We can hear it now: 鈥淪tep away from that chihuahua!鈥� If you try to pass off your pet as a service dog, you could 鈥� and should 鈥� get busted.
The B.C. government has introduced legislation that would require guide and service dogs to carry visible proof in public that they are certified as service animals.
You wouldn鈥檛 think such legislation would be necessary, but it seems there are a few miscreants who dress their pets up as service dogs so they can take them to places where dogs are usually banned.
Nicole Whitford, who has cerebral palsy and has a service dog to help her with opening doors and retrieving objects, says she often sees fraudulent guide dogs.
鈥淵ou see someone walking around with her chihuahua and she calls it a service dog,鈥� Whitford told the 91原创 Sun. 鈥淚t鈥檚 too small to be your service dog.鈥�
Service dogs are trained by accredited organizations such as the nonprofit 91原创 Assistance Dogs Society (which doesn鈥檛 train chihuahuas, by the way). These dogs become valuable companions to people with disabilities, becoming their eyes, ears and all-round helpers.
Training these dogs requires skilled professionals, but the vests and harnesses for service dogs can be bought online, and an untrained 鈥� and often poorly behaved 鈥� dog can be passed off as a trained assistance animal. It鈥檚 a low form of fraud.
The new legislation would require official tags or cards proving the dog has been trained by an accredited agency.
It鈥檚 a good piece of legislation, but it鈥檚 more than a little disturbing that it鈥檚 necessary.
