Arizona man registers beehive as therapy animal

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Arizona (WPVI) -- David Keller from Prescott Valley, Arizona thinks therapy and service animal registration is too easy.

"We go out and pretty much everywhere we go we see a fake service animal that's being passed off as a real one," said Keller.

To prove his point he found a website that registers animals for free and really doesn't do any background checking.

Within five minutes he registered a photo of a beehive.

"That's pretty much all there is to the first page and that's all you have to do anyway," he said.

Although the registration was successful. it would not hold up against Arizona law according to an attorney with the Arizona Center for Disability Law.

"If he were to go to a restaurant or a business and he wanted to bring in the bee hive and call it a service animal. By law, he can't do that," he said.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and Arizona Law includes service animals, not therapy animals, and defines service animals as a trained dog or mini horse.

Asking for identification is considered discrimination so registration is not required. You really don't need this piece of paper.

"There's no legal value to it but it might provide some sort of peace of mind," said Keller.

Still, Keller thinks too many pet owners are trying to take advantage of the system.

"I wish there were more restrictions on it or something to show that it's real because right now all someone has to say is yes it's real and it does provide a service then they can be let in anywhere," he said.