Posted on May 23, 2019
Scam 'Service Dog' Industry Thrives On Lack Of Federal Regulations
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Rebecca Peluso says she never would have thought a dog that was supposed to make her life easier would cause headaches and heartbreak.
Peluso sold her bed, dining room table and many other personal belongings in order to raise about $14,000 to purchase a service dog for her young daughter, Ella, who has autism. Ella’s autism caused her to run away frequently, putting her in dangerous situations, Peluso says.
“We were hoping [that having a service dog] would open up a door to be a part of the world, of the community, by being able to get out of the house and not worry about her running off as much or her meltdowns she'd have in stores,” Peluso tells Here & Now’s Robin Young.
But their “service dog” named Puzzle, which they bought from a man named Mark Mathis and his company Ry-Con, was not trained to guide a young child with autism.
In fact, Puzzle wasn’t trained at all.
Peluso sold her bed, dining room table and many other personal belongings in order to raise about $14,000 to purchase a service dog for her young daughter, Ella, who has autism. Ella’s autism caused her to run away frequently, putting her in dangerous situations, Peluso says.
“We were hoping [that having a service dog] would open up a door to be a part of the world, of the community, by being able to get out of the house and not worry about her running off as much or her meltdowns she'd have in stores,” Peluso tells Here & Now’s Robin Young.
But their “service dog” named Puzzle, which they bought from a man named Mark Mathis and his company Ry-Con, was not trained to guide a young child with autism.
In fact, Puzzle wasn’t trained at all.
Scam 'Service Dog' Industry Thrives On Lack Of Federal Regulations
Posted from wbur.org
Dogs
Service Dogs
Fraud
Law
Regulation
Posted >1 y ago
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It's sad that people would take advantage of someone like this, prison would be too good for them.
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Just like with anything else, it is all about research, research, research.
Sure Bob, the guy next door, can unclog your drains. Even looks like a hero when he easily walks in and rescues your wedding ring that slipped into the drain. But does that make him a plumber? No. As in anything else a person looking for a service should do their research and learn about what they need and then, ask a professional. Their child is autistic, so they should have gone through their physician for a referral/recommendation and then done a bit of background digging. This would have saved them a lot of the hassles that they went through.
Is it foolproof? No, but it does tend to weed out most imposters such as Ry-Con.
Sure Bob, the guy next door, can unclog your drains. Even looks like a hero when he easily walks in and rescues your wedding ring that slipped into the drain. But does that make him a plumber? No. As in anything else a person looking for a service should do their research and learn about what they need and then, ask a professional. Their child is autistic, so they should have gone through their physician for a referral/recommendation and then done a bit of background digging. This would have saved them a lot of the hassles that they went through.
Is it foolproof? No, but it does tend to weed out most imposters such as Ry-Con.
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