Dogs in the parks

[YorkshireT]

Unfortunately, like in most areas of life, you get scammers and cheats. The fake service dog issue is now a huge problem in the USA.
This is now leading to increasing crack downs and checks, and the people who really suffer are the genuine people who need a service dog.
I did read they were considering legislation for the punishment of service dog fakers.
Almost anyone can claim their dog is an emotional support dog and most of these people are lying through their back teeth as they want their dog in Disney and not pay for kennels. As Nimbus says, even if genuine they shouldn't be there.

[Eeyore rocks]

I did see this sign in Walmart yesterday...and thought of this thread! 🙂

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Posiesmum

I think the guy said he was diabetic, so it may have been something to do with that? The dog was wearing a special harness, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it said! It was a lovely dog though.

See more...

It sounds like the dog was a service animal. There's a difference between an emotional support dog and a service dog.

Personally, I have no problems with any well-behaved and trained animal being in the parks.

[Morethescarier7]

A few people have said they’d be more worried about people they see in Disney world than a small dog? What does that mean exactly?

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Morethescarier7

A few people have said they’d be more worried about people they see in Disney world than a small dog? What does that mean exactly?

See more...

It’s a joke. Dogs are no more harmful, disturbing, or annoying than humans that’s all.

[StorybookCircus]

I would be very concerned if I saw a toy dog like a chihuahua or a miniature dachshund walking in the parks, they’re small enough to get stepped on and seriously injured My MIL breeds
standard dachshunds and keeps some minis as pets and there is no way you could teach those breeds to perform traditional service dog tasks. They’re lovely animals and hers are renowned for their temperaments but they manage to be both lazy and wilful, plus their size makes it hard for them to help in public or around the home!
My MIL also has a whippet/saluki cross who I would love to train as a ‘pets as therapy’ dog, he’s so calm and quiet and definitely helps with my anxiety I work at a college with a large number of students with disabilities and have researched PAT dog training but the tests the dog (and owner!) have to pass to earn a yellow PAT jacket are quite rigorous. I know a lot of folk have invisible disabilities and I have depression/anxiety myself but the tabloid stories about emotional support pigs, ponies and peacocks spring to mind. Just because an animal companion makes you feel safer doesn’t mean they’re safe to accompany you around a crowded theme park!

[captain-codeye]

I watched this on fox earlier this week, seen it all now!

google/amp/s/f...expectedly.amp

[ohpair]

We saw this a lot too. My concern was not the animals themselves but we went in August, their poor little paws on that hot concrete 😳 I know what it’s like walking round water parks! Also lack of shade, I wonder if any of the animals suffer due to irresponsible owners 🙄🤦
Also saw one dog tied to a tree in sea world - they had gone off on a ride 😬

[bootsie]

I just wish we could take ours 😭 or indeed our ferrets! However as much as I miss the furbabies (A LOT) and I agree with genuine support animals in safe comfortable environments i would have concerns that a packed hot theme park would be stressful for them. I hope all the doggies are happy there!

[returnplanning]

My ex is a professional dog trainer, and on our last trip to WDW (yes, I go on holiday with the ex and his partner - only to Florida though!), he was pointing out lots of these so-called service dogs who were displaying signs of fear/stress in the park.

He believes that most of the dogs he saw were not true service animals.