Lately, I have seen a lot of people on all of the guide dog groups and forums complaining about access issues. Here's my problem with them. Yes, you have the right to have the dog. No they are not legally bound to see documentation, or ID. Yes, you can file a complaint. No, you don't have to notify the business/hotel in advance. Yes, you are protected under the ADA, but all of these things don't give you the right to act like you're a belligerent fool. If someone asks for documentation, show it to them. Let them understand. Call in advance. Make people aware. They can't accommodate you if you don't tell them. I have seen a lot of documentation issues as well. If someone asks for it, do your due diligence and show it to them. The docs are there to show that your dog is legit. If that keeps fake service dogs off the street, then great! That's less we have to worry about it. Our duty as handlers is not to just go about our day thinking we can do what we want with our dogs. Being a handler requires some work on our part to make sure the dog is accommodated for, and that sometimes means making people aware of what's going on. I was once told that my dog had to be on the reservation ticket for a hotel room. Ok, sure that's fine. I get to stay there with my dog, and the place is aware of him being there. Every body wins, and i don't have to spend my day arguing with people about whether i can have the dog, or not. I quite honestly wish it was legal for someone to ask for a service ID. It would make life a lot easier for a vast majority of us. I say all this to say that we are not above the law just because we are protected by it. The law is there to protect us, and give us those rights, but in order to be good stewards of it, we shouldn't go around acting like fools. If you are denied access, that's one thing, but if you are asked to make a slight change to accommodate the dog, that should be perfectly fine. Many issues can be prevented if we do our part as handlers. Causing a scene is the wrong way to handle things. I have had to resort to that, and i have calmly explained my situation, and i have had better success with the latter. Do your part as a handler, and respect the ones put in authority, and handle situations in a way that is respectful to the people in charge, and to your dog. You are stewards of your dog, your school, and the service dog community, and being irate about the issue is not the proper way to handle it.
titsay
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