Retired Chicago Police Officer forced to give up service dog because of breed bias

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

Please consider signing this petition regarding a Chicago Police officer that was forced to relocate his service dog.  The dog a pit bull mix is outlawed in this small Iowa town that he is moved to-this is such an example of breed bias versus how a dog is trained, the dog is a therapy dog for gosh sakes.  Here is a link to the petition

http://www.change.org/petitions/aurelia-ia-city-council-a-disabled-...

Here is a full news story on this travesty.http://www.suntimes.com/9566024-417/retired-chicago-cops-service-do...

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

OMD!! Jane that must have hurt like the devil!!! They have BIG teeth!!

[Carol Brand]

Karen I could not agree more.  I'm very sorry that the man lost his dog, but the 1st thing that came to my mind was.... I wonder if this guy is claiming that his dog is a service dog to get around the law. 

The whole "service dog" thing has gotten out of control.  I personally know two people who claim that their Poodles are service dogs so that they can fly on the plane IN THE CABIN!  They went out and bought service dog vest on the Internet and then travel with some sort of bogus paper work that calls their dog a service dog.

I think this muddys the water for folks with real, trained service dogs that do things like alert  to seizures or pick things up/perform tasks.  The biggest problem is that because these bogus service dogs are not highly trained, they often cause problems in public (I saw a Doodle "service dog" once at Petco barking and lunging and dragging around his owner who was in a wheel chair. It was a disaster waiting to happen.)  When these dogs cause problems in public it makes business owners less likely to welcome true service dogs into their establishments. 

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

At the end of the day I don't think the law is right. Service dog or not. Breed specific band are not necessary. Punishment for cruel and inhumane owners are. So yes I'd the dog is not certified he does not have a federal argument (disabilities act) but the ban is wrong and that is why I
signed the petition. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Business owners don't have to welcome true service dogs. It is a federal  law that allows these animals to accompany a person with a disability. They do not need to show proof.

http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

According to this press release by Animal Farm Foundation the group that is pursuing the lawsuit, Snickers (the one in the story) is a service dog certified by the National Service Animal Registry and there was this quote in the press release-it seems this town in Iowa thinks it is ABOVE the federal law

 In 2008 Sak suffered a debilitating stroke that left him permanently disabled, unable to use the right side of his body, and confined to a wheelchair. For two years Sak worked with Aileen Eviota, a physical therapist with the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago, to improve his functional capabilities and live more independently through the use of a service dog. “Snickers has been individually trained to assist James with tasks which mitigate his disability, including walking, balance, and retrieving items around the house,” said Eviota in a letter to the Aurelia Town Council dated December 2, 2011.

Here is a link to the press release

http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/files/Press_Release_Iowa_Servic...

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

It's akin to taking away a medical device that a person depends upon to function normally.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, I am now going to sign that petition. This dog should definitely be exampt from this breed ban, and this town should be slapped with a huge monetary fine.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I'm with you!

[Carol Brand]

Ummm..... how does a Pit Bull mix that is barely knee high on this guy facilitate walking and balance?  All of the support service dogs I've seen have been VERY large so that people can brace against them.

Next, the National Service Animal Registry will register ANY dog for a fee.   This is one of the bogus paper work sites I was talking about.  Basically you get to say if your dog can pass the 'test". 

http://www.nsarco.com/registeryouranimal.html

http://www.nsarco.com/publicaccesstest.html

I'm still VERY skeptical.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's a sad story all the way around. It really does bother me when people abuse the ADA service dog laws; anyone could say their dog is a service dog because they suffer from depression or anxiety and the dog's company helps relieve that. And you've made a good point about the dog's size as it relates to actually being able to do assistance work. But I do feel bad for the dog and the owner. I really don't know what to think in this particular case.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Federal law does not acyually require certification, though. Read the FAQs posted above.

[Carol Brand]

I wonder if this dog was "certified" as a service dog before or after it ran afoul of local breed ban laws.