B/W Sunday- Sleeping Beauty

dog sleeping on bed

BW Blog hop
Thank you to our host

Fake Emotional Support Animals

We went with dad this weekend to Louisville,Ky. He had a business meeting and afterwards his company was having a company cookout. We stayed at a hotel and had all sorts of fun that I will talk about more later. 

Ma and I were walking around the hotel after my potty breaks and she was just chatting with some of the other people who were also staying there. We went to a couple exhibits that were being held there and that is when we started hearing stories of people who traveled a lot and like to take their dogs with them. 

A few people said things that made ma go weak in the knees. One lady said that her daughter traveled a lot and liked to take her dog with her so she got a letter off the internet and had a doctor friend sign it so she could take her dog. Another person said they had someone who wasn't a doctor write a letter that said they needed a dog to be with them to travel. There were more stories that we heard and I am honestly proud that ma kept her cool. I know you are probably wondering why these stories would bother ma because you don't see anything wrong with them. Let me explain.....


The letters were for an Emotional Support Animal

First off, an Emotional Support Animal are NOT a service dog. ESA as they are referred to are not trained task and are known as companion pets. A ESA can be ANY animal that makes a person feel better because to their presence. The person seeking the emotional support animal must have a verifiable disability. ESA are allowed in No Pet housing and allowed to fly. They are not covered by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) , they are covered by the FHA (Fair Housing Act) and the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act). They are not allowed in stores, theaters, hospitals, etc.. They must be potty trained and not a nuisance. The ADA states that " Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA."
 If the animal makes the person feel better then what is the big deal?
How many of you have been to a dog park or walking and had a dog rush your dog? How many dogs have you encountered a dog that didn't behave around young children, women, men, or other animals? Not every owner will have a well behaved pet. Would you want to be on a plane and have someone with a dog that is barking or growling at you through the flight? How about having someone with a snake or a bird on that flight? 
What is the big deal about an emotional support animal? 
The big deal is that many people are not disabled and are having letters wrote so they don't have to pay for their pets flights, pay a pet fee or can have a pet in a no pet housing. Many people will buy vests and ID's off the internet from companies who don't check to see if the person is truly disabled. They will slap a service dog vest on their dog and that hurts real disabled people and real service dog teams. 
When a pet with a fake service vest or ID misbehaves in public it is a reflection on ALL service dogs and real Emotional Support dogs who's handlers are truly disabled. 
Did you know that airlines only allow a certain number of animals on each flight??
When you have pets who are not true service dogs or true emotional support animals on flights ; the traveler with an ESA or SD may be denied a flight because the number of dogs already on the flight are taken. That disabled handler may have to take a later flight sometimes at a higher cost and could possibly miss a funeral, a family reunion, whatever the reason. 
Many people are fleecing the airlines by getting these letters so they don't have to pay a pet fare. Many airlines charge anywhere from $75 to $150 one way for pet fares. A dog has to be able to fit under the seat in a carrier and if its too large , it must be put in cargo. People who bring fake letters have no size restriction, an example would be whether its a standard poodle or a Great Dane, it can be on the flight. 
Ma did tell the one lady who was bragging about her daughter getting a fake letter so her dog could travel with her that she didn't feel it was right what her daughter does. There are many people who DO need ESA's and its just as bad faking a ESA as it is a Service dog. She also told her that her daughter could be fined or put in jail for faking her dog as a emotional support animal. The lady's jaw dropped because she didn't know it was against the law. 
Ma also told her about the time that I was almost attacked by a fake service dog. How I had been rushed by another dog that was supposedly a service dog and how she had seen a dog fight happen from where the fake service dog had rushed another dog who wasn't as friendly or patient as I am. 
I only hope the lady educates her daughter. I hope I have educated you, my readers. 
What are your honest opinions on people who fake ESA or Service Dogs? 
Do you think it really hurts real teams? 
I want your honest opinion only please. 
Thank you for taking time to read my post. 





B/W- Wild Pig Safari..Sorta

On our safari to the plains of Bunnyland we came across 
a wild pig. The pig spotted us!
We had to be very still so he didn't charge us
It was a scary moment!!!
We named the newly discovered wild pig

We called it Cinnamon
carmapoodale.com

Something tells me this wild pig wasn't so wild.
Considering he came when he was called. 

Carmapoodale.com

Happy Sunday!

WW- Kids Are All Seniors

This is Sissy Sarah's last year in high school. 
She is also taking college courses at the community college.
So I think we can say she is a senior and a freshman. 

carmapoodale.com


Garden Of The God, Illinois Day Trip- Hiking with Dogs

We took a day trip to a place call Garden of the Gods. This GOTG is in Illinois. There is one in Colorado but this one was much closer to us. We got ready the night before so we could head out early to get to our destination. 
Scooby and I have never been hiking so we didn't know what to expect. 

Scooby was excited that he would get to wear his backpack. He would carry his poop bags and treats. Those were the 2 things he thought he needed. He wanted Ma to leave out the poop bags and add more treats but she said no.
ScoobyDoo,#chihuahua, modeling back pack photo
Scooby say "Cheese" look














We got up extra early so we could head out. By extra early, I mean 6:00 am. It's summertime so that is early by Sarah's standards. We were on the road by 7 AM. We were finally going hiking! 30 minutes into our travels across Ky, Scooby started whining. He had to pee. We finally stopped to pee and it was a quick out-in and off we went again. 

Ma was looking around at the roads and made the comment "you would think there would be a Hardee's or McDonald's around here" which cued Scooby to whine again. Dad found a McDonalds and went through drive-thru. Everyone got something to eat. That settled Scooby down and he didn't whine again the whole way there. 

#Seresto Protects Us In Kentucky From Ticks


We have been wearing the Seresto collars all summer and I am happy to say that none of us have had any problems with fleas or ticks. There are some things about summers that we don't like, one of them is pests. Mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and those bugs that drive my ma crazy...ants are all out in the summer. Fleas can be a problem all year long. 
3 dogs wearing #seresto collars
We all wear the Seresto Collar 
High grass or trees are ticks favorite places to hide. They wait for you to come strolling along to grab on to you. Bayer asked us "how are ticks in your area?" I have never had a tick so that was a question I really couldn't answer. The only thing that came to mind was to ask my vet what he has seen in his office that related to ticks. The information he gave me was MIND BLOWING! I am so happy I have never met a tick and hope I never do!! 


3 dogs sitting in the grass


The CDC conducted studies in 2013 to record the tick population and how it impacts Kentucky. They found that our tick population had grown over the last 10 yrs. A few reasons for the growth in tick population were due to milder winters, our winters have almost no snow , the increase of white tail deer and more areas being preserved as wildlife habitats.

Ticks can be carriers of certain diseases. Humans who are bit by a tick can suffer from many things like Lyme's, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and STARI to name a few but pets can also suffer from these diseases. Many people do not know their pets are suffering from a tick disease until its almost too late. There are certain diseases that are zoonosise. Zoonosise is when a infection can move from animals to humans. Lyme's , babiosisos, erlichiosous, and Tularemia are examples of zoonosise. 

Peak months for ticks are June- October. Ticks are not born with diseases. They acquire it through feedings. Many believe that the diseases seen in Ky came from the white tail deer that were introduced to the Land Between The Lakes area. The white tail deer came from North East states where the diseases were already being seen in. Most deer ticks were seen only in the Daniel Boone National Forest but now the ticks have migrated all over Ky. 

Lymes Disease is not a problem in Ky there are very few cases reported today according the Kentucky(dot)com. There are less than 100 people who have Lyme's disease today. A vaccine was developed in the 1990's but was removed from the market due to low demand.

Babesisosis  is a tick borne illiness the CDC has issued a warning for in the Northeast and Upper Midwest states but there have been  cases seen in Ky. This is one illness that has been seen in humans and animals. There are 2 types of ticks that are carriers. 1. Deer ticks and 2. Black Legged ticks.


The most active diseases seen in Ky:
Ehrlichiosis-it can be life threatening and can be spread from animals to humans.  
Ehrlichia- is an infection of the white blood cells that can affect bone marrow function. 
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Has been reported since 1920 and in 2000 two million people were recorded as having it. In 2010 that number jumped to six million! 
STARI- transmitted by the Lone Star tick. The lone star tick can cause havoc to humans. They are finding it carries a disease that makes humans allergic to RED MEAT! More and more people are being diagnosed with the Lone Star tick bite. 
The yellow represents where the tick has been reported.
A single tick bite can wreck havoc on your health and your pets health. It is best to always check your pets for ticks after walking through grass or wooded areas. Check yourself to make sure a tick hasn't hitch hiked in on your pants legs. Keep your shrubs and grass trimmed. Its harder for a tick to survive in short grass. 

With all those diseases out there , I am glad we are wearing the Seresto collar. Ma still checks us after every outing because we want to be safe and it always ends with a belly rub. WHO DOESN'T LOVE A BELLY RUBBING?? I love them!
Seresto is an innovative flea and tick collar, which protects pets from fleas and ticks for up to 8 months - without the need to remember monthly applications. Seresto collars received the 2014 Better Homes and Gardens Best New Product award.  


 

You can find out more about the Seresto collar at PetParents.com 
How do you keep ticks off of your pet? 

This post is sponsored by Bayer / Seresto and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Seresto product, but [I, Carma Poodale only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer / Seresto is not responsible for the content of this article.

WW- Chickyum Queen

It's good to be me. 
We are celebrating 
International Assistance Dog Week.

#HowDoYouKFC

2 Buckets of boneless chickyum was my reward for all my hard work. 
No , I was not allowed to eat it all in one setting.
 But I could of if I wanted too! 
That's how I do my KFC

How do you do yours?