Why Faking a Service Dog Is So Harmful

I am a service dog handler, a service dog trainer, and a pet dog trainer and right now, I am beyond upset.

I have wanted to speak publicly about this for a long time, but every time I tried, I got too emotional. This past week, pushed me to speak up.

I was at the airport with my service dog, Arthur. When you travel with a service dog, you are required to check in in person. As we stood in line, I could not believe what was happening around us.

We were surrounded by dogs wearing the familiar, cheaply made “service dog” vests that anyone can buy online. These dogs were pulling toward each other, visibly stressed, fearful, and completely overwhelmed by the environment. None of them behaved like trained service dogs.

It broke my heart. I genuinely felt like crying.

Arthur handled it beautifully not by chance, but because he has been intentionally trained and prepared for environments like this. I travel frequently with my service dog and spend a lot of time in airports working service dogs in training. I understand the level of exposure, neutrality, and preparation that goes into this work. What I witnessed that day was not training. It was entitlement.

On our flight back to Salt Lake City, things escalated further. One so-called “service dog” was carried onto the plane. Another was limping badly, clearly a senior dog with a recently shaved leg from surgery.

I would never put my pet dog - or my service dog - into an environment like that. Dogs need time to heal, to feel safe, and to recover. Forcing a dog in pain or recovery into the stress of air travel is unfair and unethical. Using a service dog label to sneak a pet onto a plane only deepens the harm.

The Impact on the Dogs Being Faked as Service Dogs

Many of these dogs were severely anxious and completely unprepared for the level of stimulation an airport brings. Airports are loud, crowded, chaotic, and unpredictable. Pretending a pet dog is a service dog and placing them in this environment is wrong on every level, especially for the dog.

Real service dogs go through years of intentional training. They are gradually exposed to places like airports so they can remain neutral, regulated, and confident. Their training is designed to set them up for success, not overwhelm them. A responsible service dog trainer would never place a dog on a plane without ensuring the dog is mentally and emotionally ready.

When people fake service dogs, they prioritize convenience over their dog’s wellbeing. They expose their dogs to stress, fear, and overstimulation that can lead to long-term behavioral fallout. These dogs are not choosing this. They are being forced into situations they cannot cope with.

The Harm to Real Service Dog Teams

The damage does not stop with the dog. Faking a service dog deeply harms the service dog community.

Service dogs are not accessories or travel hacks. They are medical tools.

Poorly behaved fake service dogs reflect negatively on legitimate teams. When these dogs pull toward other dogs, bark, panic, or shut down, the public assumes this is what service dogs look like. In reality, service dogs must ignore other dogs entirely in order to safely perform their tasks. Every unwanted interaction is a distraction and sometimes a dangerous one.

During this trip, I had to constantly manage space and avoid other dogs to protect Arthur. At one point, a dog on a flexi leash repeatedly pulled towards us while the owner had no control. This level of stress is something service dog handlers experience far too often, and it should never be normalized.

The Legal and Systemic Consequences

Because of fake service dogs, legitimate teams face increased skepticism, harassment, and access issues. Businesses grow more suspicious and restrictive. Handlers, especially those with invisible disabilities are questioned, doubted, and sometimes denied entry altogether.

Faking a service dog is illegal, yet people continue to abuse the system. Every time this happens, it chips away at disability rights that exist so people can live independently, safely, and with dignity.

A Reality Most People Don’t See

What many people don’t realize is that this issue follows me beyond airports. I frequently receive calls from airlines asking to verify whether I train certain dogs because people are listing me as their dog’s “trainer” in an attempt to fake their pet as a service dog in order to fly with them.

These calls are not about legitimate service dogs. They are about people trying to game the system, and it puts trainers, handlers, and airlines in impossible positions.

The Bigger Ethical Picture

Untrained dogs in public spaces put the public at risk because they may react unpredictably in crowded or confined environments. They put themselves at risk by being forced into situations they are not prepared for. Trust in service dog programs and professional trainers erodes. Businesses and housing providers become more restrictive. Years of ethical breeding, training, and standards are trivialized. Incidents involving poorly behaved dogs are then wrongly blamed on service dogs, damaging the reputation of highly trained working animals.

At its core, faking a service dog uses disability accommodations as a loophole instead of respecting their purpose.

The Influence of Public Figures

What makes this even more troubling is the role of social media and public figures. This week, a well-known athlete with a massive following shared a photo of their new puppy wearing a service dog vest.

Puppies are not service dogs. If a puppy is being trained as a service dog, it must be clearly identified as a Service Dog in Training, and even then, access must be handled responsibly and ethically.

I have followed this athlete’s journey for most of my life and deeply respect their accomplishments. That is exactly why this felt so disappointing. When people with influence fake service dogs, they normalize unethical behavior on a massive scale.

A Call for Accountability

Service dogs deserve to be taken seriously.

Handlers deserve safety, respect, and dignity.

Pet dogs deserve protection from situations that cause them harm.

If you love your dog, do not fake a service dog.

If you respect disabled people, do not fake a service dog.

If you care about ethical dog training and animal welfare, do not fake a service dog.

This needs to stop because the cost is far too high for the dogs, for the handlers, and for a system that exists to protect those who truly need it.