littlebrowndog
It’s not as casual as all that, but people abuse it all the time by simply saying “My dog is a service animal.”
You must have a disability that qualifies as a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act. To do that it must qualify as “a substantial handicap” that significantly impairs one’s ability to function in key life areas. It must be documented and a physician or other relevant health care professional must have diagnosed it. And the dog must have been trained to perform tasks that mitigate the disability. A simple statement like “I am very nervous about being out in public” or “I have borderline diabetes” does not constitute a disability under the ADA.
In most situations you cannot be required to provide proof of your disability or that the animal is a service animal. The only things that can be asked are “Do you have a disability?”, “Is that a service animal?” and “What tasks does your animal provide you?” Airlines are an exception; they can ask for written proof of your disability and medical necessity for a trained service animal. If ever you end up in a legal battle of some sort, such as being denied access although having a disability and a service dog, then the documentation becomes necessary. Some states have formal certification of service dogs; we don’t. That has its pluses and minuses, including opening up the possibility of abuse of the law.
I have a major disability and I have a highly trained service animal. I love dogs as much as if not more than anybody else here. I spend virtually every weekend with hundreds of other dogs competing in agility, plus take classes with other dogs several times a week. I drive 80 miles roundtrip at least once a week to provide my dog with a safe off-leash experience out in the country at a dog ranch. He gets walked 2-3 miles a day (on leash). And no, I don’t manage to have the time to do all this due to not working; I fit in all of this around my work. I wish our country was as dog-tolerant as some European countries. But I am infuriated by people who claim they have a disability when they don’t and claim their dog is a service animal when it is not.