Fake Service Animals California
In California the punishment for falsely claiming to have a service dog or be a trainer includes a fine of up to 1000 and up to six months in jail.
Fake service animals california. Having a fake service animal is a misdemeanor according to legislation that became effective Jan. The penalties vary depending on where the infraction took place. This was not a proposal for a fake service dog law but an exploration of the need for one.
Many service dog handlers have stories of being turned away from businesses where a fake service dog has made a nuisance of itself previously causing the business owners to adopt a resolute no-animals policy even though this is against the law. In 2014 the New Yorkers Patricia Marx gallivanted freely around the city with five successive fake ESA creatures including a snake an alpaca and a pig named Daphne demonstrating how easy. DFEH Director Says Fake Service Animals Are a Real Problem.
Polsky on February 26 2014. Many states have passed laws that make it illegal to fake having a service dog. California has the toughest laws regarding fake service animals.
What are Californias laws on fake service animals. Badly behaved fake service dogs are hugely damaging to public perceptions of service animals. About a dozen states are considering legislation to crack down on fake service animals.
Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Fake service dogs put unfair scrutiny on the people who actually need their animals for medical or emotional purposes and theyre an insult to the dogs that go through months of intense training to be good at their jobs. A service dog is not required to be registered certified or identified as a service dog.
The problem isnt people who legitimately need the assistance. Fake service animals act like pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the persons disability.