, Columnist
Don't Pretend Your Dog Is a Service Animal
It's wrong to fake it, but you shouldn't have to. Restaurants should be allowed to allow pets.
NOT coming to a restaurant near you.
Photographer: Peter SudermanThis article is for subscribers only.
They walk into the restaurant, their dog in tow. The dog is wearing a service vest, and you scan them to see what sort of disability they need a dog for. None is apparent, but some conditions aren’t obvious, so who knows. Maybe it’s a seizure-detecting hound. However, you can’t help but notice that the dog doesn’t seem to be exactly exquisitely trained. She’s squirming around, begging for food, barking at another service dog across the restaurant.
As you watch them enjoying their meal, maybe you think to yourself, “I wonder what it takes to get one of those vests?” After all, you’re fond of your dog, and you’d rather have him with you at dinner than cooped up home alone.