Dear Amy: I volunteer at several public venues (including a zoo) where visitors frequently bring a pet that they claim is a service animal. Oftentimes this is clearly a lie. For instance, today a visitor at the zoo claimed that her puppy was a service animal.
When someone insists that their animal companion is a service animal or an “emotional support animal,” we are told to take them at their word. This is mostly to avoid the threat of a lawsuit.
Would you please remind your readers that a service animal is a specific legal entity? Pretending that your dog — or any other pet — is a service animal does the rest of us a disservice. It is entitled, selfish behavior that potentially puts other people and other animals at risk.
And it’s not fair to other people who respect the rules and (reluctantly) leave their pets at home. This is part of the responsibility of having a pet. If everyone took their pet everywhere, we’d be seeing a lot more animals fighting and pooping, and a lot more people with allergies sneezing.
There are many places where pets are welcome. But there are also many places where they would be better off at home.
— Animal Lover
Animal Lover: I sincerely believe that all beloved pets are emotional support animals, but our love for our companion animals does not entitle us to take them everywhere.
I am happy to publish this public service announcement.
The zoo where you volunteer is abiding by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which states: “An individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal may NOT be asked to provide documentation of a disability, to answer questions regarding his or her disability or have the service animal demonstrate its work.”
Dear Amy: A new friend has been helping me out after I became ill during a move. I’ve really appreciated her help. She has decided that I can return her favor by watching her elderly cat for several days. I said, sure, I can go to her house and feed, water and check on her cat.
However, she informed me that no, I would be keeping her cat at my house so he could have company. This puts my own health at risk. I explained that besides the fur of a cat, the feces really triggers my allergies.
She said I could keep the cat and his litter box upstairs and stay downstairs, but cleaning the space would mean wearing a mask and cleaning every soft item repeatedly. It would take months before I could use that space again. She’s very stubborn and doesn’t seem to want to understand.
My allergies are such that a recent visit to another friend who has a cat caused a huge allergic reaction while I was sitting outside on the terrace. The cat merely walked behind me, triggering a reaction.
I live alone, 15 difficult miles to a hospital, and I don’t know how severe my allergies could be with daily interaction. I would give my friend any other help, but I can’t do this. How do I get my point across?
— Allergic and Ill
Allergic: It could be extremely stressful for an elderly cat to be transported to your home and shut up in a new space — with limited human interaction. I assume the cat would be much more comfortable in its own territory while his owner is away.
You need to marshal and deliver the power of a solid and polite: “No — I’m sorry, but because of my severe allergies I can’t do that.”
Respectfully and repeatedly refusing this request is how you will get your point across.
Dear Amy: I just want to offer you an “attagirl” for your patient, kind and wise advice to the anxious teenager who signed her question “Doubting Everything in Life.” In fact, because of this, I look forward to your responses to kids who write to you.
— Grateful Fan
Grateful: Questions from young people do seem to inspire the best from me. Thank you for your kind affirmation.
© 2023 by Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.