India, July 11 -- South Dakota has introduced a new law aimed at curbing the misrepresentation of pets as service animals, with violators facing fines of up to $500, jail time or both.

The legislation, which took effect in July, makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor to falsely claim that a pet is a trained service animal to gain access to businesses or other public accommodations. The measure is intended to protect people who rely on legitimate service animals and reduce safety risks caused by untrained pets in public spaces.

Under the law, people cannot falsely represent a pet as a service animal to obtain rights or access reserved for individuals with disabilities and their trained service animals.

Those found in violation could face up to ...