Welcome to

Starting today, people using fake service dogs might find it a littler harder to pull off their scam. New Legislation gives businesses more flexibility, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the legislation also makes sure people with real disabilities aren’t mistreated.

Meet Lando….and owner Tiffany Baylor.  Tiffany is sight challenged.

“For me, I see my hands about there” says Tiffany, holding her hands out in front of her about six inches apart.

Tiffany and Lando are one of the reasons Florida has a new law on Fake Service dogs.

Carol Dover and The Florida Restaurant Association pushed for a change when it saw a trend of increasing abuse.

“We hears some of the strangest stories of people who believe their monkeys are service animals” says Dover.

Cracking down on those who abuse the system has gone nowhere for several years. But that changed last fall when Tiffany and Lando were harassed by guards at the state museum.

“The blind will not be dismissed.”

The video caused protests.

Tiffany got a quick apology. She’s since given sensitivity training to the guards who stopped her…but she says impostors are giving legitimate service dogs a bad name.

“People who pass their pets off as service are making people question and second guess us” complains the visually handicapped educator. Tiffany works for the Division of Blind Services.

Now watch what happens when Lando walks by this play area…then imagine what a pet dog might do. He ignores all the activity.

Service dogs, when they are working are all business…Scenes like this would never distract them.

“Their who consciousness is all about his job” says Tiffany.

But When Lando isn’t working…he can be just as playful as any other dog….

Nat sot; “ This is my dog when he’s off working”.

The bottom line. Focus is the easiest way to tell a real service dog from a fake.

The new legislation provides for up to 60 days in jail or a five hundred dollar fine for people who use a fake service dog or for merchants who refuse access to litigate service dogs. Someone convicted can also be ordered to do 30 hours of community service helping the disabled community.