The drawback of pretend service animals has been round for a very long time. It is childishly straightforward to go surfing and get vests, ID playing cards, or badges that can permit individuals to cross their dogs off as service animals and take them into public locations the place pets aren’t allowed. Worse, there are little to no penalties for doing so.
While the marketplace for faux service animal paraphernalia is prone to thrive for a very long time, the state of Florida is not less than doing one thing to vary the shortage of penalties. As of July 1, should you attempt to falsely cross off your pet as a service animal, you can be jail time. A brand new legislation will make it a second-degree misdemeanor to misrepresent your pet, punishable by as a lot as 60 days in jail and 30 hours of group service.
This is an effective factor. Despite what lots of people assume, passing a pet off as a service animal just isn’t a innocent infraction. Disabled individuals who depend on service animals for his or her day-to-day routines already encounter many obstacles, partly from the ignorance of business house owners who’re unaware of the legal guidelines. When pet house owners attempt to cross their untrained dogs off as service animals, it simply makes it tougher for individuals who are disabled to persuade others that their animals serve a reputable want. Too many business house owners have been made gun-shy by fakes who harass or chunk strangers, make messes on the ground, and usually behave in ways in which an actual service animal with greater than 100 hours of coaching by no means would.
The legislation additionally addresses the opposite drawback with service animals: It will strengthen penalties for denying providers to individuals with reputable service animals. That’s already unlawful beneath the Federal Americans With Disabilities Act, however it is going to now be a matter of state legislation as effectively.
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