TikToker With Legitimate Service Dog Seated Next to Passenger Claiming To Have A Service Animal
Recently, a viral TikTok featuring two dogs on a plane sparked a debate about which dogs may be legitimately classified as service animals. The first was clearly a service animal, while the other was a French bulldog.
With the recent ease of access to ESA (Emotional Support Animal) certification, there has been a lot of doubt cast on service animals trained for necessary assistance. Now, it's not just dogs that can be certified; any domesticated animal can be with a physician's note and a small fee.
This has resulted in all kinds of animals being seen in places they don't usually belong, like planes, trains, and automobiles. The video showed the owner and her golden retriever, Finnian, seated next to another human-animal pair on a plane.
In the video, Finnian is seen being well-behaved and seated at his owner's feet while another dog, a French bulldog donning a “service dog” vest, is curiously sniffing him. The Frenchie's owner remarks that the pup is very friendly as they pull him away.
Finnian the Goldie's TikTok has generated an incredible amount of discussion, gaining over 23 million views in one day. While Finnian's behavior is not considered unacceptable or too terrible, it is clear that he has not been trained to handle other dogs, as service dogs typically are.
The video of a potential fake service dog has now caused 28 million views, sparking conversation on what constitutes a legitimate service animal.
In the video's caption, Finnian's owner expressed her worries about the current ease of certification for service animals:
When it comes to flying with a service animal, airline employees must ask for documentation of the animal's ESA certification. Additionally, they must make a judgment on whether the animal will be suitable for flying with other people and service animals.
It is important to remember that service animals receive specialized training to assist individuals with disabilities. According to PetKeen, there are an estimated 500,000 service dogs in the U.S., with 26% of adults in the U.S. having some sort of disability. Additionally, only 10,000 guide dog teams are currently working in the U.S., and it takes an average of 1.5 years to train a service dog.
This is not their first time.
Commenters in the video's discussion section compared the service dog to the purported "fake" one, noting any differences they could see.
This is very common:
These people say:
Finnian's owner and the video's poster have warned of people abusing "scam website[s]" to gain false certification for their pets as service animals. From personal experience, I know of people who have used these websites to get their pets certified as Emotional Support Animals, but it is difficult to detect fake documentation unless you have professional expertise in ESA certification.
Ultimately, the presence of fake service dogs can make life more difficult for those with real service animals. Not only is it harder for them to gain access to public spaces, but they may also be subject to increased scrutiny and judgment from others.
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