Service Dogs

[joanna71985]

As one of the people that train the dogs before you get them, it might be Interesting for you to know (if you don't already) that one of the places we are not allowed to take the dogs are amusement parks. They are one of the most challenging for Service Dogs in training for various reasons.

Zoos are another no-go place.

Only Finished, and preferably veteran serviced dogs go to Amusement Parks and Zoos. It is challenging for the animals. ...and thus their owners.

Seriously? That's interesting, because I've seen service dogs-in-training at MK before

 

[larryz]

It took me a moment to figure it out....

Why? Peter Quill visited Epcot in 1983, remember?

 

[jloucks]

Seriously? That's interesting, because I've seen service dogs-in-training at MK before

The different schools may have different rules. The schools/training our dogs go to are tiered. Puppies go to one school. Juveniles go to a basic training. And then the young adults go off to specialized training. So, maybe the specialized training for certain dogs includes hard-core scenarios like amusement parks and downtown city streets. I am not sure, just an educated guess.

 

[jloucks]

Or that their dog is having a wonderful time walking on the pavement at the same temperature as the sun. Or having thousands of strangers stepping on them. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Personally, I think a case could be made for cruelty to animals.

You bring up another good point. You can tell a legit service dog by the shoes they wear. In hot weather, legit dogs always wear shoes.

Really really astronomically stinky shoes. When my daughter takes off the dogs shoes, a hard to describe odor fills the room.

Actually, not that hard to describe. Smell your dogs feet, amplify by a big factor.

What? Like nobody here has ever smelled a dog foot out of curiosity.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You bring up another good point. You can tell a legit service dog by the shoes they wear. In hot weather, legit dogs always wear shoes.

Really really astronomically stinky shoes. When my daughter takes off the dogs shoes, a hard to describe odor fills the room.

Actually, not that hard to describe. Smell your dogs feet, amplify by a big factor.

What? Like nobody here has ever smelled a dog foot out of curiosity.

Don't want to burst your bubble, but, no I have not.

 

[Cado603]

I was at Disney last fall when this service dog program just started and only at certain hotels and I could tell it was going to be trouble. We stayed at BWV(not included) but Yacht club was. Saw obviously NOT service dogs right away. More abuse "service dogs" than real service dogs. Disney open up a HUGE CAN of worms. Why do people have to abuse a good thing. Same as people who abuse the ECV too.

 

[Bpmorley]

Like everything else. This will continue until it is abused too much. Fake handicaps to get in front of the line. Disney had to change the rules for that. People lying to about medicine to get free refrigerators in their rooms until disney just decided it was easier to have them in each room. Don't even get me started about the scooters. Everyone is a scammer

 

[NormC]

I was at Disney last fall when this service dog program just started and only at certain hotels and I could tell it was going to be trouble. We stayed at BWV(not included) but Yacht club was. Saw obviously NOT service dogs right away. More abuse "service dogs" than real service dogs. Disney open up a HUGE CAN of worms. Why do people have to abuse a good thing. Same as people who abuse the ECV too.

Those four hotels allow all dogs. It is not a service dog issue.

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/4-walt-disney-world-resorts-to-accept-dogs.934936/#post-7929327

 

[freediverdude]

Disney needs to train their cast members on the correct question that they are allowed to ask under the law, which is "what specific task(s) is this dog trained to help you with?" A real service dog owner will be able to answer that easily. If the answer is "emotional support" then buzz! Wrong answer. It's true that they aren't allowed to ask the disability, but they are allowed to ask that specific question.

 

[Kittz]

Just to weigh in from the perspective of a former Security officer...

-The questions to ask have been listed here and unfortunately people do not always tell the truth.
-If an officer were to ask the wrong questions or press the issue and it was in fact a service animal...lawsuit time.
-A lot of the stories we hear about these incidents come hours or even days afterwards and of course nothing can be done then. If any animal behaves aggressively, is not being controlled by its human or makes a mess REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY to the nearest Cast Member.

Remember that Disney does not want any lawsuits or any bad press so they are going to err on the side of caution until an actual bad behavior is reported.
Also understand that due to that worry about lawsuits they may want the reporting party to fill out a statement form or give them contact information for their written report.
Any decision to ask the person to leave the parks is not going to be made by an officer but by a Manager and then likely only with the input of the overall Park Manager as well.

Trust me that the officers are just as annoyed as everyone else encountering this issue and we are incredibly frustrated by our inability to act.

 

[Cado603]

I never saw a dog there last fall? DVC BWV

 

[Whippet Mom]

Does WDW even have any kind of policy for or enforcement of Service Dogs?

*Begin Rant*

So we were down in Epcot yesterday for V-Day and were having a smoke break by Norway. There were a bunch of people doing the same, so we sat on the bricks by the bushes.

The was a pretty black lab with a service dog vest wandering around completely unsupervised dragging it's leash going up to everyone to be petted and begging for food. It obviously was a fake service dog.

It wandered it's way behind the bushes where we were sitting. Luckily - and I say luckily for WDW - I was looking at him (I was going to scratch his head if he had come a couple inches closer) when I saw his leg going up.

I pysically shoved my wife off the little wall just in time for the stream of **** to flow right where she had been half a second earlier...

She screamed... I yelled What The Fu....

Did the owner (yeah they were right there smoking) even say or do anything? Nope. No grabbing their dog, no apology, nothing. They just continue to let their dog wander around aimlessly.

We got out of there otherwise it would have gotten ugly.

Had that dog actually ****ed on my wife? They would have heard the commotion all the way in the Magic Kingdom...

If Disney wants to let fake service dogs in their parks then that is fine, but they need to be prepared for some problems if they don't do something...

*end rant*

Anybody else experience problems with them?

As someone with a service dog that has been to WDW with me for 5 years I am now frightened to take her because of all the "service dogs" that have attacked, barked at & relieved themselves all over the parks & resorts & owners leaving the gifts for someone else to deal with.. I will not put my dog's life in jeopardy because of all the fake dogs, horses & I think someone said monkey in a stroller.. YIKES! I have also been bitten by one of them as it lunged at my dog.. Something has to be done!

 

[Whippet Mom]

This topic always gets my hackles up too as my daughter raises legit service animals.

A phenomenal amount of work goes into raising and training a legit dog.

If your dog is not insured for $50,000 or more, you're likely rocking a fake pooch. ..and abusing the law.

Not everyone can afford to insure their dog for $50,000 That doesn't make them fake.

 

[mergatroid]

You bring up another good point. You can tell a legit service dog by the shoes they wear. In hot weather, legit dogs always wear shoes.

Really really astronomically stinky shoes. When my daughter takes off the dogs shoes, a hard to describe odor fills the room.

Actually, not that hard to describe. Smell your dogs feet, amplify by a big factor.

What? Like nobody here has ever smelled a dog foot out of curiosity.

Our dogs feet smell like popcorn

 

[Isher]

Our dogs feet smell like popcorn

Sounds like both of you may have dogs with yeast overgrowth.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Sounds like both of you may have dogs with yeast overgrowth.

Probably from wearing shoes.

 

[Sans Souci]

Our dogs feet smell like popcorn

All of my dogs' feet smelled like Fritos.

 

[nitstalker]

Like everything else. This will continue until it is abused too much. Fake handicaps to get in front of the line. Disney had to change the rules for that. People lying to about medicine to get free refrigerators in their rooms until disney just decided it was easier to have them in each room. Don't even get me started about the scooters. Everyone is a scammer

When we were driving down every year - the first trip I went to Home Depot and bought the same little fridge they put in the rooms - was like $50 or something - Kept it in the garage - called it the Disney fridge LOL

Not once did anyone even question it - I know that's cheating lol but hey what were they charging like 10-15 bucks a day?

 

[Isher]

Probably from wearing shoes.

I wish it it were that simple.
It’s assumed to be caused by allergies, improper diet, or a suppressed immune system.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I wish it it were that simple.
It’s assumed to be caused by allergies, improper diet, or a suppressed immune system.

Could be, but, animals are not people. I don't think it was intended that they should have to wear shoes. It saves there paws from the abuse that humans subject them too, but, that doesn't make it something that doesn't go against nature.