Function, Not Paperwork: Why Service Dog Evaluation Still Matters

The ADA’s Strength—and Its Blind Spot

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is clear: service dogs are defined by function, not paperwork. That framework protects privacy and ensures that people with disabilities aren’t forced into unnecessary medical disclosure. But there’s a tension here. While the ADA rightly avoids demanding documents or licenses, it leaves a gap that the public and businesses still feel every day.

Anyone can buy a vest, print a card, or order a certificate online. No skills required, no training verified. That gap isn’t theoretical—it’s real, and it erodes trust for every legitimate handler. This is where evaluation and ethical certification step in: not to override the ADA, but to strengthen the trust that allows service dog teams to move confidently through the world.

ADA Basics: What the Law Actually Says

At its core, the ADA guarantees two things:

1. Public Access Rights – Service dogs must be allowed to accompany their handler anywhere the public is allowed.
2. Function, Not Form – A service dog is defined by what it does (task-trained to mitigate a disability), not by appearance, paperwork, or breed.

What the ADA does not require:

• Registration or certification
• Special paperwork or identification
• Disclosure of medical information

And yet, here lies the paradox: while the ADA protects privacy, it doesn’t provide a way for the public to separate genuine service dogs from pets in costumes. That’s not just a frustration—it’s a safety issue.

Why Evaluation Still Matters

So if the ADA doesn’t require certification, why should teams consider it? The answer is simple: trust and safety.

Two Pillars of Competence

• Public Access Behavior: Neutrality around distractions, appropriate manners in restaurants, stores, airports, and medical facilities.
• Task Competence: Proof that the dog can reliably perform disability-mitigating tasks tailored to the handler.

Third-party evaluation validates both. For handlers, it offers peace of mind. For businesses, it provides confidence that they’re accommodating a legitimate team. For the public, it rebuilds the trust that has been chipped away by impostors.

Ethics & HIPAA: Privacy with Accountability

One of the biggest misconceptions is that certification means exposing private medical information. It doesn’t.

Ethical programs separate two worlds:

• Skill Verification: A trainer, certifier, or evaluator observes the team performing public access behaviors and specific tasks.
• Medical Privacy: The reason a person uses those tasks is never disclosed. HIPAA protects health information, and ethical programs respect that line.

Certification should be about reality: Can this team perform the tasks safely in public? Not about personal files or diagnoses.

Combating Fake Credentials: The Real Problem

Here’s the reality: for $39.99 and a shipping fee, you can buy a vest and ID card online that “certifies” your pet dog as a service animal. No evaluation. No training. No accountability.

These fake credentials have three consequences:

1. Public Confusion: Staff at restaurants, airports, and businesses don’t know who to trust.
2. Handler Harassment: Legitimate handlers face suspicion, hostility, or denial of access.
3. Safety Risks: Dogs without training create disruptions, accidents, or even injuries.

This isn’t cosplay. It’s public safety. And every fake team undermines the credibility of real ones.

Building Public Trust: The Case for Standardization

Evaluation and certification aren’t about gatekeeping—they’re about building a system that balances rights with responsibility.

What Trust Looks Like

• For Businesses: Confidence that allowing a dog won’t result in disruption, liability, or health hazards.
• For Handlers: Validation that their hard work in training is recognized and respected.
• For the Public: Reassurance that the dog lying under the table at a restaurant isn’t just tolerated—it belongs.

At Certify Canine, we frame certification as a mirror of reality: it doesn’t create competence, it verifies it. The handler and dog team either have the skills, or they don’t. Certification simply confirms what’s already true.

The Path Forward: Raising the Bar Without Raising Barriers

The ADA was never meant to make life easy for fraudsters. It was written to protect those who need service dogs most. But protection without verification leaves space for abuse.

Standardized evaluation offers a solution:

• Accessible: Available to handlers and organizations nationwide.
• Ethical: Protects privacy, honors HIPAA, and respects ADA principles.
• Practical: Focused on real-world performance, not red tape.

This isn’t about making people jump through hoops. It’s about ensuring that when a handler says, “This is my service dog,” the world can trust it.

Competence Verified, Not Cosplay Approved

The ADA’s strength is its focus on function. But that strength needs reinforcement. By separating skill verification from personal disclosure, and by addressing the epidemic of fake credentials, we can rebuild the trust that allows service dog teams to thrive.

Certification isn’t paperwork. It’s proof. It’s not about permission—it’s about confirmation. Competence verified, not cosplay approved.