Animals: Unlicensed service animals are pet peeve

I believe in service animals, but they should be properly licensed. Often when I go to a grocery store, I see a pet in a cart or walking beside its master. A few are tagged “service animal” but most are not. This is a health/sanitation issue.

Tags can be bought online to falsely Identify an animal as a service animal. I believe an official designation/tag should be designed similar to a disability placard for a car; issued for the animal and the user. I have a disability placard and ID for my wallet to prove I have the right to use the placard when parking. A similar requirement should be used for service animals.

My little seven-pound chorkie stays in the car unless I go into a hardware store. She doesn’t like it, but I understand that the public has the right to a clean, sanitary grocery-shopping experience.

A free state-issued service animal placard would allow people to have their furry friends and protect the establishment and its patrons from unwarranted unsanitary conditions.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Animals: Unlicensed service animals are pet peeve."