Transparency

OSAR believes a registry should be transparent about both its capabilities and its limitations.

That begins with acknowledging something that is sometimes obscured in the private service-animal registry market:

OSAR registration is not required by federal law and does not create service-animal rights.

We believe a voluntary registry can still be useful, but its usefulness should come from trustworthy information and good technology rather than from implying authority the organization does not possess.

What an active record means

An active OSAR record means that:

• a registry record exists;
• the handler completed the applicable registration process;
• required handler attestations have been made;
• the record currently has the status displayed; and
• any independently verified information is specifically identified as such.

It does not mean that the federal government, a state government, or OSAR has legally certified the animal.

Verification describes specific facts

When OSAR labels information as independently verified, we intend that label to correspond to a defined verification process.

For example:

Handler Identity: Independently Verified

should mean that an independent identity-verification process was completed.

Training Organization: Confirmed

should mean that OSAR obtained confirmation sufficient under the applicable process from the identified training organization.

Verification labels should tell you what was checked, not merely create an impression of legitimacy.

The limits of our role

OSAR does not ordinarily attempt to determine:

• a handler's medical diagnosis;
• whether a person is “disabled enough”;
• whether an animal is legally entitled to enter a particular business;
• whether a foreign government must recognize a credential;
• whether an airline must transport an animal; or
• whether every statement made by a registrant is true unless specifically identified as independently verified.

Those determinations may belong to the handler, applicable law, governmental authorities, courts, airlines, foreign governments, or other organizations.

Free registration and clear fees

OSAR's basic registration is free.

There is no annual subscription required merely to maintain an eligible basic record.

Where an optional verification service carries a fee, OSAR intends to disclose:

• what is being verified;
• why a fee exists;
• whether a third-party provider is involved;
• whether the fee is refundable;
• what happens if verification is unsuccessful; and
• what the resulting verification status actually means.

OSAR does not intend to hide recurring charges behind a free registration process.

No merchandise business model

OSAR does not sell physical service-dog identification cards, vests, patches, certificates, or similar merchandise.

This keeps OSAR's financial incentives aligned with its stated purpose.

We do not want the organization to benefit financially from convincing a handler that purchasing an official-looking object makes an animal more legitimate.

Our resources are intended to support:

• registry infrastructure;
• verification;
• security;
• privacy;
• accessibility;
• public education; and
• the operation of the nonprofit organization.

Privacy and data minimization

OSAR's privacy approach is based on data minimization.

We explain:

• what information we collect;
• why we collect it;
• what information may be public;
• which third parties process information;
• how optional identity verification works;
• what we retain;
• how handlers can control public visibility; and
• how users can request access, correction, or deletion where applicable.

OSAR does not sell registrant information.

More detail is available in the OSAR Privacy Policy.

Verification without a public directory

OSAR records are intended to be verifiable, not broadly searchable as a directory of people who may have disabilities.

Public verification is therefore designed primarily around:

• QR codes;
• secure verification links; and
• exact OSAR record numbers.

OSAR does not intend to provide a general-purpose public directory through which people can browse handlers.

That distinction is important to our privacy philosophy.

Governance and organizational transparency

OSAR is being established with a genuine Board of Directors and independent nonprofit governance.

As the organization develops, OSAR intends to make appropriate organizational information available publicly, which may include:

• Board membership;
• organizational leadership;
• nonprofit status;
• governing principles;
• material policies;
• financial reporting required for public inspection;
• verification methodology;
• material conflicts of interest where disclosure is appropriate; and
• annual or periodic transparency reporting.

The purpose is to make it possible for the public to understand who governs OSAR and how important decisions are made.

Understandable verification methods

OSAR intends to document the general methodology behind its verification statuses.

We may not disclose information that would make fraud or abuse easier, such as security thresholds or sensitive anti-fraud controls.

But users should be able to understand, in plain language, what a status means and the general process used to reach it.

Correcting mistakes

Transparency also means acknowledging mistakes.

If OSAR learns that independently verified information is inaccurate, we intend to provide a process for investigating and correcting it.

Where appropriate, the verification status may be temporarily limited or removed while the matter is reviewed.

OSAR's goal is not to preserve a verification badge at all costs.

The goal is to maintain an accurate record.

Questions and accountability

OSAR welcomes legitimate questions about:

• registry policies;
• verification;
• privacy;
• accessibility;
• governance;
• fees; and
• organizational practices.

As OSAR develops, appropriate contact paths and reporting mechanisms will be maintained so handlers, trainers, organizations, and members of the public can raise concerns.

Transparency is not simply publishing policies.

It means building an organization whose claims can be examined against what it actually does.

Our transparency standard

Whenever OSAR presents information to the public, we want the answer to three questions to be clear:

1. Who provided this information?
2. Was it independently verified?
3. What does the verification actually mean?

If those answers are not clear, we have not met our own standard.