Service Monkey at Epcot

[wilkeliza]

I know that a lot of people who have service dogs don't appreciate those who take advantage of it. It makes it more difficult for them to use their service dog because of the skepticim people nowadays have.

One night at Cracker Barrel we had a nice chat with a blind gentleman who had his service dog with him. The service dog had on a vest and the handle he was using and a platisic attachment to the dog's vest said something to the effect of "on the job please don't touch". He said he gets push back a lot of times from people when he tells them not to interact with his dog as it distracts her from doing her job. To him she is not a pet but there are enough people out there that use what they call their service dogs but treat them like pets. Now it isn't to say that people still wouldn't want to touch the dog..I guess for most of us we see a dog and want to pet it.

I don't really judge people based on what they consider an emotional support animal (remember the turkey on that one flight?) but I think in general people who truly use them for that emotional assistance understand the rules surrounding their ability to have them with them and understand when they may be barred from bring them in with them.

Oh totally don't judge ESA either but people need to know the difference between a SA and an ESA and therapy dogs. It is just frustrating when people think they are the same and expect to be treated the same it creates issues.

 

[Accident]

I can bring a miniature horse to disney? I'm happy I don't need a service animal but I would go for the miniature horse and bring it to disney if I did.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh totally don't judge ESA either but people need to know the difference between a SA and an ESA and therapy dogs. It is just frustrating when people think they are the same and expect to be treated the same it creates issues.

I for sure didn't think you were judging so I hope you don't think that I was.

I completely agree it is frustrating and it's clear it does cause issues.

 

[wilkeliza]

I can bring a miniature horse to disney? I'm happy I don't need a service animal but I would go for the miniature horse and bring it to disney if I did.

If it is trained to provide you a service that is needed due to a disability then yes yes you can. I've never seen a miniature pony in use as a service animal though.

 

[Dean Marino]

A repeat - bring a service HUMAN.

You see, biologically, humans ARE animals. Get a vest for your service human (available on EBAY, most likely). Let us know how this works out when you hit the gate .
I can't WAIT for the obvious lawsuit - Most amusing .

Edit: I actually looked up the LEGAL ADA data on "Service" Animals. I was surprised to find that it is actually VERY SPECIFIC. Someone actually wrote a decent law. See Title III....

III. Other Support or Therapy Animals
While 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. Even though some states have laws defining therapy animals, these animals are not limited to working with people with disabilities and therefore are not covered by federal laws protecting the use of service animals. Therapy animals provide people with therapeutic contact, usually in a clinical setting, to improve their physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning.

https://adata.org/publication/service-animals-booklet

So, my plan for sneaking a "Service Human" into WDW is bogus . I'm really GLAD about this.... a "Service Human", if the government had somehow inadvertently made this LEGAL, under ADA? That would be a slave. BAD move.

 

[Accident]

If it is trained to provide you a service that is needed due to a disability then yes yes you can. I've never seen a miniature pony in use as a service animal though.

actually no, but i'm not going to help people get their pets into the park that aren't meant to help them so I'm just going to to leave it at that..

 

[Accident]

So, my plan for sneaking a "Service Human" into WDW is bogus . I'm really GLAD about this.... a "Service Human", if the government had somehow inadvertently made this LEGAL, under ADA? That would be a slave. BAD move.

Or a parent and all parents would get in free when they have their child with them.

 

[LadyD]

The general rule of thumb for a service animal protected under ADA and an emotional support animal that is not, a service animal will be trained to perform an unnatural behavior to assist the individual. So a dog that know how to open the fridge, turn off the lights, guide someone to a safe space on their own, etc to help someone would be a service animal. An animal that goes with you places or sits in your lap, no matter how well behaved, to keep you comfortable/happy/help you cope would not be a service animal. It needs to perform a specific tasks in support of the human that is not a naturally occurring behavior for the animal.

 

[jiminy14]

I can bring a miniature horse to disney? I'm happy I don't need a service animal but I would go for the miniature horse and bring it to disney if I did.

In November at the F&W I actually did see a miniature horse wearing a service animal vest on the pathway from WS to FW by the Imagination pavilion He was following two dogs that were also training as service animals. My DD and I were so surprised that neither one of us thought to take a picture.

 

[Geoff_M]

WDWNT has video of the monkey with Pluto:

 

[wilkeliza]

Seriously how did no CM think to stop this?

 

[rteetz]

Seriously how did no CM think to stop this?

The character handler and photopass photographer in that video especially.

 

[danikoski]

The general rule of thumb for a service animal protected under ADA and an emotional support animal that is not, a service animal will be trained to perform an unnatural behavior to assist the individual. So a dog that know how to open the fridge, turn off the lights, guide someone to a safe space on their own, etc to help someone would be a service animal. An animal that goes with you places or sits in your lap, no matter how well behaved, to keep you comfortable/happy/help you cope would not be a service animal. It needs to perform a specific tasks in support of the human that is not a naturally occurring behavior for the animal.

And to confuse things, there are service animals who are trained to know when someone is anxious, and to either guide them away from crowds, as mentioned above, or actively interact with them, so rubbing, pawing, etc, to get their attention. Some animals for people with PTSD do this, and they are sometimes considered comfort animals, but they are not. Unlike comfort animals, who often times are with people as a pet would be to offer a calming presence (which I've seen at WDW a "comfort" animal that was anything but calming), the animal trained for anxiety actually is cued by the person's actions to react. It's a hard one to explain what they are trained for, but I've seen it in action. It reminds me of dogs that are trained to detect seizures, but instead hone in on anxiety traits. It is pretty impressive.

 

[danikoski]

Seriously how did no CM think to stop this?

My thoughts exactly...
And the monkey didn't seem too thrilled with the situation either...Fear biting for animals is a real thing, and it was looking a wee bit stressed there with Pluto

 

[DizptchrAJ]

I used to work for Homeland Security, and i know TSA has a special training video on how to deal with "service monkeys" like you are not to remove the monkeys diaper or play with the monkey (no lie)
So i got to believe that somewhere somplace, maybe on a rare occasion there are service monkeys. Is this one... doesnt look like hes performing a function, but what do i know.

 

[SureAsLiz]

Seriously how did no CM think to stop this?

My guess is they were unaware of the difference between service and support animals and also only vaguely understood the laws about what you are allowed to ask an individual as it relates to a service animal (since many believe you are not allowed to question the validity of the animal at all, which is not the case).

In a controlled character line, it shouldn't have been as stressful and cast should have questioned it. But it was busy enough on Sunday that they weren't requiring finger scans to enter the park, and I'm not surprised that the monkey made it in and around the park.

 

[Q-man]

We are working on our application for a service animal for a family member with a debilitating panic disorder. I have big issues with people that abuse the intent of the law to keep their pet with them and how it affects the public's perception of service animals for those without a visible disability.

The company we are applying to trains the service dogs in the parks. - http://trainedandmaintained.com/trained-and-maintained-service-dogs/our-training-locations/

 

[Q-man]

My thoughts exactly...
And the monkey didn't seem too thrilled with the situation either...Fear biting for animals is a real thing, and it was looking a wee bit stressed there with Pluto

The better service animal trainers require a good amount of training for those receiving a service animal.

 

[wilkeliza]

I used to work for Homeland Security, and i know TSA has a special training video on how to deal with "service monkeys" like you are not to remove the monkeys diaper or play with the monkey (no lie)
So i got to believe that somewhere somplace, maybe on a rare occasion there are service monkeys. Is this one... doesnt look like hes performing a function, but what do i know.

TSA deals with EMotional Support Animals which can be almost anything and just require a note from a prescribing doctor. ESAs don't need to be trained for a task but get protection under most housing authorities and with the airlines.

 

[LadyD]

When we were in the parks this fall, we encountered a situation where it was pretty clear these people were abusing the ADA to bring a dog into the park.

While watching the fireworks from the side of the castle one night, this woman came walking by with a dog that began to lose its mind as soon as the fireworks started. The dog was actively trying to bolt from her and in a complete panic. The woman ended up having to pin this adult medium sized dog to the ground to get a grip on it before picking it up and walking away.

I'm sure even complety trained service animals might be a little nervous at the giant booms of the MK fireworks, a true service animal on duty shouldn't fly in a blind panic and try to bolt during them. This dog was old enough that it is unlikely it was in training, or if it was, they're not doing a great job of training it because it should have been exposed to fireworks a long, long time ago. The dog was acting like it was the first time it had ever seen them or been around them.