animal rights

They used to be called guide dogs, but they're correctly known as service animals. Dogs are not the only service animals, and service animals are not just for the blind. People with many different disabilities can use them. But there are abuses.

From the time they're puppies, service dogs are rigorously trained to help those who need them most. They can get into places where no pets are allowed.

The dogs are identified by the vest they wear. But since it's not illegal to buy these vets, it's easy for anyone to go online and obtain a vest for their animal.
Susan Lee Vick, director of Canine Companions for Independence, demonstrated how easy it is to obtain one. "There's a real faux official quality to this, you know?" she said, showing a photo of a tiny dog wearing a service vest. "This is Bambi; Bambi's new service dog vest!"
She said it never occurred to advocates for the disabled that the vests would be misused.
"There was never any vision of this outcome, this just sort of explosion of the 'have a vest, wear a vest, go anywhere you want with your pet,' no one saw that," Vick said.
Peter Morgan has a spinal disorder that makes it nearly impossible for him to bend. He teaches kids with special needs, with his service dog Echuka constantly at the ready. His disability isn't very obvious to strangers. Morgan says no one had ever doubted his need for a service dog -- until recently.