Service Dog Trainer Accused of Fraud by Customers with Disabilities
A Spokane woman won a lawsuit against a service dog trainer after discovering that the service dog she bought for her autistic son was highly anxious and fearful. After discovering that the dog was terrified of daily circumstances and was unqualified to help her child, Amy Fellows filed a small claims action against the trainer.
Spokane woman wins lawsuit against a service dog trainer
During the pandemic, Amy Fellows could not convince her then-11-year-old child on the autism spectrum to leave the house. Concerned about her son’s anxiety and fear, Fellows decided to find a service dog. Known for helping people with disabilities, service dogs can boost confidence, lower anxiety, and greatly enrich the lives of those with autism.
At first, Fellows initially contacted an Oregon organization that trains canines to help individuals with autism. Unfortunately, there was a three-year waiting list. Soon after, Fellows learned about Dogology Northwest, a Washington-based business that trained service dogs to help people with disabilities and mental health challenges. She was thrilled to sign up when she was informed that the business could pair her son with a service dog in a couple of months.
In 2020, the company, which recently changed its name to Unleashed Academy after a trademark lawsuit, received attention for training dogs to help people with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It had even become “one of the country’s largest suppliers of service animals for people with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and autism,” KREM 2 reported.
After getting help to cover the $18,500 cost, a hopeful Fellows went to pick up the Newfoundland-Poodle mix named Beep. It wasn’t long until Fellows discovered the Newfypoo puppy was not fit for the job. The dog had challenges of his own.
$18,500 service dog was highly anxious, fearful
Beep was nervous, even fearful. Daily circumstances were incredibly stressful for the dog. A hotel cleaning trolley alarmed him. When he went outside the home, Beep cowered. Fellows spent thousands of dollars hiring a different trainer to help Beep with his behavioral challenges. Fellows even says her child is growled at by the service dog, and the two cannot be left alone together.
“Beep was a big disappointment for my child,” Fellows told The Seattle Times. “I basically became [Beep’s] emotional support human, almost immediately.”
Concerned about the problems, Fellows soon asked other service dog trainers to evaluate Beep. They told her the dog was too nervous to be an effective service animal. One video clip shows the dog in Home Depot, notably anxious. He cowers away from people with his tail tucked between his legs.
“I can’t take my dog to Petco,” Fellows stated. “People with dogs from the pound can take their dogs to Petco.” Fellows won the lawsuit. She was compensated with $10,000, which is the maximum amount allowed in small claims court.
Despite the strain on her family, Fellows decided to keep Beep. “I grew up in a family where if you have a dog, you have a dog. You don’t just give a dog away,” she said. For Fellows, a bond is a bond.
Several lawsuits target the service dog training business
Multiple lawsuits target Mary Davies or her businesses, Dogology NW, Dog Sciences LLC, and Unleashed Academy. They include a class action lawsuit filed by two customers, a breach of contract claim, and an employment law claim made by a dog trainer who said she and other dog trainers were wrongly classed as independent contractors. There have also been numerous complaints made to the state attorney general’s office.
While Unleashed Academy places service dogs around the country, the majority of the dogs are paired with people in the pacific northwest. The plaintiffs include a Seattle woman with anxiety and a San Francisco woman with autism, anxiety, and depression. The women allege that the dogs they purchased for up to $40,000 didn’t have the right temperament and were not trained to be service dogs. One woman said she was given a 5-month-old Goldendoodle, believing the dog could help her with mobility. Soon, the puppy was too strong and pulled her over.
Davies and her attorney defended the caliber of the company’s dog training. In response to the allegations, they claimed that some of the clients who made complaints about the business had exaggerated expectations. Davies says those who complained likely did not continue training the dogs after picking them up.
“There are no questions of what the dog was trained to do,” Davies stated. “What we can’t control is what the people do when they leave.”
Service dog training accreditation
Although there is a qualification to be a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act, certification is not required. Additionally, people with disabilities have the right to train their own service dogs. Local governments cannot demand service dog registration.
The industry has expanded recently despite this lack of government oversight. The high demand can leave people with disabilities particularly vulnerable to trainers or businesses claiming to provide qualified service dogs.
To combat the growing concern over the lack of qualified service dogs, Assistance Dogs International (ADI) created a database that allows interested individuals to research approved training programs. Founded in 1986, the organization works to fulfill its mission of “[fostering] a collaborative global community dedicated to the highest standards of excellence for the assistance dog industry.”
Service dogs can greatly improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. You can also learn more about the top breeds for service dogs, including breeds for children on the autism spectrum here.
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