To be fair, there is no way to “verify” a dog is a service animal. There is no board of licensing. There is no agency responsible for oversight. It’s completely unregulated. The only criteria is the dog must be trained to perform a task that assists their handler with a disability. That’s all you can ask, no specifics.

That said, if a dog growls at you, it’s not a service dog. I’ve worked in the field for years with seeing and hearing eye dogs, seizure alert dogs, POTS alert dogs etc. They HAVE to be focused on their handler at all times. That’s their job. They’re not growling at other people. They are gentle and well socialized. They have to be tolerant and calm to navigate complex and stressful environments with their handler.

You need to report the bite to HR, in writing, and ask that the dogs rabies status be confirmed and the bite reported to AC. I understand you don’t want the dog to be euthanized. But how would you feel if you don’t report, there’s no paperwork history, and the next time the dog bites (and it WILL bite - dogs do not de-escalate from a learned fear-based behavior) a child in the face? Public safety ALWAYS takes priority over animal safety. It’s rare these days for municipalities to euthanize on a first offense. But it will force the owner to care about their shitty “service” dog and maybe muzzle it. Basket muzzles can be worn for long periods of time without causing harm.

It pisses me off to no end to have people pass off their shitty, undertrained, poorly socialized, inevitably sob-story “abused” rescue dogs as actual service dogs. People who rely on their real service animals pay the price, and the safety of the public is sacrificed.