Want to Help Service Dogs - Call Or Write Your Lawmakers

A few days ago I found a proposal prepared by animal control authorities in one of our largest urban centers on how to reduce significantly the number of dogs killed annually in shelters. I will report on the proposal in a separate, detailed article.
One of the findings has a more or less direct bearing on the topic of my articles on working service dogs. The draft proposal proves clearly and unmistakably that the number of Chihuahuas in shelters has increased significantly in the last few years. This confirms my own finding that we are coming close to a situation where small dogs, mainly Chihuahua mixes of all sorts, outnumber the traditional bad boys of the shelter world.
Walk your medium or large sized dog in certain neighborhoods and you will see and hear that this is also true for regular life situations.
What does this have to do with working service dogs, you demand to know.
Ask any landlord or manager of an apartment building and you will hear stories of purported service dogs of that kind, talk to store managers and you will hear similar stories, question library personnel or anyone who works in public buildings and you get an earful of complaints. Almost all cases involve 'service dogs' of that nature.
Abuse of the service dog privilege is not primarily perpetrated by owners of working dogs but rather by owners of breeds that were meant and bred as pets. These dogs hardly ever can perform a 'specific task' to assist their owner. They excel maybe in being companion dogs or even therapy dogs, but that is about it. I cannot see what service three Chihuahuas on flex leashes can perform in a grocery store.


If managers, store owners or other employees of public facilities have given you and your service dog a hard time, you owe it to yourself and to other people who rely on the services of their true service dog, to write or call your senators or representatives.
They need to hear about the huge loopholes in the ADA sections related to service dogs. They need to hear about every day difficulties you experience because someone before you abused the law.
We do not need more exemptions and more vague additions to pacify vocal interest groups, we only need a better defined and formulated law.
Please, go do the right thing: Pick up the pen or crank up you computer and let your duly elected representatives know what you think about ADA and service dogs.
PJJ