Fake Service Animals California
Having a fake service animal is a misdemeanor according to legislation that became effective Jan.
Fake service animals california. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the persons disability. On January 30 2012 a six-year-old boy was killed at Fort Campbell in Oak Grove Tennessee by a German Shepherd medical service dog. Three months later on April 27 2012 Jeremiah Eskew-Shahan age 1 was killed by his grandmothers therapy dog in Henderson.
California may crack down on fake service dogs. However in California pretending to be an owner of a service dog is a criminal misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to 1000 andor up to six months imprisonment. The penalty for this violation is a fine of up to 1000.
With no national registry to identify a real from a fake some people are taking advantage. A service dog is not required to be registered certified or identified as a service dog. In California the punishment for falsely claiming to have a service dog or be a trainer includes a fine of up to 1000 and up to six months in jail.
Food Agriculture Code 30850b. In California anyone caught using a fake service animal could be fined up to 1000 and imprisoned for six months. The problem isnt people who legitimately need the assistance.
Fake service animals act like pets. Many states have passed laws that make it illegal to fake having a service dog. The problem is that many people are saying their animals are service dogs in order to take.
The penalties for violating these laws vary. About a dozen states are considering legislation to crack down on fake service animals. This was not a proposal for a fake service dog law but an exploration of the need for one.