This is basically an ethics question. Here’s my situation:
Four months ago I had a grand mal seizure. I was found in a ditch, sent to the ER as a Jane Doe, etc., etc., and after 24 hours in the hospital I recovered and went home. After many scans and analysis it was believed to be an isolated incident, but last month it happened again, so now I’m officially diagnosed as having a “seizure disorder.” I’m on drugs, I’m getting treated; I may never have another seizure or I may have another seizure tomorrow.
Seizure people aren’t allowed to drive, and I’m adjusting to all that, learning to use Seattle’s pretty decent bus system when I need to, walking more, etc. Anybody want to buy a gently-used hatchback? I don’t need it anymore.
I have a dog. Before my seizures, we made regular forays to the local parks and dog parks. She’s a pretty high energy dog, and I am definitely not a runner. Daily or twice-daily trips (by car) to the local park were the norm. Now, we have twice-daily walks around the block. The puppy is getting restless. And hell, I miss the park, too.
I do have the option of taking her on the bus with me, for a full adult fare ($1.25 one way). BUT, if she were a service dog – any kind of service dog – I could take her with me for free. And what is the definition of service dog? As far as I can tell: a dog that has a cape on that says “Service Dog.” Of course, they’re supposed to be trained to do stuff for you – but the definitions are so vague and the rules government employees have to follow so restrictive that no one dares challenge the legitimacy of the role.
Seizure dogs do a number of things. The highly-valued ones can actually predict seizures. (It’s an inherent trait that mine doesn’t have.) Some can be trained to carry or retrieve emergency drugs. Some have been fitted with emergency buttons that they’re trained to hit to summon an ambulance. Some are trained to bark for attention when they observe that their person is having a seizure. To be honest, none of these is anything I would plan to train my dog to do. About the only legitimate service I can see her perform is one of visibility: when I was found in a ditch, several people probably thought I was a drugged up/drunk homeless person. If I had had my dog with me with a big green “service dog” label, maybe I would have received help sooner.
Washington’s Service Dog rules:http://hum.wa.gov/generalInfo/faq_serv_animal.htm
What a Seizure Dog is supposed to do: http://www.epilepsy.com/articles/ar_1084289240.html
So here’s the ethics question: Would I be scamming the ADA and people with legitimate needs for service dogs in doing this? I don’t need a service dog, but it would save me a ton of money and/or improve my and my dog’s quality of life. I am not planning on paying tons of money to get some highly-trained pedigreed dog. I am talking about buying a cape and maybe taking some sort of obedience/training class if I can figure out any service my dog might be useful for in this situation.
So what say you? Legitimate need? Good enough for government work? Scummy way to scam the system?