Once upon a time, some kind person realized that dogs could be helpful with their humans in a life saving way. Through much time and effort and working with the Americans with Disabilities Act, legislators made it possible for dogs to go with their humans out in public as they went through their day.

Thousands, nay tens of thousands, of dollars goes into the training of service dogs. It takes more than a year, and countless hours. These are dogs that will not respond or react to the clueless humans around them. They won’t poop or pee where they are not supposed to.

Humans like Jack or Janet, who are war veterans – people who have seen unspeakable acts, and have service dogs who know when their humans are having a problem before their humans realize it, and comfort and protect them in public.

Humans like Lee or Lauren. Lee has epilepsy,and his service dog will sense a seizure and alert Lee so he can be safe. Lauren has diabetes, and her service dog will alert her to a low blood sugar, so she can address it before she passes out- or worse.

These are just a few made up names to represent a portion of what real service dogs do.

Ah, but we live in the generation of entitlement, and this is why we can’t have nice things.

There are people – many, many people – like Rose, who has an ill-tempered ankle biter, that has never had a day of training. Rose hates to leave Boo Boo at home, and decided to pay the small fee to the predatory online hucksters, who sent her a service dog vest and a certificate for her money. Now Boo Boo goes everywhere with her, and she’s happy.

Her Boo Boo is a threat to real service dogs – because Boo Boo will snap and lunge from her retractable leash at the real service dogs. The real service dog will keep calm, but will be distracted, and may miss a cue to save their owner as they deal with the out of control Boo Boo.

Don’t you dare ask Rose if Boo Boo is a real service dog – she knows her way around the law. I have no doubt that Rose loves her Boo Boo, but she is a public hazard.

I wish I had the power to change the legislation so Rose and her ilk cannot take their pets out in public. I wish I knew how to protect the real service animals, and their deserving owners.

I fear that eventually there will be so many Roses with their “service” dogs, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, and other service imposters that all animals will again be banned from public areas.

Once again, the idiot masses will ruin it for the rest of us.

PS l love my dog. And cat. Even my beta fish. I don’t take them places animals aren’t allowed. Like Applebee’s for dinner.