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Are some service dog owners scamming the system?

Posted at 10:46 AM, May 19, 2014
and last updated 2014-05-19 10:48:04-04

Some dog owners are scamming the system - getting their pets access to restaurants and shops, as well as cashing in on thousands of dollars in tax credits - and giving legitimate service dogs a bad name.

They come back from war broken...

"I struggle with everyday life things."

Their injuries, both seen and unseen.

"I wake up and don't know where I am, I have flashbacks."

And these service dogs become their lifeline, able to bring back some semblance of normalcy.

"He's my little battle buddy."

But now, their way of life is under attack...from fakers.

"These dogs pee, destroy things, bark noisily."

"She literally had to chain it to the cart to walk around."

Aided by a growing online industry, taking advantage of loopholes.

"It's super easy, just a matter of going online to get this paper."

All while defrauding the government at the same time.

A NewsChannel 3 investigation uncovers just how easy it for these fakers.

Laurie Simmons reports, Tuesday at 5.