All sounds perfectly reasonable and doesn't answer my post. If the person's disability requires they have a service animal with them wherever they go, then the service animal should be allowed wherever they go. However, if this service animal was not needed by his disability for a walk along the boardwalk, the normal law restricting dogs should be in force.
How in the world would someone know whether they would need the dog in any given environment if they had not had a prior visit to the exact same location, under the exact same conditions, while encountering the exact same people and situations? Hint: They couldn't possibly know.
Yes, indeed the vet could have been to the boardwalk before, but he could not possibly know that the situation would be the same as it was on his previous visit. There could be construction, hoards of screaming children, street hustlers, an immediate emergency of some kind. There could be any number of things that the vet could encounter and could not predict, even if he had been there before. So we can nix the only when needed argument. If he needs the dog, he needs the dog. Daily life is nothing if not unpredictable.
Add to that, this entire situation may have been easily avoided if all service animals were required to be clearly marked as service animals.
The dog was clearly marked with his working vest. If you looked at the video you saw the words "Service dog" on the vest. In addition, all trained service dogs have documentation. The vet did show the documentation to the cop.
AFTER the vet provided the documentation the cop wrote the vet a summons and kicked him off the boardwalk.
And we do not know "This dog was was trained to do what he was doing". There is no mention in the article of why a service animal might be needed for mobility in this case, no indication the guy was sight impaired. The only specific was the bit about the animal being used for PTSD therapy.
You appear to under the assumption that mobility = vision impairment. It can and it does, but that is far from being all that mobility means. People who use wheel chairs, people who use canes, people who use walkers, people who have degenerative bone diseases, people who have MS or ALS or people who have had polio or diabetes or back surgery or arthritis or fibromyalgia or amputation or many other conditions are or can be mobility impaired. The impairments while often permanent varying among people. Even one person with one or more of these or other disabilities will often experience "good days and bad days". Onset of a "bad day" is often sudden. It can occur at anytime. What a person thought was going to be a "good day" or a regular day can suddenly become uncharacteristically difficult at any given time. You don't get to chose when.
Service dogs can do amazing things. I have a friend who has been blown up one too many times. He has PTSD and a list of other challenges that include vertigo. Sometimes he gets very dizzy. He never knows exactly when that will be. He does know that if he bends over he is likely to lose his balance. He has a service dog. She has been trained to do a number of things for him. If he drops something she is trained to pick it up and take it to him. This keeps him from having to bend over.
When my friend walks near people the dog is trained to place herself between him and the nearest person so that they will not inadvertently bump into him. Thus she is critical to his mobility. In addition, people are aware of her as she is a big black lab. My disabled vet friend doesn't look disabled and thus people don't react to him that way. They do see the dog and the dog, her name is Urban, in that manner clears the way for him, if you like.
Anxiety is a continuing issue for my friend. He wants to be around people and he needs to be around people, but at the same time he gets nervous if people invade what he feels is his comfort zone. Urban provides that buffer for him as she stands or sits between him and other people.
Urban is a working dog. She is well trained. So is my friend. No one is allowed to pet Urban when she is working. At home when the working vest comes off we can all pet her and treat her like a family pet.
Finally, she is not a trick dog. If you want to piss a disabled person off ask them to show you their dog's tricks to prove the dog is really a working dog.
The cop had all the information he needed. The cop was out of line. We know this because the summons was dropped. We also know Veterans and Working Dogs have met with the North Wildwood Police Chief to impress upon him the critical need for understanding and support for veterans with service dogs.