Service Dogs are for Service People- and the Disabled. Period.

The tiny poodle peeped out from the sling under Cathy's ample arm. The license, a credit card sized affair, was clipped to the black sling on the other side in plain view. We were both in the pre-seating section this morning for 5:30 flight to Denver. I am still nursing a fractured rib, Cathy's got a slew of other issues.

I asked permission to sit next to Cathy, and the tiny poodle, about three pounds' worth, popped out. She proceeded to munch on a proffered piece of dog jerky.

"Is it appropriate for me to touch her? " I asked Cathy.

"She's out of her sling now, so it's all right," Cathy answered.

"Seizures?" Cathy nodded. The tiny poodle, done with her treat, pranced over to my lap and wiggled in pleasure as I rubbed her ears. She was minuscule.

"I've never understood people who don't ask permission to pet a dog before reaching out at one," I said as I cuddled the tiny creature, who was smelling German Shepherd all over my parka. Trained seizure dogs, and their ilk, take years and around $50,000 to train in order to help save lives. They are an investment in time, money and love.

Cathy shrugged. "She'll bare her teeth and then turn away if someone reaches towards her while she's in her sling, which tells her she's working," she explained.

"Good," I said. "What bothers me more, although states are moving to curb this, are the people who buy fake credentials for their untrained dogs so that they can take them anywhere they like." Cathy nodded. She knows this all too well. This wholesale abuse of the right to have a trained companion dog, such as for vets with PTSD (and Cathy is a retired Vietnam veteran) or someone with a significant medical need has struck this veteran as an extraordinarily selfish act.

One online commentator, a young woman in her twenties, simply said that she felt that since her dog "was a family member, she should be able to take it anywhere she wanted."

This self-absorbed point of view completely disregards the fact that while her pooch loves her, it might not be able to handle the demands of big crowds, kids that shove their hands in its face, lots of noise and other distractions that can make an animal attack out of fear. Suddenly sweet Floppy has just taken half the face off a four year old.

Wow, dude, sorry.

Yeah, well, that's why these very special dogs get $50,000 worth of training.

The increasing abuse and unfortunate lack of consistent regulation has led to situations wherein United (here we go again) has repeatedly challenged Cathy, who flies first class and has more than two million miles on this airline, about her dog.

Not a good move, United, among other not-so-good moves. Cathy has the dog's license prominently displayed, her papers in hand. Yet United still challenges her.

United seems to like challenging people. Although why pick on disabled veterans with service dogs is beyond my ken, especially when they are clearly spending a fortune with the company. But I'm not United. Maybe no one else will be either in short order.

To Cathy's credit, and one reason I love military women, she set United straight. When she sets out into the world to do her forensic work in all corners of the globe, tiny dog in tow, every so often a new United employee will leap up to challenge at the gate. Those who have done this to their detriment reel the newbie in. "Not a good idea," they say.

No it's not. Nor is trying to take your furball where it doesn't belong just because you want to.

If you are are a fellow vet with a companion dog, or someone with a working animal, this hits home. You've earned companion animals. More and more states are crafting laws that penalize people who try to sneak under the radar by buying fake capes and claiming that their dogs are "trained."

Frankly, shame on you. I speak for veterans and those who actually need service animals. Until you really need one, you can't fathom how important those creatures are. They are earned because of a huge loss. Some people could die without them. For some vets, they are the critical lifeline between sanity and a world that no longer makes sense.

You with the fake companion dog cape? You just wanna have your doggie along.

Grow up. And get a dog sitter like the other adults.