Thread: I was nearly attacked by a fake service dog in a vest yesterday. A quick run to the store. Mom saw the dog from a distance, she knew by its behavior & we tried to avoid it. It growled & lunged at me. It scared Mom & me. An open letter to ppl putting vests on pets. #dogs

I imagine you didn't understand that you can’t put a pet in a vest & call it a service dog. Maybe your dog is perfect at home & can sit and lay down. He obeys your commands at home and he comforts you. Maybe you taught him some special tricks that you can say help your disability

You bought an official looking vest online and a certificate that says your dog is a service dog. Maybe you legitimately thought you did what you needed to do. Maybe you just want to take your dog with you because you love him so much. Maybe you thought it would just be fun.

Maybe you don’t understand that in some states it is illegal to fake a service dog and you could be fined a hefty amount. Maybe you need the attention your dog gets. Maybe you did know all this and just didn’t care.

Maybe you don’t understand that a service dog is worth around $25,000+ & a lot of time, effort & volunteer hours go into training. Maybe you also didn’t think about the consequence. Maybe you didn’t think that a trained service dog is saving a person’s life by being there.

Maybe you didn’t think that a trained service dog provides independence for their handler, and without their dog they lose that. Maybe you didn’t understand it takes many hours of training for the dog and handler, and many more hours of bonding and learning about each other.

Maybe you don’t understand that people wait years for a service dog to be properly trained for a reason and you thought this would be an easy way around the wait. Maybe you thought your dog misbehaving in public was cute.

Maybe you didn’t realize the public is watching you and making future judgements on legitimate working teams. Maybe you didn’t care that you are making it harder on legitimate service dog teams. Maybe you are just being selfish.

Maybe you didn’t understand how stressful being in public could be over long periods for your dog. Maybe you thought you could keep him away from the things you knew he was afraid of. Maybe you didn’t know what he was afraid of because he was not exposed to it before.

Maybe you didn’t know he didn’t like other dogs. Maybe he was too stressed out from being in public when he saw another dog he attacked out of frustration b/c that's what dogs do. Maybe you didn’t understand being reactive to other dogs would alone disqualify any dog from service

Maybe you didn’t understand that service dogs go through YEARS of training. In that training they are exposed to the stimuli that can overwhelm them like sirens, and cars and people, and yes other dogs.

Maybe you didn’t understand if your dog attacked a working service dog, one that was trained for years to NOT be reactive to other dogs and to ignore other dogs, you might just undo years of training. Or worse, maybe your dog seriously injures a working dog and they can’t work.

Maybe you don’t understand that if your dog, your beloved pet, bites a person or another dog then they can be euthanized. I hope you understand now.

Bottom line……..Don’t vest a pet

This thread may seem harsh, but these are all true points to consider.

I have physically been attacked, I have been knocked sideways into the street w/ Mom b/c I was broadsided by a dog in a vest in a crowd. I do not understand dog aggression and I do not react. If I am hurt I can not do my job. If I become fearful, I can not do my job.

I trained for 18-months, and then another 9-months of specialized training, it takes this level of training to make a good service dog. Pets are not prepared for the stressors we encounter daily. Thank you all for listening. @threadreaderapp can you pls unroll?