CHICAGO (CBS) – Despicable. That’s the word used by advocates for the disabled to describe the newest trend – people disguising their dogs as service dogs to travel, shop, and even go to night clubs.

“People think what they’re doing is harmless but it’s not. It’s very harmful,” said Marcie Davis, founder of International Assistance Dog Awareness Week.

As a paraplegic, Davis uses a real service dog, one that’s been trained and certified over hundreds of hours.

“This is jeopardizing people like me who really need a service dog. It’s jeopardizing our ability to be a working team out in public,” Davis said. She called the fake service dog problem an epidemic that’s happening all across the country.