Spot which one is the real service dog

Poke Staff. Updated January 25th, 2024

Golden retriever, Finnian, is a cardiac alert dog whose travels with his owner are well-documented on TikTok.

On the @finnianthegoldie account, his owner explained some of the things Finnian does to help.

@finnianthegoldie service dog = ↑ independence ⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #servicedogsoftiktok #servicedoghandler #medicalalert #cardiacalertdog #dogsoftiktok #invisibledisability #amazingdogs #disabilitytok #disabilityawareness #assistancedog ♬ Someone To You – BANNERS

On a recent flight, Finnian and his owner encountered another dog – supposedly a service dog, and while it wasn’t aggressive – merely boisterous – the difference in behaviour was stark.

@finnianthegoldie “Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and service dogs in training are not service animals” (US DoT) and are not covered by the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act)⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ We’ve had these kind of interactions with “service animals” too often since the law changed in 2020 and it’s really alarming (the # of ESAs that suddenly became PSAs with 0 training). Now every time we’re at the airport, I am constantly on the lookout for “service dogs” that might put Finnian at risk (or service dogs in training who are clearly not ready to fly and had little public access training) ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Recently saw a video of a 5 month old puppy flying as a fully trained “service dog” after the owner got an online certification from a scam website 🙁 Faking a service dog definitely contributes to business’ and the public’s reluctant attitude towards real service dog teams (not to mention they’re breaking federal law) & puts real SD teams at risk⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣🐕‍🦺✈️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Most recent ruling: U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Final Rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals (2020)⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ • Emotional support animals are not considered service animals (meaning they are pets and you will need to follow the airline’s pet regulations and pay the pet fees to properly transport them) ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ • Allows airlines to limit the number of service animals traveling with a single passenger with a disability to 2 service animals⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ • Allows airlines to require a service animal to fit within its handler’s foot space on the aircraft⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ • Allow airlines to refuse transportation to service animals that exhibit aggressive behavior and that pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #fakeservicedog #emotionalsupportanimal #emotionalsupportdog #servicedoglife #servicedog ♬ original sound – Finnian the Goldie

The TikTok has more than 36 million views after just four days, and has triggered a lot of reactions.