Where do I register my service animal?
Short answer - you don't. Per the ADA, there is no legitimate service dog registry. All of those ones you see online are scams. There are no requirements to obtain certification, aside from paying a fee. Someone can easily register their aggressive or fearful dog that is incapable of working as a service dog. Using an ID is a common sign of someone either faking a service dog or having a legitimate service dog but being misinformed about relevant laws (which is equally dangerous). While it is not illegal to have an ID, it holds no legal ground, and creates access issues for other handlers.
To be a legitimate service dog, the dog must know one task to mitigate the disability of its handler, and behave appropriately in public. A doctor's note is only required for housing, employment, and schooling accommodation. No documentation is needed to enter public buildings. If a gatekeeper tries to tell you otherwise, asks you to prove your dog, or asks for your disability, you need to call a manager in and educate them on the ADA laws. If they refuse to acknowledge the law, they need to be reported.
To be a legitimate service dog, the dog must know one task to mitigate the disability of its handler, and behave appropriately in public. A doctor's note is only required for housing, employment, and schooling accommodation. No documentation is needed to enter public buildings. If a gatekeeper tries to tell you otherwise, asks you to prove your dog, or asks for your disability, you need to call a manager in and educate them on the ADA laws. If they refuse to acknowledge the law, they need to be reported.
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Why shouldn't I use an identification card for my service animal?
Many people chose to use an ID for access issues, despite being aware they hold no legal ground. This can be beneficial for those that don't do well with confrontation, as they just flash the ID at the misinformed gatekeeper, then go about their day. The problem is this creates access issues for other handlers. This gatekeeper now assumes that ID is a telling sign of a service animal. The next handler that comes in has no ID, but are stopped at the gate and hassled for not having a useless piece of plastic. Educating the gatekeeper on ADA laws is the most productive way to fix the issue. The more that know, the less legitimate handlers that will have issues.
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Should more laws be put in place to identify service animals?
Laws are only as useful as they are enforced. More laws will only hinder the disabled in the name of punishing the fakes. The current laws are more than efficient in protecting the handler, the business, and other people potentially affected by the dog's presence. The problem is many businesses are not aware of their rights, and fear that questioning a handler will get them sued. Their fear is what creates the fake issue, as there is no roadblocks or punishment for these people hindering the disabled.
A business can ask two questions, 1.) is this a service animal, and 2.) what tasks does it perform? To the first question, if they answer "no", or "it is my emotional support animal", they can be denied entry. Pets and ESA do not get public accommodation. To the second question, if they answer "comfort", "emotional support", or "protection", they can be denied entry. Per the ADA comfort and protection are not valid tasks, as every dog provides comfort, and protectiveness disqualifies them from public access.
While, people can still lie and slip through the cracks, the answers help weed out many fakes. After that, the rest can be weeded out by their behavior. Legitimate service dogs having a bad day and fakes can both legally be asked to leave with bad behavior (though the human does not have to leave and can return without their dog). Public access does not accommodate the use of furniture, so if a dog is on a cart or a restaurant bench, they can be asked to be removed. If the dog is eliminating inappropriately, it can be asked to leave. If the dog shows reactiveness or aggression to other animals or people, it can be removed. A trained service dog will have good leash manners and be focusing on its handler and relevant surroundings.
A business can ask two questions, 1.) is this a service animal, and 2.) what tasks does it perform? To the first question, if they answer "no", or "it is my emotional support animal", they can be denied entry. Pets and ESA do not get public accommodation. To the second question, if they answer "comfort", "emotional support", or "protection", they can be denied entry. Per the ADA comfort and protection are not valid tasks, as every dog provides comfort, and protectiveness disqualifies them from public access.
While, people can still lie and slip through the cracks, the answers help weed out many fakes. After that, the rest can be weeded out by their behavior. Legitimate service dogs having a bad day and fakes can both legally be asked to leave with bad behavior (though the human does not have to leave and can return without their dog). Public access does not accommodate the use of furniture, so if a dog is on a cart or a restaurant bench, they can be asked to be removed. If the dog is eliminating inappropriately, it can be asked to leave. If the dog shows reactiveness or aggression to other animals or people, it can be removed. A trained service dog will have good leash manners and be focusing on its handler and relevant surroundings.
Why is a legitimate registry a bad idea?
There are many factors to consider here. For one, would the dog or the handler be registered? If the dog, who determines eligibility? Who will pay these people to determine? What about the handlers that cannot afford to prove their need? Back to the fact that service animals are "medical equipment" and legally the same as a wheelchair. Can you imagine if wheelchair users went through this many roadblocks in order to live their life?
I will start with saying that i support a program that identifies eligible handlers at little to no cost to them. Imagine a program similar to a handicapped parking permit. A doctor's endorsement is required, brought to the DMV, and they make the appropriate changes - like handing out a placard or licence plate. A stamp on an ID card (like a motorcycle endorsement) would be wonderful for access issues. The problem is this doesn't make reference to how qualified their dog is, which is what most people want. That is how it should be though, as the current laws effectively manage ill-behaved dogs.
So what about certifying individual dogs, that will help, right? Not exactly, there are a lot of variables in this. "Washing" a dog is when you retire your service dog. This could be for many reasons - the dog may not enjoy the job, the work may be to overstimulating, the dog doesn't have the proper temperament, or health issues. Proper evaluations help reduce the rates of being washed, as they determine if the dog has the base temperament needed. Dogs with the proper temperament can still be washed due to bad experiences, bad fits with a handler, or health and behavior issues. If a dog is going to wash, you want it washed early, before you have invested too much time and money into its training. Many states, including Arizona, allow service dogs in training to work in the public, which really helps reduce washout rates. For example, I encourage public access after a dog can pass a CGC and can perform at least one task - that doesn't make it fully trained, but it makes it trustworthy enough to bring in public for further training. A dog could be trained perfectly, but without actual exposure to the environment, you won't know if your dog can handle it. Only allowing fully trained "certified" service dogs would hinder the handler who may have just put two years into training to realise that her dog cannot handle busy environments. Not to mention the hindrance on owner-trained service dogs, which is an equally viable option that takes more time and effort, but saves a lot of money.
There is also the issue of organizations dedicated to managing service animals. Consider the amount of money that will go into a single building that (hypothetically) only covers public access tests for service dogs, certification, and revoking certification. Their income would be minimal considering the amount of dogs a single handler will go through in a lifetime, and the 6-10 year spacing between a new dog. One building would not be able to keep its doors open unless they reduced to a smaller program - open 2 days a month for example. Now imagine at least one organization per county in America. Think about how many disabled handlers do not have the funds or physical abilities to travel to far and few between offices in order to legitimize the use their medical equipment. In the name of punishing fakes, you have only hindered the disabled so that utilizing the advantages of a service animal is now more hassle than it is worth.
I will start with saying that i support a program that identifies eligible handlers at little to no cost to them. Imagine a program similar to a handicapped parking permit. A doctor's endorsement is required, brought to the DMV, and they make the appropriate changes - like handing out a placard or licence plate. A stamp on an ID card (like a motorcycle endorsement) would be wonderful for access issues. The problem is this doesn't make reference to how qualified their dog is, which is what most people want. That is how it should be though, as the current laws effectively manage ill-behaved dogs.
So what about certifying individual dogs, that will help, right? Not exactly, there are a lot of variables in this. "Washing" a dog is when you retire your service dog. This could be for many reasons - the dog may not enjoy the job, the work may be to overstimulating, the dog doesn't have the proper temperament, or health issues. Proper evaluations help reduce the rates of being washed, as they determine if the dog has the base temperament needed. Dogs with the proper temperament can still be washed due to bad experiences, bad fits with a handler, or health and behavior issues. If a dog is going to wash, you want it washed early, before you have invested too much time and money into its training. Many states, including Arizona, allow service dogs in training to work in the public, which really helps reduce washout rates. For example, I encourage public access after a dog can pass a CGC and can perform at least one task - that doesn't make it fully trained, but it makes it trustworthy enough to bring in public for further training. A dog could be trained perfectly, but without actual exposure to the environment, you won't know if your dog can handle it. Only allowing fully trained "certified" service dogs would hinder the handler who may have just put two years into training to realise that her dog cannot handle busy environments. Not to mention the hindrance on owner-trained service dogs, which is an equally viable option that takes more time and effort, but saves a lot of money.
There is also the issue of organizations dedicated to managing service animals. Consider the amount of money that will go into a single building that (hypothetically) only covers public access tests for service dogs, certification, and revoking certification. Their income would be minimal considering the amount of dogs a single handler will go through in a lifetime, and the 6-10 year spacing between a new dog. One building would not be able to keep its doors open unless they reduced to a smaller program - open 2 days a month for example. Now imagine at least one organization per county in America. Think about how many disabled handlers do not have the funds or physical abilities to travel to far and few between offices in order to legitimize the use their medical equipment. In the name of punishing fakes, you have only hindered the disabled so that utilizing the advantages of a service animal is now more hassle than it is worth.
