Fake Service Dog Badges Proliferate as Owners Seek to Bypass Pet Restrictions

Experts warn that the rise of fake service dogs is creating problems for those with legitimate service animals.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 8:09am

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The author describes how she was able to easily obtain a fake service dog badge for her cavapoo, Charlie, allowing her to bring him into businesses, on public transportation, and even into her office without issue. However, experts warn that the proliferation of fake service dogs is creating real problems for those with legitimate service animals, who are facing more scrutiny and interference from poorly behaved pets masquerading as working dogs.

Why it matters

The rise of fake service dogs is undermining the important work that real service dogs are trained to perform for people with disabilities. As more untrained pets are passed off as service animals, it creates confusion and makes it harder for those who genuinely rely on service dogs to access public spaces.

The details

The author describes how she was able to quickly and easily obtain a service dog certificate and ID for her pet cavapoo, Charlie, from a website that offers such registrations without requiring any proof of training or a person's disability. She then proceeded to bring Charlie into various businesses, on public transportation, and even into her office without issue, as no one questioned whether he was a legitimate service dog. However, experts warn that this practice of "faking" service dog status is creating real problems. Legitimate service dog owners report encountering poorly behaved dogs that interfere with their own animals, and businesses are unsure of how to handle situations where a dog's status is questionable.

  • The author obtained Charlie's fake service dog badge over the course of a few days in the past week.
  • The author brought Charlie to various locations, including a Trader Joe's, the New York City subway, and her office at Business Insider, over the course of the past week.

The players

Charlie

The author's 22-pound cavapoo dog, who she registered as a fake service dog.

Rebecca Wisch

The associate editor of the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University, who explains that the registration sites offering service dog certifications are "capitalizing on some of that confusion" around the rules governing service animals.

Cathy Zemaitis

The chief development and programs officer from NEADS, a nonprofit that trains service dogs, who says the "ADA is very loosely structured language" and "there are tons of loopholes" that people take advantage of.

John Kavanagh

A Republican Arizona state senator who sponsored a bill to crack down on service dog fraud, and who has observed "disorderly four-legged creature[s] dragging its owner around, wearing a vest that said 'service animal'" in stores and other public spaces.

Amanda Hoover

The author of the article, who is a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering the tech industry.

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What they’re saying

“There's no federal registration, there's no database — none of this makes any legal difference.”

— Rebecca Wisch, Associate editor of the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University

“The ADA is very loosely structured language. There are tons of loopholes. And so when there's loopholes, people always take advantage.”

— Cathy Zemaitis, Chief development and programs officer from NEADS

“I couldn't go into a store or an airport or even an office without seeing some disorderly four-legged creature dragging its owner around, wearing a vest that said 'service animal.'”

— John Kavanagh, Republican Arizona state senator (NBC News)

What’s next

The author notes that most states have cracked down on service dog fraud by passing laws that levy small fines on those who misrepresent their pets as service animals, but these laws are mostly just deterrents and don't seem to be fully addressing the problem.

The takeaway

The proliferation of fake service dogs is undermining the important work of legitimate service animals and creating real problems for those who rely on them. While some states have passed laws to try to curb this issue, experts say there is no easy fix, as establishing an official training and licensing system for service dogs could create other challenges. The rise of fake service dogs highlights the need for clearer regulations and better public education around the proper use of service animals.