I, Anonymous Apr 5, 2019 at 12:06 am

Comments

1

Hear hear!!!

3

@ #2, actually the law is very clear.

"Companion animals" do not qualify as a service animal under titles II or III of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities act) but may be approved under title I in some cases. However, law does not require any place of business to accommodate a companion animal regardless of the exception.

The majority of issues that take place in a public place regarding service animals are related to those who have companion pets who think that entitles them to the rights for service animals under the ADA. It does not. For service animals, under the new Oregon state law amended to reflect titles II and III of the ADA, providers in public places such as parks, public property, state offices, public and private transportation, and public services such as grocery stores and restaurants are legally allowed to ask if the animal is a service animal and what service they were trained (or are being trained) to perform. They may not ask for documentation (part of the new law) and they may not ask what the disability is. That said, if the animal is not a service animal and the person cannot identify the service they are trained to perform (excluding emotional services qualified under "companion animal") they can legally tell you to remove the animal from the space per policy.

So when you say "since you can't, nor have any knowledge of their job much less legally ask them," that statement is 100% false. They can legally ask if it is a service animal and what service it is trained to do.

5

@2 that's a dumb argument. It's obviously their job when they fucking work there. Bringing non service dogs into establishments is a local thing. Might have worked when population was low but not anymore.... kind of like off leash dogs.... again, mostly locals

6

Also, to clarify I'm not agreeing with the OP here. They said the dogs were obviously not service animals, but there is no obvious way for them to know that legally. The services covered under Oregon law are hearing, guide (vision), seizure alert, allergen, and some psychiatric including self-harm, memory (within the context of taking critical medication), and chronic panic/anxiety attacks. The only thing that can ever legally be obvious is a person saying "yes this is a service animal" and then saying they are trained to perform one of those things.

That said, a lot of people take advantage of the new law which states the person does not have to provide documentation. So a lot of people who either have a registered companion or are simply just a pet owner exploit that so they can go to a public place with their animal. While I agree people need to chill out, animals can create issues - especially when they aren't trained. That's one of the reasons we have laws about service animals, because they have been specifically trained to do things, AND, things not to do such as react to stimulus (moving things, noises, etc), or overreact to other animals or people (get hyper, aggressive, etc). So people who bring their animals in it could somewhat become obvious that they aren't service animals depending on their mannerisms. I actually disagree with the new law, I think you should be expected to provide documentation if asked. It's the only way to uphold accountability.

8

If you only knew what goes on in a restaurant, you'd know that a dog in there is the least of your worries, from a health perspective.

10

Service dogs are highly trained and their behavior and mannerisms show it. The way they focus on their owner, sit perfectly still and do not respond to external stimuli. Compared to a regular pet the difference is night and day. So while it may not be "legally obvious", it is totally obvious obvious and people should really stop abusing the system for their own vanity. And if your purse poodle can predict seizures, why not bring along a little documentation? It's not like you don't have room in your purse.

12

Hey everybody! The ADA was passed in 1990 and part of the law involves disabled people not having to prove to people they are disabled! It's called, guess what, my disability is none of your fucking business so no you don't get to ask me invasive personal question to satisfy your desire to prove I am really disabled (okay I paraphrased that).

Read the law and learn things. Entitled, able bodied people who want to do what they want to do no matter what the rules are have been taking advantage of that part of the ADA since then, and shit has gotten TOTALLY out of control with regard to "service dogs." You know what a service dog used to be? A dog fully trained and certified to help the blind.

Now that everyone wants their pet to go everywhere with them and pretend their unruly, untrained, obviously incapable of being service dogs (breed, age, whatever) is their emotional assistance service animal, it's all gone too far. Fuck every able bodied lying about being disabled to take advantage of something they see as a "perk" us disabled folk get, when us disabled folk are entitled to those "perks" get them solely so we can attempt to navigate the able bodied, very hostile to the disabled world we live in!

I say this as a disabled person who just returned from a week in Portland and is exhausted physically and mentally from how everything is difficult, everything is a struggle, everything (even so-called ADA approved amenities) are NOT in any way easy to navigate or helpful to actual disabled people.

I spent 35 years of my life as a health, able bodied person. I have spent 11 years of my life as a disabled person (with a progressive disease, so my degree of disability is worse now than it has ever been and will continue to get worse). I know EXACTLY what the world is like for an able bodied person vs. what the world is like for a disabled person.

IF there were justice in the universe (there isn't) every asshat who pretends they are disabled so they can bring their pet with them, park wherever they want, do whatever it is they want to do because they want to do it and feel entitled to do so would actually become disabled immediately and permanently and a truly disabled person would miraculously be cured and be able bodied again. Instead we have to live in a world where entitled assholes do whatever they want and the people who pay the price are the real disabled people whose lives are already challenging enough on a daily basis.


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