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Service Dog Fraud & The Problem

© Written by sassawj


Service dogs can be of any breed, size or mix of breeds,
though some are more suitable for special tasks than others...


A fairly new trend that is hitting the streets is perfectly able-bodied dog owners passing their average pets as certified service dogs to reap the benefits of all public access in places where animals are generally prohibited, such as in grocery stores, coffee shops and even restaurants. And how it's done is easier than you may think...

There are a number of different bogus online service animal registries nationwide, such as www.RegisterMyServiceAnimal.com, that will "register", "certify" and send you "official" accessories such as ID tags, a vest and other so-called credentials, which will then give you the power to take your pet anywhere you please, all of that for a low one-time fee.

These registries have zero requirements for dog / pet owners to meet in order to obtain documentation "proving" their pet is an official service animal and is needed to be with the handler in public places, no matter if the dog has been properly trained to complete certain tasks special to the disabled or if the dog is nothing more than an average family pet with only basic training or even none at all, and no matter if the owner is simply using the documentation just to gain the right to be accompanied by their pet everywhere they go. And if it was not obvious enough, these registries do not even require medical documentation proving the owner truly has a disability, medical ailment / illness that calls for a the assistance of a service animal, making it frighteningly easy for absolutely anyone, even perfectly healthy and able-bodied, to register their pets as service animals, fake a disability, wave a little service animal ID card around everywhere they go and actually get away with it!


Above are a couple examples of the service animal ID tags & certificates, which are
available for all types of pets & for absolutely anyone with a bank account, no questions asked


So, What is the Harm in Faking a Service Dog?

By passing your dog off as a service dog, with the sole intention of gaining public access, is without a doubt faking that you yourself have a disability and that disability of yours requires the assistance of a service dog, be if for mobility, epilepsy, some other medical problem or mental illness; while such frauds fake these disabilities solely to gain that very right to be accompanied by their pets in public places, those with real disabilities that truly rely on the assistance of a service animal would prefer to be fully independent.

The disabled who require service dogs fight enough discrimination as it is, especially when traveling by airplane, and such frauds that lack training and are badly behaved ruin the reputation for true service dogs, also making shop keepers, clerks, business owners and the like skeptical of which dogs are true service animals and which ones are the frauds.

For the privacy and rights of the disabled, if someone takes a dog into a pubic establishment and claims it is a service dog, the only questions the owner or employees can legally ask that person is – "Is this a service dog?" and also "What is he / she trained to do?" – It is illegal to ask any further questions, such as what the handler’s disability is, for their own privacy and rights. However those two legal questions will not stop frauds, as they will continue to sneak through the cracks just for the sake of taking their dog into the coffee shop for a quick latte

Isn’t Service Dog Fraud Illegal?

Yes, service dog fraud is certainly illegal but determining who the real service dogs are and who the fakes are is what stands in the way, because of the legal issues surrounding one asking about the handler’s disability and whether or not they are legitimate. Basically, there are no national requirements for service dog certification, licensing, training, or identification. Most states have laws about the rights of people with service dogs to take their dogs into public places and on public transportation. No states require any type of registration, certification, or identification of service dogs, but fortunately, there are advocacy groups riling together in effort to crack down on those many fraud service dog handlers.



How Do I Tell the Difference Between Fraud & Not?

Service dogs perform actual, specific tasks for people with disabilities: signal dogs for the deaf, guide dogs for the blind, assistance dogs for those in wheelchairs, alert dogs for insulin-dependent type 1 diabetics, seizure response dogs, assistance dogs for persons with certain psychiatric disabilities, and medical alert dogs. These are not your everyday, average, ordinary pets!

Most real service dogs have been carefully selected by professionals for their suitable temperament, health and aptitude for their necessary work. They have received intensive training, often completing a two year training program before being assigned to their person. In some instances, pet dogs can be trained by their owners to be official service dogs as opposed to acquiring a pre-trained service dog from an organization for any of a variety of reasons, though this is not always the most preferred route, yet these animals are most often no less legitimate than any professionally trained service dog.



Average pets masqueraded as service dogs do not generally display the typical behaviors of a highly trained service dog – these dogs are often too friendly and too eager to approach strangers and jump up to greet them, some are timid, some are even aggressive and problem-some, and most of all, these dogs do not perform any sort of tasks that a disabled person may need completed.

Next time you slip that eBay purchased vest onto your badly behaved pet, ready to run to the shopping mall to pick up some grocery, think about what harm you are doing to those that are truly disabled and those that truly require the assistance of a service dog…

Is all the lying and deceiving on your behalf just to bring your dog to WalMart really worth it?


On the left, a disabled boy with his service dog
On the right, a behavior a service dog should never display which quickly points to fraud!




Informative Links:

o Service Dog Central | o Service Dogs for America
o Assistance Dog International |  o Canine Companions for Independence
o International Association of Assistance Dog Partners | o ADA Service Animals

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To Our Members Here @ stopBSL

The administrators here at stopBSL felt it was not only necessary but also important to go over a few of our rules which are deemed the most important and also the most broken and ignored.

First, if you have not already, please familiarize yourself with stopBSL's Info, Rules & Guidelines and our own FAQ - we direct each and every single new member to those two pages upon approving join requests, that is when you are expected to read over those rules and understand them before sending in submissions to our gallery. Needless to say, any rule-breaking submissions will be declined; we do decline many submissions, we quite possibly decline more than we accept within any given week, but had most of our members read over the group's rules prior to sending in those rule-breaking submissions then perhaps there would be no need to decline all of them!

Respect Our Submission Limit - Even When the System Fails!
As you may know, DeviantART is full of bugs and often times the group system fails because of those bugs. We have enforced a submission limit of three submissions per day per member, but when the system cannot automatically enforce that limit due to failing, we have members who seem to forget this rule, be it by sending in one or two extra submissions a day or by flooding us with 20+ submissions in ten minutes - it happens! Just because it appears as though you are free to submit more or any amount of submissions a day, which is due to system failure, it does not mean you should! And this type of behavior shows a total lack of respect for your group administrators here!

Global Submission Limit: Three / 3 each day
This limit means that members are permitted to submit up to three artworks total to the group's gallery each day!
While we maintain a submission limit of three / 3 per day to the group's gallery, this does not however pertain to each individual gallery folder - please be sure to look within each gallery folder to learn their individualized submission limits per day, per week or per month - this is further addressed and discussed below...

Submit to the Correct Folders!
Probably half of all submissions that are declined are because of being sent to the wrong gallery folder! Our gallery has a very simple system, within each folder on the left hand side is a summary outlining the purpose of that folder, what type of artwork belongs there, a set of rules specific to that folder in some cases and what that particular folder's individual submission limit is either per day, per week or per month, therefore finding which folder your artwork belongs in should be fairly easy! As posted on our front page, the Overview of Gallery Folders is a list of all of stopBSL's gallery folders conveniently spread out on a single page, of course including the very same contents - the purpose of each folder and what type of artwork belongs there, each folder's own set of rules and submission limit - this should make it simple for members to find where their artwork is best suited!

Read the Contents of the Folders & Always Meet the Criteria!
Just as previously discussed, within each folder is a summary on the left hand side summarizing the purpose of that folder and that very same information can also be found within the Overview of Gallery Folders; that being said, five of our folders do have their own set of specific rules and criteria that must be met in order for artwork sent there to be accepted, and those five folders are the following:
Pet Adoption Promotional Artwork
The Rescue Dogs of StopBSL
The Champions of StopBSL
In Memory - Rainbow Bridge
Breed-Specific Legislation Related Artwork
Almost all submissions sent to these folders are declined because the criteria was not met ... and because of that, each of those five folders have only a handful of artwork on display, which is sad!

Read the Rules!
Again, it is very important for everyone here to become familiar with the Info, Rules & Guidelines and FAQ if you would like to submit your artwork to the group! All we ask of our members is to please, please, please read over our rules and submission guidelines and abide by them, which is only a tiny request to ask of in return for all of what our administrators here try to do for all of you in regards to promoting your artwork!

:note: Got Questions? Send a Note!


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Welcome to Our !RARE! Breed of the Month Feature!


January’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
February’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
March's !RARE! Breed of the Month
April's !RARE! Breed of the Month
May's !RARE! Breed of the Month
June's !RARE! Breed of the Month
July's !RARE! Breed of the Month
August's !RARE! Breed of the Month

2011 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap
2012 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap

Featuring September’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
the Silken Windhound




What is a Silken Windhound?

The Silken Windhound is a small, hardy, strikingly elegant sighthound, athlete and companion. The Silken Windhound is the result of hard work and dedication, stemming from champion show and coursing Borzois and the Whippet to create a very new and distinct breed of sighthound with quality temperament, excellent health and also functionality as a very athletic and efficient coursing dog that excels in the field.



History & Origin

"The Silken Windhound is the result of the hard work and vision of breed founder Francie Stull, breeder of more than 200 Champion Borzoi under the kennel name Kristull, to create a medium sized, athletic, family-oriented, coated sighthound.  The Silken Windhound today is an ideal sporting companion for those wanting the elegance and athleticism of a sighthound, with the protective addition of a silky coat, and a smaller size than any other long coated sighthound.  Typically a long lived breed, Silken Windhounds are active and healthy into their late teens, with the oldest known Silken living to enjoy her 20th birthday.  Stull’s decades long breeding program focused on bringing together some of the best aspects of several show and coursing Borzoi lines from some of the top U.S. kennels, small coated sighthounds developed by U.S. breeder Walter Wheeler, and a single Whippet, brought in from Kridoni Kennel in Peru, whose blood brought into the breed some of the most influential Whippet lines in the Americas today..." @ silkenwindhound.com

For more information on the history and origin of the Silken Windhound, please see the following sites:
silkenwindhound.com & silkenwindhounds.org



To compare the similarities between the two breeds
above is a picture of a Silken Windhound and its larger relative, a Borzoi, also known as the Russian Wolfhound


Appearance & Structure

The Silken Windhound is an elegant, small to medium-sized sighthound with a moderately long silky coat. Its classic lines and athletic build are the hallmark of a true coursing dog. When viewing a Silken Windhound, one has the impression of grace, balance, and strength integrated with exceptional running ability. The build of the Silken Windhound is sleek, through a balanced combination of fine bladed bone and smooth muscle, and never looks frail. Heavy, round, or coarse bone is faulty.



The coat is soft, and silky in texture. In no case should the coat be woolly or profuse enough to obscure the outline of the Silken Windhound, nor so long as to interfere with the function of a coursing hound. The coat may be straight, slightly wavy, or curly. There is longer feathering along the back of the forelegs, the brisket, hindquarters, around the neck, and tail. Coat on the face, feet, front of forelegs and hocks are naturally short. Feathering that frames the ears and face adds to the dog's expression, and should not be trimmed. The Silken Windhound is shown in a natural coat with minimal trimming.

@ silkenwindhounds.org



Color

All colors and markings are acceptable in the Silken Windhound, anywhere from including but not limited to red, cream, fawn, brindle, white, silver, parti-colored, black with or without white, tan or brindle markings.



Temperament

Silken Windhounds are as comfortable in the sporting fields as they are on the couch at home with their humans. They are generally affectionate and playful, and make ideal family companions and good playmates for gentle children. They are unsuited as guard dogs due to their trusting and friendly nature. Like all sighthounds, Silkens excel in racing or lure coursing but have also proven to be intelligent and responsive enough to also enjoy less typical sighthound activities. They are successful in agility, therapy, flyball and obedience. They do well with smaller household pets indoors if socialized to them properly, but their sighthound nature means that any small, fast running animals in the field may be chased.





Featuring September‘s Targeted Breed of the Month
the Dogo Argentino





The Dogo Argentino is a large pack-hunting dog, bred for the pursuit of big-game, and possesses the strength, intelligence and quick responsiveness of a serious athlete. The Dogo Argentino descends from the now extinct Cordoba Fighting Dog also from Argentina, which was a cross of Mastiff, English Bull Terrier, Boxer and English Bulldog, bred for its aggression towards other dogs for the use of fighting and known for its willingness to fight to the death and also its high pain tolerance; the aggression in the Cordoba Fighting Dog was bred out while developing the Dogo Argentino in order to form a functional breed that could accompany other catch and bay dogs in the field without fighting, but the breed has continued to be used for fighting in areas where the blood sport is still legal due to its fearlessness and stamina. This breed is commonly a target of breed-specific legislation and other forms of discrimination, it is banned in Iceland, Singapore and Ukraine, and in the United Kingdom it is illegal to own a Dogo Argention without lawful authority, and the breed is also targeted by either breed bans or restrictions in various cities in the United States.

Quick Facts:
• Country of Origin: Argentina
• Functionality: Big game hunting, guardian & dog fighting
• Coat Colors: Solid white & white with only small black or dark colored markings around the eyes, but the whiter dog is always more preferred over another
• Height: Dogs – 24 to 27 inches & Bitches – 23.5 to 26 inches


Info, Rules & Guidelines || stopBSL FAQ || The List of Targeted Breeds
The Complete Member List || !RARE! Breed of the Month Features


Welcome to Our !RARE! Breed of the Month Feature!


January’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
February’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
March's !RARE! Breed of the Month
April's !RARE! Breed of the Month
May's !RARE! Breed of the Month
June's !RARE! Breed of the Month
July's !RARE! Breed of the Month

2011 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap
2012 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap

Featuring August's !RARE! Breed of the Month
the New Zealand Huntaway




What is a New Zealand Huntaway?

The New Zealand Huntaway dog that has been selectively bred by the shepherds of New Zealand for over a century to produce a dog that uses it’s “voice” to herd sheep. From a young age, the dog is trained to use its voice to gather the herd together, and then follow, using its voice to direct the sheep forward. This new, unconventional way of herding soon had its own special events at sheepdog field trials. These events, referred to as “Huntaways” gave rise to the breed’s name.


 
They are required to be very intelligent, and be agile, as well as have enough stamina to be able to work sheep over the rough terrain of the New Zealand high country for days at a time. They have a deep bark that they repeat, generally with shot pauses in between in order to sustain for long periods of time.

While the New Zealand Huntaway is not recognized by any kennel club, it has been exported to Great Britain, where it continues to breed true for its intended purpose of sheep herding, and participating in special field trials. It has also become popular as a companion.



History & Origin

Back in the 1900’s most of the sheep dogs in New Zealand were imported from Great Britian and worked silently.  The New Zealand Huntaway was developed in response to the farming conditions of New Zealand’s high country, the vast pastoral runs also known as “stations” required teams of dogs who could work not only for long periods of time, but could work over great distances of rough, steep hill country, where the dog can disappear for periods of time. So, when the shepherds encountered working dogs that would occasionally bark as opposed to working silently, they saw the benefit of that trait and started breeding for it.

Appearance & Structure

Sturdily built, with a deep chest, and muscular legs, the weight of the dog ranges from 45-60 lbs. They stand between 20-24 inches.  Their coat is one of two different textures; either smooth or rough, and the color is generally either black, black & tan (the most common), with mottled white and brindle.



Temperament

While the New Zealand Huntaway was bred as a sheep dog, it has started becoming a popular companion dog. They are devoted and loyal to their owners and they are intelligent, which makes training the dog fairly easy. Due to the fact that they are friendly by nature, they are not an ideal dog to get for guarding. Around children they are patient and playful, and usually good around other “non-canine” pets. They are also active, and you need to make sure they get enough exercise throughout the day. They are also, as you might have guessed, vocal, so keep that in mind if you are considering getting one as a companion as your neighbors might not appreciate the barking.





Featuring July‘s Targeted Breed of the Month
the Perro de Presa Canario





The Perro de Presa Canario, or simply known as the Presa Canario or Canary Dog, is apart of the molosser / mastiff family, originally bred for working livestock and can be used for a variety of jobs. Being that the Presa Carnario has been involved in a number of fatal attacks on humans, this breed is a common target of breed-specific laws and other forms of discrimination all around the world, including being either banned or restricted in various cities throughout the United States, being a targeted by forms of legislation in Canada, Italy, Australia, Bermuda and Singapore.

Quick Facts:
• Country of Origin: Canary Islands, Spain
• Functionality: Working livestock, guardian & companion
• Coat Colors: Ranges from different shades of fawn, to varying shades of red or black brindle
• Height: Males – 23.6 to 26 inches & Females – 22 to 24.4 inches


Info, Rules & Guidelines || stopBSL FAQ || The List of Targeted Breeds
The Complete Member List || !RARE! Breed of the Month Features


Welcome to Our !RARE! Breed of the Month Feature!


January’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
February’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
March's !RARE! Breed of the Month
April's !RARE! Breed of the Month
May's !RARE! Breed of the Month
June's !RARE! Breed of the Month

2011 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap
2012 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap

Featuring July’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
the Karelian Bear Dog




What is a Karelian Bear Dog?

Karelian Bear Dogs are a primitive hunting breed known for their courage to deal with large prey animals, including bear and cougar. Believed to have survived to the present day from descendants of Viking Age spitz-type hunting dogs, the qualities that are necessary for survival in the wilderness have been passed on to the present generation. Fearless by nature, the dog is known for its ability to work independently in difficult conditions.



Specially trained Karelian Bear Dogs are used in combination with aversive conditioning tools and structured learning situations to teach bears to recognize and avoid human territory. Carrie Hunt's Bear Shepherding techniques are an innovative combination of animal-to-animal communication using Bear Dogs and human-to-bear communication. Using her knowledge of bear behavior, Hunt structures learning experiences that a bear can absorb and retain.

Karelian Bear Dogs are a key element to the success of these techniques. Long used as hardy hunting dogs in northern Europe the KBD is intelligent, fearless and full of boundless energy. Taking on the role of conservationist, the highly adaptable KBD is a perfect partner in the work being conducted by the Wind River Bear Institute.





History & Origin

The Karelian Bear Dog originated in northwestern Europe, and was originally the dog of Russian and Finnish peasants. The breed was mainly used for hunting and as a watch dog. Only the toughest survived fightings, and hunting under very hard conditions. The Karelian is a Finnish breed. Early dogs had red, red-gray and black & white coats. The Komi dog is considered to be the origin of the breed and basic stock dogs originated from Ladoga's Carelia, Olonets & Russian Carelia. In further breeding, the progeny was selected to the Karelian Bear Dog type and only black & white dogs were preferred for breeding. The first breed standard was established in 1945. The first Karelian Bear Dogs were registered in the Finnish Kennel Club in 1946. Today the breed is one of the top10 most common breeds in Finland.

Appearance & Structure

The dog should be in excellent physical condition. Males stand 21–24 inches at the withers and females are shorter, at 19–22 inches,  typically weighing 44-50 lbs. The breed has a coat of straight, stiff guard hairs and a fine, soft, thick undercoat. There should be no curl in the hair at all. The bushy tail curls in a circle over the back in a ring and has a white tip. It falls gently onto the dog's back or to one side. Purebred KBD have tails that curve into a circle rather than a sickle.



Color

The color must be black with white markings. Often the jet-black hair is slightly tinted with brownish highlights on the ends giving it an iridescent quality. Preferably the color percentage is around 70% black and 30% white.

Temperament

As remarkable as their natural beauty and athleticism is their capacity to make wonderful companion dogs. Because of their high energy and intelligence, they are best suited for an experienced dog handler. The KBD is said to possess an aggressive and unfriendly temperament which proves to be untrue for the breed as a whole, but with the KBD and any other dog no matter its breed, early socialization and training is an absolute must. The Karelian Bear Dog is a very social and tenacious hunter that needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation and a job to do to keep it happy and healthy.



@ beardogs.org
@ karelianbeardog.us




Featuring July‘s Targeted Breed of the Month
the Rhodesian Ridgeback




The Rhodesian Ridgeback is found to be subject to breed-specific legislation and other forms of discrimination, the breed is regulated in the Republic of Ireland, is restricted & banned in cities across the United States, and a target in Canada.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is an energetic, high prey driven and tenacious hunting and bay dog that requires an experienced handler.

Quick Facts:
• Country of Origin: Zimbabwe, formally Rhodesia
• Functionality: Hunting lions & large game
• Coat Colors: Ranges from light wheaten to red wheaten coat color with black mask, sometimes with white on chest & / or toes
• Height: Dogs – 25 to 25 inches & Bitches – 24 to 26 inches

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Important Group-Related Notices
o Read the Rules!
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o Members' Behavior



Educational Articles
o Purebred Versus Mixed Breed Dogs
o Banning Merle to Merle Breeding
o An Introduction to Breed-Specific Legislation
o The DOs & DON'Ts of Dog Collars
o Looking Into Cesar Millan's Methods
o The Most Stereotyped Breed
o Reputable Breeder vs. Backyard Breeder
o What's In Your Dog's Diet?
o The DOs & DON'Ts of Chew Toys
o The Pet Obesity Epidemic
o Homeowers Insurance & Breed Discrimination
o Understanding Dog Behavior & Body Language
o Service Dog Fraud - The Problem
o Black Dog Syndrome
o The "It's All in How They're Raised" Misconception
o Debunking Dominance Theory




!RARE! BotM 2016
• January - Smaland Hound
• February - Ca de Bou





!RARE! BotM 2015
• January - Skye Terrier
• February - Bergamasco
• March - Drever
• April - Eurasier
• May - Port. Podengo
• June - Kangal
• July - Azawakh
• August - Estrela Mnt. Dog
• September - Slovensky Cuvac
• October - Kromfohrlander
• November - Deutscher Wachtelhund
• December - Chart Polski
o 2015 RBotM Recap


!RARE! BotM 2014
• January - Lagotto Romagnolo
• February - Munsterlander
• March - Swedish Vallhund
• April - Pyrenean Shepherd
• May - Kishu Ken
• June - Kai Ken
• July - East Siberian Laika
• August - Schapendoes
• September - Transylvanian Hound
• October - Appenzeller Mnt Dog
• November - Pumi
• December - Chinook
o 2014 !RARE! BotM Recap


!RARE! BotM 2013
• January - Bohemian Shepherd
• February - Alaskan Klee Kai
• March - Beauceron
• April - Komondor
• May - Hamilton Hound
• June - Himalayan Sheepdog
• July - Karelian Bear Dog
• August - New Zealand Huntaway
• September - Silken Windhound
• October - Blue Picardy Spaniel
• November - Plott Hound
• December - Russian Toy Terrier
o 2013 !RARE! BotM Recap


!RARE! BotM 2012
• January - Aidi
• February - Kooikerhondje
• March - Procelaine
• April - Hovawart
• May - Shikoku Dog
• June - Stabyhoun
• July - Broholmer
• August - Azores Cattle Dog
• September - Catahoula
• October - Bavarian Mountain Dog
• November - Cirneco dell'Etna
• December - Rafeiro do Alentejo
o 2012 !RARE! BotM Recap



!RARE! BotM 2011
• April - Xoloitzcuintli
• May - Hungarian Mudi
• June - ASTCD
• July - Norwegian Lundehund
• August - Tibetan Mastiff
• September - Berger Picard
• October - Fila Brasileiro
• November - Tamaskan Dog
• December - Thai Dog
o 2011 !RARE! BotM Recap


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