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AIBU?

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Original poster

Friend lied about having emotional support dog.

235 replies

Otins · 13/05/2024 14:50

A friend of mine has a dog. He is a pet. She loves him, but he is a pet. Nothing else.

She recently went on a day out to a stately home. Dogs not allowed inside.

She told them it was an emotional support dog and they let him in.

She thought it was really funny and clever to do this.

I told her that I didn’t approve - and we moved on, and it was fine.

But the more I think about it, the more it winds me up.

For transparency, I am not a dog lover (not a dog hater either) and the sense of entitlement I see from many dog owners annoys me, and I think dogs being allowed (emotional support or not) in cafes and shops is inappropriate.

Whatever happened to leaving your dog at home to snooze on the sofa while you went out?

AIBU

Yes - how does this affect you if she takes her dog into places when you’re not there.

No - she was wrong to deceive the stately home in this way.

OP posts:
Coconutter24 · 13/05/2024 15:00

I was sat in a McDonalds a few months back (in the UK) and there was a woman with a tiny little dog and they asked her to leave, she then wanted to speak to a manager because the dog was her emotional support dog.
Assistance dogs for the blind etc I understand but I don’t think dogs should be allowed everywhere

Haydenn · 13/05/2024 14:57

You seem to have conflated 2 issues. I don’t think she’s wrong to take her dog out and about with her. I got a dog as a companion and a friend- which he can’t do if I’m he’s left on the sofa all day. She shouldn’t be pretending it’s an assistance dog though.

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 13/05/2024 14:57

It's disgraceful behaviour and is damaging to those who genuinely have need. To be honest I'm not a fan of emotional support animals at all. People are getting very entitled about taking their pets all over the place when they are not appropriately trained and then when they misbehave it tarnishes the reputation of trained assistant dogs because a lot of people simply don't know the difference between an assistance dog and an emotional support dog.

Original poster
Otins · 13/05/2024 14:56

PlaySuitHelp · 13/05/2024 14:54

Emotional support dogs are not a thing in the UK. Assistance Dogs however are legally allowed in places such as the stately home.

You say no dogs should be allowed, emotional support or not. Does that mean no Guide Dogs? Assistance Dogs is a term that covers Guide Dogs, as well as many other dogs that support disabled people. It is vital that they be allowed whether you like it or not.

However, you are definitely NOT being unreasonable with your friend. It is so wrong to pretend a dog is an Assistance Dog.

Of course I don’t include Assistance dogs in my gripe about dogs being allowed in cafes etc.

My friend wasn’t pretending her pet was an Assistance dog, but an Emotional Support dog.

OP posts:
stayathomer · 13/05/2024 14:55

Yes, that would annoy me too, I once had a friend who pretended he had a food allergy so they wouldn’t put something on his food and it drove me nuts, the thought of all the worry in the kitchen just because he didn’t like something

K0OLA1D · 13/05/2024 14:55

She was wrong to do that. So YANBU on that count.

But regarding dogs being allowed in other places you are. It's up to the owners of the establishments at the end of the day. It must benefit them to let dogs in or they wouldn't do it.

My dog goes to pubs with us and when we're on holiday, to dog friendly cafes etc.

DiddyRa · 13/05/2024 14:54

Emotional Support Dogs have no rights of access in the UK. Only guide dogs and assistance dogs.

GoldMerchant · 13/05/2024 14:54

She's unreasonable because her dog is not trained to the standards of actual disability support dogs. So when dogs like hers are allowed in and behave like normal pet dogs, it makes it harder for people with e.g. guide dogs, hearing dogs. And those people have a tough enough time from people who don't know the law.

PlaySuitHelp · 13/05/2024 14:54

Emotional support dogs are not a thing in the UK. Assistance Dogs however are legally allowed in places such as the stately home.

You say no dogs should be allowed, emotional support or not. Does that mean no Guide Dogs? Assistance Dogs is a term that covers Guide Dogs, as well as many other dogs that support disabled people. It is vital that they be allowed whether you like it or not.

However, you are definitely NOT being unreasonable with your friend. It is so wrong to pretend a dog is an Assistance Dog.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 13/05/2024 14:52

I agree it would annoy me anyone pretending to have a disability should be ashamed of themselves