Unique Katahdin Photo

[Jack Tarlin]

Cowboy:

I take exception with your last post.

I have frequently encountered "service" dogs on the Trail that I know to be serving nothing other than the fact that their owner wished to enjoy their company.

How do I know this?

Because the owners told me so.

And this is happening more often than you think.

If a place like the Smokies bans dogs, this is not done lightly. They have their reasons for doing this. If there are exceptions to this rule, they should be legitimate ones.

To say that nobody has the right to ask questions about a service dog is ridiculous, especially when folks are abusing this policy.

If one's dog is a service dog, this be clearly known, it should be easy to verify (or for anyone to ascertain), and there's nothing wrong with folks asking about it.

Cowboy: I respect your opinion on this matter, and ordinarily I'd agree with it, except most of the "service" dogs I've seen on the Trail have not BEEN registered or certified as such. This is a dis-service and is dis-respectful to areas that have, for whatever reason, banned dogs; it's a dis-service to those who are forced to travel or share facilities with dogs who have no legitimate or legal business being there; it is most of all, a dis-service to those individuals who have a legitimate reason to have a service dog companion and who have gone through proper legitimate channels to have this fact recognized.

[sheepdog]

omg y'all. it's a dog on a mountain. get the **** over it. sheesh!

I nominate Kanga as the official service dog police. It should come with a badge, a whistle, and 1lb of doggie treats. Is there a second??

We also need a handicapped parking police. I'm tired of watching them wheel into prime spots and hop out like nothing is wrong. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more.

Rise up....Rise up....

[kanga]

I nominate Kanga as the official service dog police. It should come with a badge, a whistle, and 1lb of doggie treats. Is there a second??

i'm not accepting unless it involves a gun too.

[sheepdog]

i'm not accepting unless it involves a gun too.

Ok but only one bullet, which will be kept in your shirt pocket.
Otherwise
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...y_Callahan.JPG
The dogs got a permit. You got a problem with that?? Do ya, Punk??

[cowboy nichols]

Jack, under no circumstance would I agree with someone claiming a dog as a service dog when there wasn't a health reason.What I meant was some people who use service dogs do not have visiable health proplems and they are not required to explain their medical issues. This could be avoided with a simple Drs. statement without disclosing the disability of the person. I think people who claim falsely that there dog is a service dog should be fined.

[ToyYoda]

Ohnoees. A DOG.

[KG4FAM]

Jack, under no circumstance would I agree with someone claiming a dog as a service dog when there wasn't a health reason.What I meant was some people who use service dogs do not have visiable health proplems and they are not required to explain their medical issues. This could be avoided with a simple Drs. statement without disclosing the disability of the person. I think people who claim falsely that there dog is a service dog should be fined.

If I asked someone about their dog and they pulled a docors note and ADA statement on me I would blow them off. I ain't the law so weather its legal or not for a dog to go in the parks doesn't matter to me. There is no need to be legalistic, all you got to say is: "I got some issues going on that the companionship of the dog helps with and don't feel comfortable talking about it with folks out here."

[Jack Tarlin]

This is precisely the sort of statement used by folks who are hiking with fake service dogs. Lots of folks would be "helped" or would feel better if they had their dogs with them all the time, but if their dog is with them in a place where dogs are expressly forbiddden, then this is wrong. People with legitimate issues that have a legitimate reason to have a Service Dog should be able to prove this; in fact, it'd be easier if there was a universal badge or license of some sort that could be prominently displayed. This would accomplish two things: It'd make it perfectly clear that a dog was a legit service animal, and it would prevent folks from getting asked questions they may not wish to answer in regards to their physical or mental health. But most "Service Dogs" appear to be simple house pets, plain old animal companions. And the reason they appear this way is because that's exactly what most of them are.

[Wise Old Owl]

there's 10 minutes I'll never get back............it has to be photo shopped there is no dog crap in the picture.......there is more dog crap on the trail.......ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Kanga, I am over it!

Jack Tarlin - I don't get it, why do you care? How does this picture affect your life? I must be missing something here.

As my dad would say, "I clean up after my Jack Russel when horse riders clean up after themselves!"

[weary]

omg y'all. it's a dog on a mountain. get the **** over it. sheesh!

Kanga. and others, though it may be too complex for you to understand, this is a mountain that one man, all by himself, protected. When he gave the 200,000 acres to the "people of Maine," he asked only that it be kept "forever wild" and that human pets be prohibited.

I don't want to debate whether this restriction was wise. But I will maintain until my my dying days, that his wishes should be honored and enforced. I recognize that this is something many on White Blaze seem unable to comprehend. I stand by my belief about the importance of private decisions regarding land they own and offer to give to the public, should be enforced. If government is unwilling enforce the gifts restrictions, the gift should not be accepted. This is a critical matter. We no longer can count on the federal government protecting these few remaining wild places. We are reduced to private persons doing the job the best they can. I maintain the wishes of someone as dedicated as Gov. Baxter was should be adhered to. Your comments are welcome Kanta.

Weary

[max patch]

Kanga. though you may not be capable of understanding it, this is a mountain that one man, all by himself, protected. When he gave the 200,000 acres to the "people of Maine," he asked only that it be kept "forever wild" and that human pets be prohibited.

I don't want to debate whether this restriction was wise. But I will maintain until my my dying days, that his wishes should be honored and enforced. I recognize that this is something many on White Blaze seem unable to comprehend. I stand by my belief about the importance of private decisions regarding land they own and offer to give to the public, should be enforced. If government is unwilling enforce the gifts restrictions, the gift should not be accepted. This is a critical matter. We no longer can count on the federal government protecting these few remaining wild places. We are reduced to private persons doing the job the best they can. I maintain the wishes of someone as dedicated as Gov. Baxter was should be adhered to. Your comments are welcome Kanta.

Weary

You are, of course, 100% correct.

[Wise Old Owl]

well that makes a lot more sense - thanks Weary!