“Is That Really a Service Dog?”: How Service Dog Handlers With Invisible Disabilities in the United States Communicate to Manage Stigma With Implications for Policy and Interventions

In the United States of America, the Americans with Disabilities Act allows for service dogs, dogs that are task-trained to assist disabled individuals in the management of their condition, to accompany their handler in public spaces. Recently, widespread media coverage of fake service dogs-pet dogs misrepresented as service dogs-has led to a perceived prevalence of fake service dogs. This, combined with a lack of knowledge about laws protecting service dog handlers, complicates the lives of legitimate service dog handlers, especially those with invisible disabilities who have no visible marks of a disability. Informed by the theory of stigma management communication, we conducted 35 in-depth interviews with service dog handlers with invisible disabilities to understand how they experience and manage stigma communication. Using a phronetic iterative approach, thematic analysis of the data revealed how handlers encounter misinformation about service dogs in everyday interactions, including doubts about the legitimacy of their disability, confusion between legitimate and fake service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, as well as requests for certifications or registrations that are not endorsed by the ADA. Stigmatizing communication toward handlers was characterized by microaggressions, unwanted and excessive attention, and potentially dangerous interactions with the public. Lastly, thematic analysis found that handlers' stigma management communication was pre-emptive, communal, and responsive. Findings suggest further exploration into communal coping as a stigma management strategy, as well as discussing implications for policy and suggestions for communication interventions.