This response is a bit sad. I used to be like you, people with depression are just whiny children. Then I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Besides gaining a lot of weight and taking medicine daily you would not think anything is wrong with me. However, what most people do not know is that hypothyroidism messes with your hormones and is in fact the root of where my mental illness started. I had gotten to a point in my life where I could not go to the store without having a mental break down. It was almost like I was over stimulated. I do not want to talk to people, I do not want to socialize, I do not want to leave my house at all. But, no one can realistically function like this, can they? I am on heavy medication now, but it is still hard for me to leave the house. Call me whiny, mock me, say it is terrible for us to compare the two. But just know that just because you can see the person struggling to open the door because they lost their arm, just remember that other people also struggled with whether to commit suicide today. They struggled to leave their house, to not have a mental break because there is 200 people in walmart with three lanes open. You may think that I do not need a service dog, you may be a person that trolls the internet telling people to go kill themselves because you contemplate it daily, but if my dog is the only thing on earth that keeps me grounded and she is not doing any harm, do not tell me I don’t need her.

Thanks for sharing the Service Animal laws in Canada. We just had an expert in Service Animals and accessibility stop by our recent Guide Dog puppy raiser group meeting. I have a few notes and links and I hope to update this page as well as create an updated blog post. Thanks for sharing!

While I agree with your points, I feel you may be judging harshly. I have been training dogs since 2007. I will not cert any dog as a TD or SD. Why? because out of my sight, I have no idea how the handler or dog will behave. I direct them to someone else to get cert. Now, I have working in social work for years. So.. with my 2 fields social work and dog training I have seen TONS of TDs passed off as SDs and like you it makes me peeved. I hate it, I hate to see some tiny little purse dog yapping at people, peeing on stuff in the store, it just makes me want to scream at the owner. It is due to people like that who abuse the service dog right , us who have REAL working dog are treated badly. My dog is smaller 25lbs he is owner trained ( as I am a dog trainer) however, his tester, and I hold him to the same rules as any lab or GSD. He doesn’t sit in my purse, or shopping cart, or get all dressed up, or eat lunch with me. He is to sit under the table, while I eat and for the most part be un-noticed by anyone. He is so good I have had people jump and say, “Oh my gosh..I thought he was a toy, purse..” He works with me, helps me with everyday things, like dropped stuff, light switches, wall buttons, and his most important job, is altering me to my low blood sugar. This is a job, no one can “see” him do. This is a huge issue for me, that one can see.. well..unless its to late. This leads me to the other side of your comments. I agree with you. For most, people who just buy a vest on-line, and say “He/She is a service dog.” and have no easily seen disabilities, state its for MH. Well.. here is my issue with that, 1st off how trained is the dog? Could he/she pass the same PAT that “real” Sds have to pass? 2. How does it effect their MH to have people asking, about the dog and what it does? 3. Does it have 3 trained…yes.. TRAINED task he/she can do to help the person’s illness? While we may not agree with WHY someone uses a dog, if they are in fact disabled according to the ADA, and the dog is highly PATed we should not judge. It is the people that look at you with the blank look, when you ask, “What does your dog do?” Or they let the dog walk in front of them (at leisure ) in the store, or any of the other things you would never see a guide dog doing. Those people are the ones we should look down our noses at. Those are the people that make us look bad. If you were to meet me, you would think, “She’s young and healthy why does she need a dog?” My story is a long one and my pain, nerve damage, TBI and blood sugar are not easy to see, however when people judge me I say, “Bring it on!” I have nothing to hide. So, instead of using harsh words, next time, smile and talk to someone maybe you will find their dog is just as trained as yours, maybe they are a Rt Vet with 1 leg, TBI, have seizures, are training the dog for a person at home in a wheelchair… we can’t always assume they are “Those” people who are trying to pass pets off as SDs

Your doctor and you both need to grow up! You worthless crybabies need to stop suckin the government tit and stop comparing yourselves to people who really are disabled!

I am sickened you compare yourself to a physically disabled person who cannot function without the aid of an assistance dog to see for them or pull a wheelchair! Grow up! You cannot go to a restaurant withot a therapy dog??? Seriously! Lose yor sight or a limb and then see how you feel! Either take your meds or get an exorcism but don’t compare yourself with a physically handicap person just so you can take a dog to a restaurant or store with you! Sounds like you need to get your ass out and work and maybe you will feel better about yourself!

Myself and my daughter train and use therapy dogs in hospitals, nursing homes and in a program called the read program to help children with reading, in schools.. I agree 100% How is it that so many people can not recognize that these dogs are trained and give comfort to many instead of one person only… they help many… also if we are unable to go into public facilities how are we to prepare one for testing…
Obviously there are people out there just wanting to take their pets with them everywhere but I feel if you are a member of an accredited org. that therapy and comfort dogs should have the save rights as service dogs. There will always be people that should not even have pets.. let alone a therapy dog, in public or otherwise…. I do think that therapy dogs should have to wear badges to address that they should meet certain qualifications… and be with an org.