In response to a growing number of fake service dogs, the Florida House is pushing a bill that would criminalize the use of fake service dogs and protect legitimate service dog owners and trainers from interference. The bill made its final committee stop on March 19 and passed unanimously.

Under the proposed bill, people who lie that their pet is a service animal or any person who interferes with a legitimate service dog will be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor. Violators will face a $500 fine, 60 days in jail and 30 hours of community service for a disability organization. Community service must be completed within six months of sentencing.

Canine Companions for Independence, a provider of service dogs to children and adults with disabilities, supports the proposed legislation.

“Our goal is to make sure that people understand that it

[fake service dogs] shouldn’t be taken lightly and that taking a dog that’s not fully trained into a place of business really does cause harm to people who need them,” says Melinda Sowers, graduate program manager for CCI.

Service animals are highly trained to complete assistance tasks without drawing attention to themselves or the owner. “They’ve had two years of training before they’re placed with a client,” says Martha Johnson, public relations coordinator for CCI. A trained service dog can cost upwards of $50,000.

Sowers is concerned about the damage caused by fake service dogs. “Even one person who fraudulently uses their assistance dog kind of has a ripple effect on graduates who really need their assistance dog,” she says. She adds that CCI educates businesses on the laws protecting legitimate service dogs. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, businesses are only allowed to ask if an animal is a service animal and what tasks it performs to assist its owner.

The Florida bill narrows the scope of service animals to dogs and miniature horses. It also allows for removal of a service animal that isn’t under the handler’s control, isn’t housebroken or is a serious threat to others.

If passed, the law will go into effect July 1.

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