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Bullard Erika
Professor. Batty
English 113B
5 April 2016
Service Dog Controversy

Service dogs play a huge role in society for people with disabilities. Service dogs benefit
people with disabilities such as blindness, visual or hearing deficits, and injuries to perform
everyday activities. This is a very broad issue we face in todays society, whether or not service
dogs belong in public areas because people abuse the law of having fake service dogs. Therefore
many people disagree with service dogs being presence in public places such as businesses,
restaurants and public transportation. Without the help of service dogs, it would be hard for
people to function and maneuver from one place to another, especially in public. Even though
there can be fake imposers of disobedient service dogs in public areas, however I argue that
authentic service dogs shouldnt be banned or mistreated in public places, because it helps
people function with disabilities, provide psychiatric help and mobility for an essential use of
everyday life. Therefore we should have greater restriction when registering service dogs.
A service dog is an assistance dog that is trained to perform specific task for someone
with a disability. The service dog law is included in the Ada act for people with disabilities. Ada
stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. This law allow people with disabilities to take their
dog everywhere they go and to protect their rights, when going out into public places. There are
common types of dogs that are labeled as service dogs. The most common type of dogs that are
used for service are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and German shepherds. These
breeds are chosen for their intelligence, good health and having the ability to work long hours.

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However service dogs can be any size or breed. There are various types of service dogs
associated for each disability, which is guide, hearing, mobility, and psychiatric. The various
types of service dogs performs different task according to the persons disability. The dogs are
very obedient and well-disciplined, which makes them very different from dogs as being pets.
Service dogs are to help people in everyday life with physical and mental challenges they
face. There are numerous disabilities people have to be qualified for a service dog. The different
types of disabilities are blindness, deafness, mobility, seizures and emotional/mental health. As
most people think service dog are just only for blind or impaired people. In reality this is not
true, not all disabilities are visible. Which is why majority of restaurants are discriminating
people with invisible disabilities. In the article Bill to ban service dogs in restaurants, Tim
Mullen who suffer seizures stated, "He's saved my life four times already," Mullen said, noting
the dog activated a watch-like sensor that summons emergency workers to his location. This
proves that service dogs can have a huge impact on people by saving their life. These dogs are
highly trained animals that get the job done. Which is why they shouldnt be banned from public
businesses because of serious medical reasons.
People use service dogs in their everyday life. However we have fake imposers of service
dogs that ruin the reputation for real service dogs. Fake imposers of service dogs arent well
behaved in public areas. Which can create issues for authentic service dogs by being mistreated
when going out into public. In the article On the Consequences of Fake and Undertrained Service
Dogs, Caitlin stated I spoke to the manager to thank him for ensuring that I was given access to
This shows that fake imposers of service dogs disobey and abuse the Ada law which is why

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restrictions of service dogs should be more enforced. People who actually have disabilities
depend on their service dog and dont deserve the added stigma.
Majority of service dogs are trained by highly organizations. Not all service dogs are
trained. Fake imposers of service dogs and authentic service dogs can be disobedient. Which is
why its hard to distinguish between a real and fake service dog because theyre not require to
wear any specific type of clothing by the Ada law. However fake imposers buy fake certifications
and service dog clothes on websites. In the article fake service dogs real problems Ms. Watson
stated, I listened to a woman bragging at a recent dinner party about how she takes her Jack
Russell terrier everywhere because she printed a service animal certificate from the Internet.
She can stay at hotels without paying the pet fee. This shows it is very easy to get a fake
certificate. People sign their service dog up to take them everywhere and to get away with paying
dog fees, which is a serious crime. The Ada law should enforce service dog owners to carry
documentation at all times with a special identification card. Which allow businesses to scan the
card to make sure its legit if their disability isnt noticeable.
On the other hand businesses owners dont even bother asking if a service dog is legit.
Falsely accusing a legit service dog can result in law suits and discrimination. Unless the dog
may cause harm or being disobedient. In the article Fake service dogs Andy Hobb states, If a
the law allows businesses to ask the owner to remove the dog from the premises. Which is more
likely a service dog of people with disabilities getting mistreated. Especially is a fake imposer of
a service dog is being disobedient in a public place. In California if someone is caught with a
fake service dog, the fine can be up to a thousand dollars and jail time. Depending on how the
offense is committed and where.

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Service dogs benefit humans in various ways. Service dogs also help veterans that suffer
from post-traumatic stress disorder. The service dogs are supposed to calm veterans down form
having breakdowns and episodes. Service dogs also help people with diabetes. It warned there
owners when their blood sugar move below or above normal ranges. The dogs are trained by
using scent detection techniques. When diabetic dogs notices your blood sugar is abnormal. They
can hand you your medicine. Service dogs protect people and saved many lives with disabilities.
Which is why they should be allowed in public places because their dog is their protection.
According to the humane association there is approximately 20,000 service dogs in the U.S,
which includes 10,000 guide dogs.
Where would society be without the help of service dogs? Service dogs perform different
task depending on a person disability. It have played a hug role in daily lives because people can
now have the ability to overcome their physical and mental challenges they face. Even though
fake imposers cause issues in public and can be badly groomed which can cause health and
germs. Service dogs shouldnt be banned because their dog is like their hero everywhere they go.

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Works Cited
by ANDY HOBBS, Federal Way Mirror Editor
Apr 11, 2012 at 4:00PM updated Apr 12, 2012 at 12:02PM
Ariz. bill to ban service dogs in restaurants rejected
Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic 4:34 p.m. EST February 19, 2015

Carlson, S. J. (2015, July 25). For those with diabetes, service dog can be best friend.
Retrieved from

Potential benefits of a service dog/animal

By whitney_gates on October 18, 2008 at 10:00 AM