Saying owners are abusing the law, a Republican state senator wants to make it illegal to misrepresent a dog as a "service animal'' to bring it into places where pets are not allowed.
The proposal by John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills would allow judges to impose fines of up to $250 on someone who fraudulently misrepresents an animal as a service animal to anyone who operates a business or recreation site open to the public. That also includes buses, taxis and ambulances.
"It's amazing that you can't get a placard to park your car in a disabled spot unless a doctor certifies you're disabled. But pretty much today everybody can walk around and buy a vest on the internet and claim that non-trained animals are service animals," Kavanagh said.
He said nothing in Senate Bill 1040 would allow a business owner to refuse to let someone enter the premises solely because of the failure to provide such written proof. In fact, existing Arizona law prohibits requiring identification for the service animal.