Respecting Service Dogs - Please Don't "Fake It"

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​Having worked in the service dog field for many years, I have an immense respect for their work and CANNOT stress enough how important it is that dog owners and animal lovers know their facts about the critical importance of a legit service dog to people with disabilities, and do NOT just buy a "service dog" vest or "service dog registration" online just so they can take their beloved pets into stores, on planes, etc.   Unless you know someone with a disability and a real service dog, you may not know the many months of training that go into making a dog into a service dog - not every dog is cut out for such a job. In fact, most are not. I was pretty appalled recently when I was told there's a local board and train facility that claims your dog can be a service dog after completing a 6-week obedience course 😡

I have had the privilege of meeting Randy Pierce, who speaks in the below article about the legitimacy of service dogs, and hundreds of other people with disabilities who need their service dog partners to help them navigate through life 😊. Please, if you are an animal-lover like me, and you have respect for those who have disabilities (and want to see them succeed), please do not pretend your dog is a service dog if he is not (or condone others who take advantage of the flaws in the system). We're only going to become a more dog-friendly society if we make the RIGHT choices to show we are responsible pet parents - not by faking a service dog.

​Read STOP FAKING SERVICE DOGS - Loving your pet too much is putting people with real disabilities at risk
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