{"id":3804,"date":"2019-10-01T03:19:24","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T03:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.net\/blog\/?p=3804"},"modified":"2019-10-01T03:19:24","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T03:19:24","slug":"bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png\" alt=\"Mercola Healthy Pets\" \/>By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker<\/p>\n<div id=\"bcr_UpdPnlStory\">\n<div id=\"bcr_pnlStoryAtAGlance\" class=\"story-glance\">\n<div class=\"story-highlights\">\n<h3 id=\"expanderHead\" data-jsid=\"expanderHead\">Story at-a-glance<\/h3>\n<div id=\"expanderContent\" data-jsid=\"expanderContent\">\n<ul>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_0\">Service dogs or animals who provide mental, emotional or physical support have made it possible for people with disabilities to live independently, but now, there are websites advertising bogus certification for support animals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_1\">The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says support animals don\u2019t have the same federal protections as service animals, and business owners may ask someone with a disability only two questions regarding their service animal<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_2\">Some people purchase vests or certification to identify their animals as needed support without their animal having actual qualifications behind their label \u2014 in some cases simply to bring their favorite animal with them into public places<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_3\">It\u2019s often obvious when an animal is a bona fide service dog, such as when they\u2019re guiding someone who is unable to see, is in a wheelchair or has trouble with stability or balance, but other times, disabilities aren\u2019t evident<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_4\">According to the ADA, there are regulations in place regarding service dogs, such as what to do if someone is afraid of or allergic to service animals, whether restaurants or theaters are exempt, and whether extra fees are allowed<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bodytext\" class=\"bodytextdiv\">\n<p>Service dogs or animals who provide mental, emotional or physical support have transformed the lives of scores of people, as they make it possible for people with disabilities to live independently. Since new laws have sanctioned the public appearance of service animals, the lives of their humans are far easier and less stressful, as Katherine Moore, who is legally blind, can attest.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cWhen you have a service animal it&#8217;s like you are one. When I put my hand on his harness it&#8217;s like an extension of my arm \u2026 That\u2019s like putting a value on your freedom. How do you do that? How do you say what your freedom is worth? It\u2019s worth everything.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn1\" data-hash=\"#ednref1\">1<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Training for service animals is wide-ranging and extensive, which is why Moore says she\u2019s able to live a full life, including working and commuting, just as she did before she lost her ability to see. One of the few organizations in Tennessee that specializes in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2013\/08\/26\/therapy-dogs-military-veterans.aspx\">service dog training<\/a>, Smoky Mountain Service Dogs (SMSD),<sup><span id=\"edn2\" data-hash=\"#ednref2\">2<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0focuses on training dogs that will be used by wounded veterans. Mike Kitchens, chairman of SMSD, explains:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cEvery dog that we have we will take to Harley Davidson and have them start up the motorcycles. We will take them to the baggage area at the airport. Revolving doors. They have to be so environmentally stable because the intent is for that dog to be able to accompany that veteran wherever he goes.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn3\" data-hash=\"#ednref3\">3<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Other animals may provide emotional comfort, but they don\u2019t necessarily fall under the same federal protections as service animals. In fact, Dr. Zenithson Ng from the University of Tennessee Knoxville\u2019s College of Veterinary Medicine contends that emotional support animals are pets. They may alleviate symptoms of conditions their humans have, and even be designated by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2018\/01\/04\/therapy-dogs-airport-program.aspx\">mental health professionals<\/a>, but still, they\u2019re not considered service animals. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cWhile Emotional Support Animals or Comfort Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, they are not considered service animals under the ADA. These support animals provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn4\" data-hash=\"#ednref4\">4<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Bogus Service Dog Certifications: \u2018There\u2019s No Such Thing\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Where there\u2019s a service, privilege or right, especially when it comes to animals, it seems there\u2019s always people willing to bend the rules. It usually involves money, and selling so-called \u201cservice dog certification\u201d to designate animals with qualifications they don\u2019t actually have are no exception. Needless to say, the types of service and support animals are vast and can be confusing. Here\u2019s a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/drc.arizona.edu\/sites\/drc.arizona.edu\/files\/documents\/DRC-animal-comparison-chart.pdf\">chart<\/a>\u00a0that summarizes all of the categories.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s major issue for us because we see it all. We really do,\u201d Kitchens says. \u201cYou can Google &#8216;service dog access\u2019 and you will come up with multiple organizations that for $69.95 we will send you a service dog certification. Well, there is no such thing.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn5\" data-hash=\"#ednref5\">5<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0There\u2019s also no national registry for animals who are designated helpers for humans, Ng says.<\/p>\n<p>For a fee, there are dozens of websites that offer vests for dogs to wear that \u201ccertify\u201d them as certified\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2018\/03\/22\/service-therapy-emotional-support-animals.aspx\">service, emotional support or therapy animals<\/a>. There\u2019s another reason why some people are willing to purchase vests without their animal having actual qualifications behind their label. WATE.com notes that for some, it\u2019s also a way to bring their favorite animal with them into public places.<\/p>\n<p>Ng, who\u2019s a member of the steering committee on human-animal interaction with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), says the problem is a hot topic among personnel responsible for governing the situation due to what he terms as an \u201conslaught\u201d of problems the AVMA has run into recently. He also notes:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cWe are so lucky in this society to have this term of emotional support animal and \u2026 we really should designate that for the people who need them and the animals that are well behaved in public settings. So when people are taking advantage of the system that&#8217;s really hard, it\u2019s disappointing.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn6\" data-hash=\"#ednref6\">6<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"productad\">\n<div class=\"label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<p><a id=\"productad\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.mercola.com\/?mid-flashsale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"desktop-image ls-is-cached mlazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/assets\/images\/mercola\/mid\/productad-desktop-flash-sale-v1.jpg\" alt=\"Get Over 40% Off on Select Items Daily\t\" data-mlazyload-src=\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/assets\/images\/mercola\/mid\/productad-desktop-flash-sale-v1.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Service Animals: Training to Perform Their True Function<\/h2>\n<p>The ADA acknowledges that it\u2019s often fairly obvious when an animal is merely accompanying someone in a public place as a pet, or if it\u2019s a bona fide service animal; you\u2019ll know the latter is the case if a dog is guiding someone who is either blind or unable to see clearly, or helping someone who has trouble with stability or balance or is in a wheelchair. However, sometimes disabilities are not always visible to bystanders. The ADA, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, states:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cWhen it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person\u2019s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn7\" data-hash=\"#ednref7\">7<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Further, service animals are limited to dogs under Title II and III of the ADA, as of March 15, 2011.<sup><span id=\"edn8\" data-hash=\"#ednref8\">8<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Local laws prohibiting specific breeds of dogs do not apply to service animals.<\/p>\n<p>The ADA states that a \u201cservice animal\u201d refers to any dog individually trained to do what is necessary to help someone with a disability, whether it\u2019s physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or mental. It makes clear, however, that emotional support animals, comfort animals and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2017\/09\/21\/therapy-dogs-healing-capabilities.aspx\">therapy dogs<\/a>\u00a0are not in the same category: They\u2019re not service animals. Similarly, the work service animals perform must be related directly to their human\u2019s disability. In addition:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cIt does not matter if a person has a note from a doctor that states that the person has a disability and needs to have the animal for emotional support. A doctor\u2019s letter does not turn an animal into a service animal.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn9\" data-hash=\"#ednref9\">9<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>ADA Facts Regarding Service Animals<\/h2>\n<p>An animal may or may not be wearing a special collar or harness. Some, but not all, are certified, licensed and\/or have identification papers stating as such; however, they may not be carrying those papers with them. Most service dogs perform jobs most are familiar with, such as Seeing Eye dogs, seizure response dogs and those who alert people with hearing impairments.<sup><span id=\"edn10\" data-hash=\"#ednref10\">10<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note, though, that some local and state governments have special rules for people entering businesses or public places with support animals aside from service dogs, such as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2016\/11\/10\/emotional-support-animals.aspx\">emotional support animals<\/a>, so it\u2019s best to check with these agencies to find out if such ordinances exist. From a page on the ADA\u2019s website, facts regarding service dogs in businesses include:<sup><span id=\"edn11\" data-hash=\"#ednref11\">11<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<div class=\"indent\">\n<p><span class=\"bullet\">\u2022<\/span>A service animal must be permitted to accompany an individual with a disability to all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go and must not be segregated from other customers.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Even if an establishment has \u201cno pets\u201d signs posted, service animals, again, are not pets. Further, the ADA requires proprietors of \u201crestaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls, and sports facilities\u201d to change the wording in such postings to accommodate service animals needed by people with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bullet\">\u2022<\/span>ADA rules supersede local and state laws stating that only guide dogs are admitted to enter a business to assist individuals with disabilities \u2014 so refusing to allow other types of service animals violates the ADA. That said, service animals must be under control, and they must be housebroken.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Businesses are not allowed to charge customers with service animals any maintenance, deposits or cleaning fees, even if such charges are in place for pets. However, if a service dog does damage in, say, a hotel, proprietors can charge the customer with the disability, but only if the hotel\u2019s policy is to charge non-disabled guests for similar damage.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Taxi companies may object to a service dog accompanying a disabled person getting into their cabs, but refusing to pick someone up for this reason is also a violation, even if the taxi company is privately owned, and they can\u2019t raise the fare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Service Animals: Sometimes Other Rules Apply<\/h2>\n<p>There are dozens of situations regarding service animals in public places, and probably just as many exceptions. For instance, the care and conduct of service animals is the responsibility of the disabled person they\u2019re with \u2014 the animal\u2019s owner. Business owners aren\u2019t required to provide food, care or a special location for the animal.<\/p>\n<p>Arguably one of the greatest concerns people have about service animals relates to fear of the animal becoming a threat to themselves or their customers. But fear of animals, dogs included, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2017\/02\/04\/tips-for-handling-pet-allergies.aspx\">allergies to animals<\/a>\u00a0are not good enough reasons to refuse service. The business or government entity is expected to find solutions if employees, other customers or travelers are afraid of or allergic to dogs, such as allowing more or even a separated space.<sup><span id=\"edn12\" data-hash=\"#ednref12\">12<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>As for air travel, the rules are different. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) says airlines must allow both service and emotional support animals to travel in the cabin with the people they\u2019re helping. True, the rules for the latter are getting more strict in light of a number of unfortunate\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2018\/06\/28\/united-pet-travel-restrictions.aspx\">animal incidents on flights<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, WATE News notes, people who want to travel with emotional support animals or psychiatric service animals may be required to supply specific documentation, including proof of their disability and why their animal is necessary, well before their trip.<\/p>\n<p>People with disabilities who want more information regarding special circumstances, including air travel, may also want to check the provisions made under the Fair Housing Act, which can be found on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development site,<sup><span id=\"edn13\" data-hash=\"#ednref13\">13<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0as it includes specifications for service and emotional support animals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker Story at-a-glance Service dogs or animals who provide mental, emotional or physical support have made it possible for people with disabilities to live independently, but now, there are websites advertising bogus certification for support animals The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says support animals don\u2019t have the same federal protections [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,117,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-animals-with-jobs","category-emotional-support-animals","category-service-animals"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online | The Animal Health Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online | The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker Story at-a-glance Service dogs or animals who provide mental, emotional or physical support have made it possible for people with disabilities to live independently, but now, there are websites advertising bogus certification for support animals The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says support animals don\u2019t have the same federal protections [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/animalhealthfoundation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-10-01T03:19:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"The Animal Health Foundation\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f475447cd5f132c17522d9188f6fcb9b\"},\"headline\":\"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-01T03:19:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/\"},\"wordCount\":1875,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Animals with Jobs\",\"Emotional Support Animals\",\"Service Animals\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/\",\"name\":\"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online | The Animal Health Foundation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-01T03:19:24+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Animal Health Foundation\",\"description\":\"Our Blog\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Animal Health Foundation of California\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Animal Health Foundation of California\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/animalhealthfoundation\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f475447cd5f132c17522d9188f6fcb9b\",\"name\":\"The Animal Health Foundation\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35d2d92234619be7650525ff812317b3c1c8e3d00c51a1bc0e49e7f5ac684f2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35d2d92234619be7650525ff812317b3c1c8e3d00c51a1bc0e49e7f5ac684f2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35d2d92234619be7650525ff812317b3c1c8e3d00c51a1bc0e49e7f5ac684f2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"The Animal Health Foundation\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/author\/ahfadmin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online | The Animal Health Foundation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online | The Animal Health Foundation","og_description":"By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker Story at-a-glance Service dogs or animals who provide mental, emotional or physical support have made it possible for people with disabilities to live independently, but now, there are websites advertising bogus certification for support animals The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says support animals don\u2019t have the same federal protections [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/","og_site_name":"The Animal Health Foundation","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/animalhealthfoundation\/","article_published_time":"2019-10-01T03:19:24+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"The Animal Health Foundation","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"The Animal Health Foundation","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/"},"author":{"name":"The Animal Health Foundation","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f475447cd5f132c17522d9188f6fcb9b"},"headline":"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online","datePublished":"2019-10-01T03:19:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/"},"wordCount":1875,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png","articleSection":["Animals with Jobs","Emotional Support Animals","Service Animals"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/","url":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/","name":"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online | The Animal Health Foundation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png","datePublished":"2019-10-01T03:19:24+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/themes\/healthypets\/images\/healthypets-logo-responsive.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/bogus-service-animal-certifications-increasingly-being-sold-online-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Bogus \u2018Service Animal Certifications\u2019 Increasingly Being Sold Online"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/","name":"The Animal Health Foundation","description":"Our Blog","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#organization","name":"Animal Health Foundation of California","url":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Animal Health Foundation of California"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/animalhealthfoundation\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f475447cd5f132c17522d9188f6fcb9b","name":"The Animal Health Foundation","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35d2d92234619be7650525ff812317b3c1c8e3d00c51a1bc0e49e7f5ac684f2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35d2d92234619be7650525ff812317b3c1c8e3d00c51a1bc0e49e7f5ac684f2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35d2d92234619be7650525ff812317b3c1c8e3d00c51a1bc0e49e7f5ac684f2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"The Animal Health Foundation"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org"],"url":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/author\/ahfadmin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3805,"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3804\/revisions\/3805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}