Latest news with #AssistanceDogsInternational
USA Today
15-04-2025
- USA Today
'Doors are being shut': Fake service dogs hurt real service animals' credibility, advocates warn
'Doors are being shut': Fake service dogs hurt real service animals' credibility, advocates warn Show Caption Hide Caption PTSD recovery made easier with help of service dog, says one veteran Anthony Certa is a military veteran living with PTSD. He says his black English Labrador service dog helps his mental health in more ways than one. Service dogs can be 4-legged lifesavers, alerting to dangerous allergens, assisting with travel and making people with a wide range of disabilities safer. But fake service dogs are taking a bite out of real service dogs' credibility, exacerbating the challenges that people with disabilities who rely on service animals already face, advocates say. Fake service dogs are poorly trained or untrained animals falsely passed off by individuals trying to access restricted places or benefits. Thousands of grocers and shop owners now prohibit any animals, including legitimate service dogs, from entering their stores. That's because of incidents where fraudulent service animals have "urinated on expensive furnishings, contaminated food, bitten staff, and driven away paying customers," according to Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit service dog organization headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. About two-thirds of service dog users say the poorly trained or untrained dogs have negatively impacted their independence and quality of life, according to a 2022 survey conducted by the organization. "Service dog fraud and poorly trained service dogs pose a widespread and serious problem regardless of location and have a powerful negative impact on legitimate service dog teams," Canine Companions for Independence said in a white paper. Service dogs aren't required to complete a specific, national certification, according to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. People may also struggle to acquire the animals: They can come at significant expense and aren't necessarily covered by insurance. The ADA National Network defines service dogs as those specially trained to perform tasks for people with physical, intellectual or mental disabilities. Such dogs are "more than just a vest," according to Assistance Dogs International, explaining on its website that such dogs offer "expert training, crucial socialization and years of task-based independence to people with disabilities." Fake service dogs undermine freedom and safety, advocates say Nearly 93% of respondents to the Canine Companions survey said they had encountered 'fake, questionable or uncontrolled service dogs,' while 79% reported uncontrolled dogs snapping at, biting or interfering with their service dogs. The survey was distributed to 60 organizations accredited by Assistance Dogs International throughout North America, Europe and Oceania. More than 1,500 service-dog users responded, making the study of assistance-dog fraud the organization's largest to date. Even if a person with a disability hasn't encountered one of the untrained or poorly trained animals in day-to-day life, it can still have a ripple effect. Skepticism about service dogs among business owners and others makes legitimate users less inclined to take service dogs out in public, the group said in its report. "If a service dog user feels they will be denied access or that there are more poorly trained service dogs in public, they may opt to avoid public places with their service dog," the organization said. "This ostensibly has an impact on the service dog user's independence and quality of life if doors are being shut, figuratively, before service dog teams even leave their homes." According to NEADS World Class Service Dogs, based in Princeton, Massachusetts, properly trained service dogs can offer clients "life-changing emotional support and enable them to navigate the world more safely and confidently." NEADS, formerly known as National Education for Assistance Dog Services, agreed that fraudulent service dogs are a growing problem in the U.S. The Canine Companions survey, the group said in a 2023 statement, shows not only the frequency of fake service dog encounters but also demonstrates "how significantly they are undermining feelings of independence, quality of life and potentially even the safety of clients with legitimate service dogs." According to Canine Companions, loopholes in the Americans with Disabilities Act have enabled scammers to exploit the system. The group last year said it hopes to persuade lawmakers to add definitive language to the act that addresses service dog representation, making it "crystal-clear that misrepresentation of a disability for personal gain – including the use of a service dog – is against the law." The group sought to gather 2,500 public signatures on an online petition calling for an end to service dog scams. As of April 13, 2025, a little more than 2,600 people had signed the document. Not just advocates One of the latest local efforts on legitimate service dogs comes from Massachusetts state Rep. Kimberly Ferguson. She proposed legislation on April 1 that would create a 17-member commission to explore tougher regulation of service animals in the state. If created, the commission would have until April 2026 to file a report assessing the prevalence of fraudulent service dogs statewide and whether prohibition or penalization of such fraud is necessary. It would also examine the feasibility of requiring service animals to be certified, registered or licensed. Massachusetts is one of 16 states without a "true ban" on fraudulent representation of pets as service animals, according to the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University in East Lansing. A handful of those states still specifically prohibit misrepresentation of service animals in housing situations. Contributing: Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY
New York Times
27-03-2025
- General
- New York Times
Sit, Stay, Say Goodbye
In the year since Pat and Jane Hipsley brought home Pogo, they've spent hours teaching the Labrador puppy how to walk by their side and ignore cooing strangers; how to roll, retrieve her leash and ride an escalator. They've learned that Pogo is not a fan of tight spaces, and that her favorite snack is a carrot. Every night, Pogo has fallen asleep at the foot of their bed. Each morning, she has greeted them with a wagging tail. And in a few weeks, as with 17 other puppies that came before her, the Hipsleys will say a tearful goodbye to Pogo, maybe forever. In the world of service dogs, the Hipsleys are known as 'puppy raisers,' volunteers who house, socialize and transport puppies to and from weekly classes from their first weeks until they're ready for formal training, at around 18 to 24 months. The work is done to benefit a stranger, someone who will rely on the dog to treat a disability or live more independently. While service dogs were once mainly used as a navigational tool for the blind, the animals have proven to be an effective therapeutic tool for conditions as varied as autism, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, people count on dogs to alert them to dangerous changes in their blood sugar, to disrupt panic attacks and to detect the smell of allergens. But as demand for the dogs increases, the organizations that provide them are facing a shortage of volunteers to raise them as puppies. It's a challenging, time-consuming gig that typically pays nothing and requires forging an intimate bond with a dog only to give it away. This 'critical' volunteer shortage is leading to yearslong wait times for service dogs, according to Assistance Dogs International, the accrediting body for nonprofit service dog providers. The nationwide nonprofit Canine Companions needs about 500 new puppy raisers a year to keep pace with demand, and its wait times for a service dog can reach 18 months, said James Dern, who leads the organization's puppy program. At some other organizations, people may have to wait even longer. Ashley Frantz, a 40-year-old woman in Virginia Beach, Va., who sustained physical and emotional trauma while serving in the Navy, waited two years to be matched with a dog. The experience, she said, was 'incredibly defeating.' 'Puppy raisers are the backbone of our organization,' said Molly Elmore, the volunteer program manager at Warrior Canine Connection, a service dog nonprofit in Boyds, Md., that pairs service dogs with wounded veterans who have mobility issues, traumatic brain injuries or PTSD. 'They're the only way it all happens.' Finding a New Purpose Amid Grief On a Saturday morning in February, at the Hipsleys' home in Catonsville, Md., Pogo was asleep at Ms. Hipsley's feet, cuddled up with two other puppies the Hipsleys had raised: Blair, who was back for a visit, and Devin, whom the Hipsleys later adopted. Four-month-old Marita, who had arrived the previous week, stood at the edge of the dog pile, unconvinced she needed a nap. The Hipsleys began puppy raising in 2015, less than a year after their son Chris died by suicide. Chris, a decorated Army medic, had developed severe PTSD during three tours in the Middle East. The Hipsleys had pleaded with him to apply for a service dog, but he was resistant. After Chris died, the couple felt compelled to help other veterans, but weren't sure how. Then a friend told them about Warrior Canine Connection, the nonprofit in Maryland that helps wounded veterans. 'It was just like fate — this is what we were supposed to do,' Ms. Hipsley said. Soon, a bouncy black lab puppy named Jack moved in. The busyness of 'all things puppy,' Mr. Hipsley said, was a comfort. 'Jack probably saved our lives,' said Mr. Hipsley, 71, a retired business executive. As Mr. Hipsley talked, Pogo moved from the floor to his side, where she pushed her nose between his clasped hands, demonstrating a skill she'll use when her future handler experiences distress. 'She feels the tension in me,' he said, rubbing her ears. 'She'll do that,' Jane explained. 'She gets the stress cues.' Making It Work Today, the Hipsleys typically raise two or three dogs at a time, often taking on the organization's most challenging dogs; one had a leaky bladder, one was recovering from shoulder surgery and another liked to hurdle other dogs in class. They try to divide responsibilities evenly. Ms. Hipsley focuses on walks, Mr. Hipsley on teaching commands. Potty training is a team effort. 'It's just like a baby,' Mr. Hipsley said. 'Whose shift is it?' The time commitment can sometimes keep people from volunteering. Michael Yau, 42, and his wife figured they were too busy to become puppy raisers. The couple, who live in Orinda, Ca., both work, and they have three children under 7, as well as a pet golden doodle. But Mr. Yau, an entrepreneur, was inspired to volunteer after attending a Canine Companions fund-raiser that showcased client testimonials; it was the first time Mr. Yau's wife had ever seen him cry. Expectations for puppy raisers can differ by organization. But their most important assignment is socialization. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, service dogs are allowed in most public places. But staying focused despite the sights, sounds and smells of the world takes a lot of practice. When the Hipsleys' puppies are young, socialization is mostly about exposure; their youngest puppy has been getting accustomed to the sound of traffic at an intersection near the couple's home. Older dogs go on longer excursions and face greater temptations. At 21 months, Pogo recently lounged beneath the table of a busy Panera while the Hipsleys ate lunch with friends. Despite their own busy lives, the Yaus have been able to make it work. 'The puppy gets fully integrated into your life,' Mr. Yau said. The family even took the first puppy they raised, a yellow lab named Fonzi, to Disneyland by plane. At Fonzi's graduation ceremony, the family was able to pass the Labrador's leash to his new handler, a young man with autism. 'It was a bittersweet moment,' Mr. Yau said, 'and such a seminal moment for our kids to learn about service.' Today, the Yaus are on puppy number two. Bittersweet Goodbyes Every once in a while, the Hipsleys receive photos, updates and heartfelt thank yous from the people who have benefited from their efforts. One of them is Ms. Frantz, the former member of the Navy who waited two years for a service dog. She was ultimately paired with a black lab named Patty, whom the Hipsleys raised. The effect, Ms. Frantz said, has been profound. She once chewed her fingernails down to the quick, avoided social interactions and couldn't go to Walmart without having a panic attack, she said. Patty has changed that. Ms. Frantz's anxiety has dissipated, and she he has found herself striking up conversations with strangers while shopping. She is well aware of the role the Hipsleys played in her improvement. 'Just look at what they did for someone that they didn't know,' Ms. Frantz said. 'I wouldn't be getting better without them.' In the Hipsleys' home, a photo of Patty sits on one of their living room shelves, along with the rest of their 'sorority,' as they call it, since 16 of the puppies have been female. 'At this point, we have more pictures of dogs than we do our grandchildren,' Mr. Hipsley said. After 18 rounds of puppy raising, the Hipsleys have learned how to soothe the sweet sorrow of parting with a dog: by getting another one. So in the weeks leading up to Pogo's departure, the couple brought home Marita. 'I haven't had a dog yet that I didn't cry about,' Mr. Hipsley said. 'There is pain, but when you see the good that it does, well, that takes the pain away.'
