September is National Service Dog Awareness Month, and it’s the perfect time to clear up a confusion we see all over the Suncoast, from Sarasota restaurants to shops along the beaches. A service dog is not a pet. Under the ADA, it’s an animal individually trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability, like retrieving items, reminding a handler to take medication, or alerting to a seizure or panic attack. Emotional support animals are a different category entirely, offering comfort but without that task-specific training.
One of the biggest myths? That service dogs need certification. They don’t. A vest bought online doesn’t make a dog a service animal, and Florida law prohibits misrepresenting a pet as one. This matters because fake service dogs create real access problems for handlers who depend on their animals every day. If you run a business open to the public, you’re generally required to allow service dogs, and when the dog’s role isn’t obvious, staff may ask only two questions: Is the dog required because of a disability? What work or task has it been trained to perform?
Local advocate Marsha Panuce of Donte’s Den, familiar to many from ABC7’s Petology segments, sums it up well: a service dog performs a service. It’s a working member of the family, not a pet to be petted by strangers. So next time you spot a dog in a vest around town, give them space and let them do their job.
Have you ever wondered whether a dog you saw in public was truly a service animal? Tell us your story in the comments.
