Service dogs should be allowed to be trained in public in Wyoming, but that privilege shouldn’t extend to “emotional support” pets, legislators said Wednesday. 

Senate File 147 would apply only to training for dogs working toward becoming certified service animals, said Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne, who is sponsoring the bill. 

“Not the little fluffy dog that you put on your lap, and you say they are the comfort dog or your emotional support dog,” she told fellow members of the Wyoming Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee.

“This emotional support dog has to alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability,” she added. 

Committee member Sen. Gary Crum, R-Laramie agreed that people shouldn’t be allowed to cheat the system by calling just any dog a service dog-in-training.