Dear
ESAA Membership,
ESAA’s
Board of Directors has recently heard concerns that dogs are being flown
to competitions as service dogs without certification or without a
person with a disability. Since this practice reflects badly on our
breed and the sport, we thought it expedient to share AKC’s Canine
Legislation Position Statement on the Misuse of Service Dogs with our
membership:
AKC Canine Legislation Position Statement
MISUSE OF SERVICE DOGS
Service dogs are defined as those that are individually
trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The
AKC® strongly supports public accommodations that allow individuals with
disabilities to use service dogs.
The AKC strongly condemns characterizing dogs as service
animals when they are not, or attempting to benefit from a dog’s service
dog status when the individual using the dog is not a person with a
disability.
Characterizing
dogs as service animals when they are not, or taking advantage of a
service dog’s status by an individual without the disability, is strongly
condemned by AKC and would be a clear violation of ESAA’s Code of Ethics.
Thank
you for your cooperation and understanding of the seriousness of this
issue.
Sincerely,
ESAA
Board of Directors
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