An Arizona lawmaker is pushing a measure that would make it illegal for people who claim their pet is a service animal to enter restaurants or grocery stores. Despite getting the necessary votes, Senate Bill 1040 has no real teeth.
Even Republican Sen. John Kavanagh, who crafted the bill, acknowledged it’ll be tough to enforce, given the restrictions under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Government Committee approved the measure on a party-line vote Wednesday, and sent it to the Judiciary Committee for another hearing.
Not everyone thinks a law like this is needed.
"Law is not necessary. Laws already exist to remove pets and to remove even service animals that are misbehaving," said Sarah Kader is with the Arizona Center for Disability Law.
At least one supporter of the bill complained at Wednesday’s hearing that she saw people putting dogs into shopping carts at grocery stores, while another described how his service animal was attacked by untrained animals.