Thank you for writing about state Rep. Kimberly Ferguson’s bill (H 3657) banning the use of service dog vests for untrained dogs. (“Bill bans passing off pet as service dog,” Sept. 19)

While owners no doubt derive great comfort from being able to bring their dogs into public spaces, putting a service dog vest on a pet does not make it a service dog.

I spent two years training service dogs for National Education for Assistance Dog Services, or NEADS, through a partnership with the Hampshire County House of Corrections. Inmates trained the dogs during the week, and volunteers took them out on the weekends, introducing them to an endless list of experiences: shopping malls, movie theaters, public transit and more.

NEADS’ service dogs are trained for 18 months before being matched with their human partner. These dogs will not flinch if a hamburger is dropped next to them, they can turn on a light switch, they won’t react if a child yanks on their ears, and they’ll obey their human’s whispered commands in a crowded room.

The costs associated with getting a service dog can be prohibitive — NEADS asks its clients to contribute $8,000, while the organization estimates the total costs as more than $45,000. But local organizations, like Heroes, Horses and Hounds, work with rescue dogs and prioritize lowering the financial barriers to training service dogs.

I was recently at baggage claim in Logan Airport. A man waited next to me with his dog in a service dog vest. As the baggage belt beeped and began moving, his dog started to shake, hiding behind the man’s legs. The man reached down and picked up his 45-pound dog, comforting it.

Service dogs can change a human’s life and make them safer. But when a dog owner puts their pet in a service dog vest to gain access to certain spaces, they risk seriously affecting trained service dogs and the humans who depend on them.

I urge state representatives to support Rep. Ferguson’s bill and ensure that those who rely on service dogs are able to do so without having to keep an eye out for service dogs in disguise.

Sarah Rayzl Lansky

Amherst