Comments on Florida Animal Law: Florida's Service Animal Laws

Anyone who would present their pet as a service do...

2011-11-20T08:37:38.632-05:00

Anyone who would present their pet as a service dog is really asking for some BAD KARMA. Believe me it is not easy to take a dog with you everywhere you go and keep it immaculate!!! No one would want an intimate nite out and have to take a dog along for fun!! First of all a "pet" is not trained to lay quietly on the floor of a restaurant...quite often when I get up after a meal people around me say "where did that dog come from?" yes he was under the table the whole time. He does not bark in public unless he knows I am about to have a seizure. I am tired of explaining this to people who are just trying to make trouble or cause a scene. If you see a dog in a purse or a one that is causing a scene THAT is NOT a service dog. I visit the same businesses all the time and most people who work there know me and welcome us to their place of business. I would be happy to change places with someone who thinks having a medical condition like this is fun!!! I am thankful for my service dog everyday so next time you see anyone with a service dog remember that there is a medical reason they have the dog.
Under the ADA law and the most recent update in March 2011:

"Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting individuals who are
blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks,
alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds,providing non-violent protection or rescue work,
pulling a wheelchair,assisting an individual during a seizure,
alerting individuals to the presence of allergens,retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone,providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities,helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors (Autism)

(Therapy Dog)
An animal´s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship DO NOT constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition."
http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

First of all you have to have a disability. The b...

2011-11-14T13:16:13.379-05:00

First of all you have to have a disability. The burden of proof is on you. I have a service dog to help me with my PTSD. Got a letter from the psych and have no problem showing it if it gets that far. My dog has nothing identifying marks. I have had to train alot of businesses. I give a copy of doj's meaning of service dogs.

the subject has been posted as a question here on ...

2011-10-17T12:23:46.922-04:00

the subject has been posted as a question here on facebook... ck it out as it progresses.../ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Service-Dog-Central/119992161391220?sk=wall

three more comments from http://servicedogcentral....

2011-10-16T18:36:12.802-04:00

three more comments from http://servicedogcentral.org/forum/index.php/topic,15352.0/topicseen.html pertaining to your question
Service dog Central- : words of wisdom for someone who posted looking for just that

>to add another layer of fence. On the side where the people would torment these dogs we put up an additional layer of fence; chicken wire, about 3 feet from the chain link that had the turd on the other side. This kept the dogs from being on the fence within his reach. They did bark, but the guy could no longer get to them and he actually stopped once he could no longer actually touch the dogs.
I wonder if putting up a wooden fence would be too costly for this person. Also, how about letting the dogs out then standing there with a video camera to catch his actions on film? That could work as a deterrant knowing it isn't just her word against his. If he is moving at the dogs with a weapon the cops might find it easier to deal with. Also, she should go make out a complaint at the cop shop. Get as many of these incidents on paper so she has the documentation. Aren't there any laws on the books to protect SDs from this sort of thing?

If she can't afford to put up a wooden fence, maybe she could have more height put on it so this joker can't reach them. What a horrible position to be in.

>Try to take legal action, and usually you only aggravate the situation. Make the other guy even more angry, more vindictive, and sneakier so he doesn't get caught. Supervise your dogs, and the risk to them is significantly decreased. Is the primary objective to keep the dogs safe or to win the dispute? Seriously, which option would you choose for your own dog?

>I agree with the video camera idea. Even if it had no film in it, just the threat of having his behavior and threats on film might snap him out of it. The threat to a service dog in our state is enough for a 1k fine. If it is on film, that he instigates any behaviors, then she has her dogs covered should they react and he tried to press charges. (in the least) At the most she could take that film and show he is causing disterbances in the neighborhood which causes problems for her to live peacibly. (is that a word?) If they can look at it from another legal angle, such as her rights... rather then a dog, there may still be charges they can persue. If there are no laws to protect a service animal.

2011-10-16T18:35:25.600-04:00

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2011-10-16T18:30:51.949-04:00

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2011-10-16T10:41:58.274-04:00

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if u havent cked out the site another comment was ...

2011-10-16T10:32:03.902-04:00

if u havent cked out the site another comment was left... I posted a link here but i dont see anyone as of yet that has posted here yet

>If she is not always able to go outside with them, then even just one at a time out on a long line (washline is ok) while she stays at the open door holding the line. This way she can make sure they don't go over to the fence. I would not want them too close anyway in case he would toss something over to harm them.

I asked members of http://servicedogcentral.org/fo...

2011-10-15T21:27:09.065-04:00

I asked members of http://servicedogcentral.org/forum/ about your problem
you can join in the conversations by registering. but this is what i got so far>

Just tell her not to let the dogs out unsupervised. If she's there with them she can counter anything the man can say or do on his side of the fence that might affect their training.

Im sure thats not exactly what you were looking for but perhaps if you join and introduce your self you could post under that and see if you get any further help. hope all gets better for you and your dogs. I experienced that same thing but we rented and we moved. --

http://servicedogcentral.org/forum/

the question was posted here after you join and log on
http://servicedogcentral.org/forum/index.php

with the title of -- words of wisdome for someone who posted looking for just that

under the cadigory of - Posts General Discussion >
< Chit Chat >

I am working with a wonderful trainer who is helpi...

2011-10-15T13:26:09.764-04:00

I am working with a wonderful trainer who is helping me train two fantastic golden retrievers for service work. I am disabled and need the services of both. However, we have a neighbor that constantly taunts them when they are in our fenced back yard to exercise, potty and play. He is practically "undoing" thier training as they are now rushing up to the fence. He is hostile, yells profanities and taunts the dogs. Today he riled them up and I gave the ignore command, and they came running back inside. Good doggies. But what I did notice was that he was video taping them and taking pictures of them running up to the fence, which he is causing. I know that eventually they will not do this at all, but it is alot harder to untrain than to train. They used to NEVER do this. He has buried glass in his yard to keep his dog from diggging. He is violent and has been arrested several times for domestic abuse with a weapon. I am concerned for the protection of my two dogs. In addition, both goldens are being trained to assist with activities at Nemour's Children Hospital. Alot is being invested in them. I called the police, but they said there is nothing that can be done because they aren't children. They can be photographed without my permission, and unless he kills them or physically harms them, there is nothing they can do to stop his taunting that is interfering with their training. I showed him the statues, but the police said it didn't apply. The officer also asked if had all the documentation for them as service dogs AND if I had proof of disability. (I do, and I carry that doctor's note with me everywhere because the vertigo is so horrible and is stress induced, I can't be alone or in confrontation situations). I don't know why it is okay for my dogs to be subjected to this verbal abuse. They are very smart pups. And they bark at the man now allthe time. Nobody else, just him. Is there anything I can do to protect them? They are my access to the world. The VA is helping to fund them for the Nemour's project. Anybody got any info? I live in central florida area. thanks! ucfgold

A servies dog needs phyical and mental stimulation...

2011-09-10T18:47:27.411-04:00

A servies dog needs phyical and mental stimulation which is required for it to perform. The order does not pertain to the service dog,
As long as you and an apointed helper or helper if you are to ill are with the dog the dog can walk where ever you wish to walk it, that is as long as it is on a 6-8 foot leash. C
This is discrimination against a person with disability's wit ha service dog. Service dogs dont have right per say.. its the handlers and the helpers to the handlers.... Physical and emotional pain on the other hand is a right a service animal has to protect it from morons

I am blind and moved to FLorida many years ago. M...

2011-03-31T17:10:15.167-04:00

I am blind and moved to FLorida many years ago. My Dr prescribed a comfort dog for me because of many health issues. I live in a park that does not allow dogs unless approved by the Park's Board of Directors, even though we own our property. They have forbidden me walking my dog anywhere but on our 2 ft. space around the two sides and back of the house. They sent me a letter to that effect and listed a Florida law stating I could be fined $100 to $1000 for failure to abide by this order. Can anyone tell me if this is discrimination against a service dog and if there is anything I can do. This dog needs exercise that is not related to it's service to me all the time.

Good grief people!!!! I have raised 5 children and...

2011-03-24T17:50:28.505-04:00

Good grief people!!!! I have raised 5 children and have 6 grandchildren-- most dogs I know I would rather have in a restaurant I am eating than screaming kids that are allowed to get down and run through the restaurant while the parents get drunk!!! I love children but my dogs have never thrown up on the table, spilled a drink or thrown a hissy fit!!! Besides as long as they don't mess in the floor what is the problem

I am so sick of hearing people saying we need to p...

2011-03-05T16:38:50.571-05:00

I am so sick of hearing people saying we need to prove our animal are service animals. What next you going to have to carry an i.d proving your a male or female, or gay or straight or bi sexual. Or proof if your poor or rich. Come on grow up there are going to ignorant people there is no stopping that. It make us feel uncomfortable enough being different so why do we have to prove we are different. I have heart problems as well as agoraphobia and ptsd. My medical dog helps me live life such as helping me around people and is trained to bark for help or go and get help if signs of heart problems occur or even if faint. Just leave our animals alone. And stop trying to make it harder for us to survive. Many people can not afford all the training, vest or id and crap other people want us to get.

oh and one more thing..about service dog laws....i...

2011-02-21T22:41:18.154-05:00

oh and one more thing..about service dog laws....if a person claims there pet is a service dog just so they can take it out in public...then that dog has to perform the actions of a service dog when its supposed to.

for instance...if i just said my dog was a siezure alert dog and when i had that siezure that threw me out in the busy intersection in downtown tallahassee...well, if my dog was just a pet, he wouldnt have pulled me out of the path of that dump truck.

they also have to be well behaved..however siezure dogs dont always act like quide dogs..most of the time when i ride the city bus Fishbait sits on the floor under my seat..however if i sick or disoriented from meds he may move up to sit beside me on the seat. He has also done this when i was having problems with status seizures..(generalized siezures or staring seizures) I simply alerted the bus driver as to what was going on) The best way to tell what was going on with me was to watch my dog.

I have a Medical Alert service dog..i have worked ...

2011-02-21T22:19:28.829-05:00

I have a Medical Alert service dog..i have worked as an exotic animal trainer for Ringling Bros.Circus World, and with the Birds of Prey and Reptile Discovery Program at Cypress Gardens Theme parks performing educational shows and have even done television shows for MGM and Universal Studios in Orlando Fl so my background in animal care has been quite extensive.

I had over 20 years of studying animal behavior under my belt but my Catahoula Leopard Dog, Fishbait was about to teach me a whole new bag of tricks! Because it wasnt long before i noticed that right before I had a siezure, Fishbait knew it first!!

He would come over and push me away from the stove and I would turn it off and go lay down.Then I would have a siezure! I would be sitting down and he wouldnt let me up....he knew I was going to have a siezure!

Then came the day that I had one while taking a shower..I woke up in the bottom of the tub, and he was standing over me blocking the water from my face...ice cold water! All the hot water had ran out because I had been out so long! I had a bump on my head from hitting my head ...he was shivering and very uncomfortable but he still remained with me..and he had been in the living room when i went in the bathroom ...he was 7-8 months old then...we were alone at home.

He has pulled me out of traffic when I had a siezure..the ambulence got there and the ppl who saw it said they were scared to get me out of the road because of the cars but my dog grabbed me by my arm and my head and pulled me from the road.

I was in the hospital having an MRI done and Fishbait was in another room with the technician and when the test was almost over all of a sudden he started whining and ran to the door and began scratching at it and going crazy...i had just gotten over pneumonia a few weeks before than and my lungs had started filling up with fluid again...and even from another room with the door closed between us and me in the MRI tube Fishbait could tell I was in respitory distress..and he was telling the technician i needed help and that he needed to get to me.

So now Fishbait is not just a siezure alert dog, He is a Medical Alert Dog...he smells my breath sometimes and I know he is checking me for all kinds of things.

My husband has a Legal Service Dog. With document...

2011-02-20T12:46:16.316-05:00

My husband has a Legal Service Dog. With documentation, tag and all the works. I don't find it irritating to provide ID or proof of the dogs registration when required. I do find it overwhelmed when people abuse of the situation. If you don't have anything to hide be an open book. Some way we must stop people that love to live in fraud lives more complicated.

I have had a trained service dog for several years...

2010-09-30T14:30:46.195-04:00

I have had a trained service dog for several years. I must say that the reactions that some people have to a service dog is amazing. Before I get to sit down I am often "attacked" with "You can't bring that in here" before I can open my mouth!!! The dog is very well behaved and once placed in a position and given the stay command he does not move. Unlike people I sit next to who can not sit still for 5 minutes!!! The dog NEVER eats in a restaurant and will not even ask!!!! He is trained to detect seizures and is dedicated to doing his JOB. I feel upset when people are mean and often nasty to me because I have the dog with me. I also have a PET dog that likes to play and eat from the table and act like a dog. What bothers me more than anything is the attitude of people who think that they are responsible for asking questions and telling me what I can and can not do with my service animal. One man was so mean I got up and left and then realized that I was not going to let him ruin my right to sit and enjoy a show. SO I went back in! No matter what laws are passed or what states do there is always going to be some one who is going to try and abuse the system. It works that way for everything. Just look at handicapped parking hangers. There are so many handicapped spaces and not enough for the people who really need it!No matter what you have to have integrity. Many people do not but that does not give anyone the right to question me about my disability (what it is, how it effects me, what the dog does, how does he do it)that is private information and not subject to questioning in public with the main objective being humiliation. I try to be a good person and do good things for others. I would never question anyone about their disability because it's not my business.

I called just now and talked with a Pinellas count...

2010-08-01T20:37:11.829-04:00

I called just now and talked with a Pinellas county deputy and he said that the owner DOES have to show documentation. But as for the dog running free on the beach, that is a judgment call on the part of the deputy. Result: grin and bear it. So I will now go and get my "documentation" and join the scofflaws. After all, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I was on the Gulf beaches next to the surf when a ...

2010-08-01T20:19:57.980-04:00

I was on the Gulf beaches next to the surf when a woman walked by with her dog loose and running to and fro. I found it irritating because I cannot bring my animals out and do what she was doing and I told her so. She replied that it was a service animal and that is the only way she could exercise it. I watched it chase the ibises and gulls and I thought this can't be right. But now I am not so sure. This looks like one great big loophole in the law to me and I think it is impossible to determine who is telling the truth without some documentation.

I am going to use my two dogs as service animals. ...

2010-08-01T20:09:01.886-04:00

I am going to use my two dogs as service animals. Since I don't need ANY PROOF WHATSOEVER that I have an affliction requiring them, I will take them into a restaurant and seat one on either side of me. Remember, I can't be denied equal service, so I will order for them as well. One hamburger extra rare for each should do nicely. All the owner of the restaurant has a right to do is ask me questions. I will say I'm nuts, OK? I need the dogs to keep me from going completely whacko, that will be my disability.

This weekend I was at a Florida State Park with my...

2010-07-26T10:21:46.657-04:00

This weekend I was at a Florida State Park with my service dog. I was approuched by a county employee that threatend me with a fine cause he stated my dog did not look like a service dog due to her size. He went looking for local authority that when i explained to him what had happened he appologized but I felt that an invasion of my privacy had occured since I am epileptic and there is no law that states I have to make it known to the public nor is there a law that states that my service dog must wear a vest at all times regardless of the weather. I feel that is an abuse to our service dog that if we ourselves wear light clothing on very hot days why should she have to wear her vest? I find that both local or state run facilities as well as private companies should train there employees in such a way they do not sound ignorant but are aware that they could find themselves in a middle of a law suit.

But I want to TRAIN a service dog. I am not disab...

2010-07-01T17:15:03.074-04:00

But I want to TRAIN a service dog. I am not disabled, but I want to train a dog for someone who is. I have already ordered a service vest for the dog online. What more are my requirements?

Federal Law, Department of Justice states that NO ...

2010-06-27T23:52:42.401-04:00

Federal Law, Department of Justice states that NO Service Dog is required to have ANY certification, paperwork, etc. If you google Service Dog Laws you can very easily find the accurate site created by the GOVERNMENT that states the rules as it will have the letters .gov as part of the address and then you know you are at the CORRECT SITE; very simple to do and all the information is out there!

I find "some" comments not only ignorant...

2010-06-27T16:32:54.803-04:00

I find "some" comments not only ignorant but discriminatory. The ADA has come a long way baby and it's about time. "These people" (I assume the poster was refering to people with dissabilities)are entitiled to be treated with the same respect and dignity as non handicapped people.

There will always be a minority who willfully break a law however, it is not the majority. The "doorman firing" story was ridiculous; he/she was within the law and could have sued their employer and won.

If you want to play the service dog police...be prepared to face charges and or lawsuits "if" you are wrong.

People are in far more danger of drunk drivers breaking the law than a dog in a grocery store on a leash or in a carrier. Just "one" drink and you are over the legal limit. Would you also like to be the "alcohol police?"

Pick your battles (annoyances, judgements, etc) more wisely before you end up picking on the wrong disabled person...

Perhaps you'd rather see FL require service dog accredidation and WHO would pay for that? Tax payers? Yep!