Codependent Canines?

According to a recent NY Times article, many dog owners are registering their pets as "Emotional Service Animals" in order to get their dog a free pass into restaurants, stores, and offices. When properly used, an emotional support animal is intended as a companion for a severely mentally distressed individual, and is thus allowed to travel alongside the person wherever they go. While we all know that our pooches have a mysterious calming effect on us, a perfectly healthy human being claiming that they absolutely need their dog to brunch and shop with them is going just a tad too far.

Morally wrong as it is, I can't help but thinking that it's a clever idea. Sort of like stealing cable. You would never actually do it, but you're secretly a little in awe of those that do. What do you think?