gotten out of hand, do you have a link about her lawsuit? I couldn't find anything about an actual lawsuit from the incident, which was just over two years ago.

[bUU]

Was I "prejudicial" when I stepped in it in the elevator?.

Such an incident is no different than any other mess. What defense are you putting forward for denigrating anyone not responsible for such a mess, on account of such a mess?

 

 

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[navybankerteacher]

this thread has gotten out of control...surprised it is still open to be honest.

 

Perhaps we can all agree that people who falsely claim pets as Service Animals are beneath contempt, as are folks who refuse to recognize legitimate Service Animals?

 

Agreed - I think most posters have stayed on topic: which is to deplore the growing trend of phony "service animals" - without confusing the issue either way.

[NLH Arizona]

Agreed. Both the abuse and the casual belittling of legitimate use are breath contempt.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

I haven't read anyone on this thread belittling anyone who has a true service dog. Those that have to bring their pet dog claiming they are a service dog, now that is a different story.

 

Just wondering, do you happen by chance to call your dog an emotional support animal?

[Doug R.]

I may have run into Elaine 5175 this morning:

 

 

I was parking at a clinic to see my endocrinologist, pulled into a handicapped spot, hung my tag and headed to the door. I had decided to forgo my cane as I didn't have far to walk. Suddenly a lady yells "You don't look handicapped!" Being late due to an accident I was irritated already and replied, "That's OK, you don/t look like an <censored>" Last I saw this self-appointed vigilante was writing down my licence plate number and handicap tag number. You got wet for nothing lady as it will all match out.

[slidergirl]

I see no one belittling anyone with a true service animal (yes, animal). One poster seems overly sensitive to belittling people with ESAs. Possibly protesting too much...

 

Those who say they have certifications, put on the vests - it's a deception most of the time. Working in hotels, I get to see animals coming into my hotels. When the hotels I worked in were "pet-friendly", I'd see people label their little dog (why is always a little foo-foo dog???) as a service animal in order to avoid the $250 post-stay cleaning fee. Others willingly paid the fee. Now, I am at a hotel that does not allow pets. This winter, I had ONE service animal stay with us. He was a very well-behaved German Shepard. He did not wear a vest shouting that he was a service animal - his actions with his Master did the "talking." On the other hand, I've had numerous small dogs wearing their cute little vests and the owner showing me a card from one of those "service animal mills". One guest was stupid enough to say the dog's service was emotional support - he was directed to call one of the local kennels for boarding... A responsible service animal owner will clean up after the animal if a mess is made - only a self-absorbed entitled twit would leave it for others.

I know a world-class athlete who has a Frenchie as an ESA - got the certificate so the dog can fly with him/her and stay at hotels when he/she is out on the road. Funny, though - the dog is left in the hotel when he/she is out competing or flying to Europe. The para-athletes around the area do NOT take kindly to him/her...

[navybankerteacher]

I haven't read anyone on this thread belittling anyone who has a true service dog. Those that have to bring their pet dog claiming they are a service dog, now that is a different story.

 

Just wondering, do you happen by chance to call your dog an emotional support animal?

 

I am glad to see that I am not the only one who did not see any belittling of anyone using a true service animal.

 

Unfortunately there sees to be some people who want to expand the privilege extended to service animals to people who simply cannot bear to be separated from their little fur baby.

 

Sadly, by encouraging that sort of abuse of the concept, they are likely to make it necessary for people with real needs to bring all sorts of documentation -- while exhausting peoples' general patience with other peoples' pets.

[bUU]

I haven't read anyone on this thread belittling anyone who has a true service dog.

Define what you mean by "true". Let's see how well your definition jives with that of the APA.

 

Just wondering, do you happen by chance to call your dog an emotional support animal?

I don't have a dog. Rather, I happen to be opposed to casual denigration of people.

 

Just wondering, what is your objection to care and compassion toward others?

[CPT Trips]

Define what you mean by "true". Let's see how well your definition jives with that of the APA.

 

I don't have a dog. Rather, I happen to be opposed to casual denigration of people.

 

Just wondering, what is your objection to care and compassion toward others?

 

Was APA a typo of ADA?

[NLH Arizona]

Define what you mean by "true". Let's see how well your definition jives with that of the APA.

 

I don't have a dog. Rather, I happen to be opposed to casual denigration of people.

 

Just wondering, what is your objection to care and compassion toward others?

Not sure what the APA is, but I following the guidlines of the ADA:

 

How “Service Animal” Is Defined

 

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 include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

I'm extremely compassionate to everyone except for those that lie about their pet being a service animal, so that they can get it on the plane for free or bring it with them on a cruise. Not to mention that these fakers give true service dogs a bad rap because they are ususally not trained properly and they are a hazzard to the true service dogs who work tirelessly to allow their owner/handler to have a better quality of life.

[lostspoke]

Hi Lost Spoke - I have a great Cruise Critic forum for you to visit:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=585728&page=922

 

10 years and 18,000 posts going it is all about cruising with Service Dogs! Please come share your experiences with us...tell them Keith sent you.

 

Will do Keith. I booked marked it for future replies/comments. Looks very proactive. Thanks !!

[bUU]

Not sure what the APA is

nuf sed

 

Leave determination of who needs service animals up to the professionals (such as members of the APA), and try to practice a bit of consideration for others by acknowledging your admitted limitation and accepting that you don't know other people's circumstances well enough to know whether the use of a service animal is needed.

[NLH Arizona]

nuf sed

 

Leave determination of who needs service animals up to the professionals (such as members of the APA), and try to practice a bit of consideration for others by acknowledging your admitted limitation and accepting that you don't know other people's circumstances well enough to know whether the use of a service animal is needed.

You are probably referring to the American Psychological Association (this didn't dawn on me when I read your post, because I've never had a doctor from that field of medicine) and trust me, they know the difference between a true service dog and an emotional support dog and that emotional support dogs are not covered under the ADA regulations, which is the law. If one's doctor doesn't know the difference, they need to learn the laws!!!

[purduemom1]

Hey Slidergirl-wish I knew which hotel you work for (I know you can't mention it on this forum). I don't like the fact that so many hotels now allow pets which usually means dogs. Walked past an open hotel room door to see a dog sitting on a bed pillow that had been placed on the floor. Now I can't be positive that it was a hotel pillow but it got me to thinking about the fact that many pets sleep with their owners at home and probably do the same in a hotel room or a cruise ship cabin. I don't care to share my bed and bedding with the reminents of a past pet guest.

 

Lest I be called insensitive, I am not including service animals since they are not pets. In case anyone is wondering, I am a pet owner who leaves her pet at home and makes arrangements for her care.

[bUU]

The extent to which some folks will go to double down on inconsideration is amazing. It raises the question in my mind how many of the complaints folks voice about other passengers is a reflection of how much inconsideration between passengers has become the standard.

[navybankerteacher]

You are probably referring to the American Psychological Association (this didn't dawn on me when I read your post, because I've never had a doctor from that field of medicine) and trust me, they know the difference between a true service dog and an emotional support dog and that emotional support dogs are not covered under the ADA regulations, which is the law. If one's doctor doesn't know the difference, they need to learn the laws!!!

 

I went to APA website - interesting unresolved questions about distinction between need and whim for emotional support. The bottom line, however, is that only on airlines and in housing is there recognition of the necessity of accepting "emotional support" animals.

 

So perhaps the rights of passengers to travel on ships which enforce their "no pets" rules should be considered before catering to everyone with imagined needs. If there is a real problem and a real need, perhaps there needs to be legislation to create a verifiable need-based certification system,

[NLH Arizona]

.... perhaps there needs to be legislation to create a verifiable need-based certification system,

I've been saying this all along. This would stop those that don't need a service dog and just want fluffy to get on the plane for free from saying their pet is a service dog. Unfortunately many organizations are against this, because they feel the privacy of the owner/handlers would be compromised, something I don't understand.

[slidergirl]

I cannot mention my hotel. I will say it is a Forbes 4 Star resort property. All properties I've worked at have been Forbes 4 or 5 star properties. So, I am very used to certain types of guests. My current one is the first that did not allow pets. At the other hotels, the reason for the high charge (in the off-season, sometimes the pet fee is more than the room rate!!) for having a pet is because housekeeping needs to do a total deep clean of that room post-stay. That takes the room off the market for at least one day, sometimes two. When a hotel charges $1500/night for a room in high-season, having one off market hurts.

About ESAs: A girl I worked with about 8 years ago suffers from severe PTSD after a brutal sexual attack. She does have a dog you could call an ESA. BUT, she does have letters from her therapist with regard to her PTSD. She doesn't dress him up in "service animal" attire. The dog is small, but is well-trained, like a larger service animal. I know that she would not be able to leave her apartment and try to live as normal a life as she does without that dog.