Looking for Input

[soc_puppet]

I've come up with a really quick draft of something to help convention attendees decide if they should bring their Emotional Service Animals to conventions (and, if they do, whether they should bring the animal out or leave it in their hotel room). (Apparently I thought it was easier to try and write one myself than to use google.)

I've included everything I can think of that would help people make that decision or might impact that decision, but I'm sure that there are things I haven't thought of. In fact, I've thought of one while typing this entry that I'll be adding momentarily. If anyone has any suggestions of things I've missed, concrit of things I've included, or anything along those lines, I would greatly appreciate it.

Here's the link if you want to check it out. Thanks in advance!

Side note: While it's (probably) too late for me to arrange this year, as the con I'm staffing is in three weeks, next year I will be looking into hosting a Therapy Dog for a few hours to help out with anyone who does have to leave their ESA at home or in their hotel room. I'm hoping it'll also help defer people distracting service dogs, since the Therapy Dog will be there for them to pet and snuggle and generally go goofy over.

(Final paragraph edited for clarity.)

Comments

[davidgillon]

Not really dealt with this directly, but I've seen it being discussed by conrunners (from smallest amateur through largest professional) over on FB in Fans For Accessible Conventions and a lot seem to be moving in the direction of only allowing ADA service animals, and not ESAs, because of abuse. Particular problems seem to be animals that aren't trained to be around other animals, and animals that aren't house trained.

WRT allowing people to pet an ESA, I think that's more likely to confuse people who don't understand the difference between an ESA and a working service animal and think it they can pet one they can pet all.

[soc_puppet]

Whoops, I accidentally posted my response to you as a completely new comment >_> Anyway, I agree on the first point, and have (hopefully) clarified what I meant on the second. (I definitely don't want to decide for other people how much contact strangers are allowed to have with their pets.)

[soc_puppet]

Honestly, no ESA's/ADA Service Animals Only is my preference as well, but when I asked our con execs, this is what they told me we're doing. I may try to go harder on it next year, depending on how this year goes. In the mean time, I've got this as an attempt at damage control, and just hope that people will stop and think about the realities of bringing their animals to conventions.

Shoot, I was unclear there; I meant, we will be looking into hiring(?) a licensed(?)/trained Therapy Dog to visit the convention, and that dog, who will be trained in Therapy Dog tasks, will most likely be okay to pet. I definitely don't want to imply that about any other animals anyone brings!

[sasha_feather]

Thanks for writing this and sharing it!

[soc_puppet]

My pleasure! I'm hoping that the final result will be people being more thoughtful about how their ESA's interact with the rest of the world (and, pie-in-the-sky hope, that some people will straight-up reconsider claiming their pets are ESA's or service animals when they aren't).