Service Animals

Recently there was a big article in the newspaper about a man who was denied service at a diner because of his service dog. It turns out the dog didn't have the best manners (eating from the owners plate being just one example) and this made the business owner suspicious the service animal was a fake so he kicked the guy out. It turns out the dog was a real "certified" service animal and had been trained to respond to the man's PTSD attacks by helping to distract him.

 I am not disabled and God willing I never will be but i really think the concept of psychiatric service dogs are a great idea. The picture you see here is Gracie she's my pet and is definitley not a service dog.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks of benefit to a disabled individual in order to be legally elevated from pet status to service animal status.  It is the specially trained tasks or work performed on command or cue that legally exempts a service dog [service animal] and his disabled handler from the “No Pets Allowed” policies of stores, restaurants and other places of public accommodation under the ADA. 

Gracie has no training, but she calms me when I am upset. Gracie has no training, but when I was really sick she would  not leave my side. Gracie has no training, but when I was in lots of pain after my surgery she would growl at anyone who looked like they were going to try to sit with, near, or on me (kids don't understand when you tell them daddy's chest and stomach hurt).

Imagine then what a well trained service animal could do for someone suffering from a psychiatric disorder. A dog could calm them, remind them to take their medicine and help then escape confrontation. How many people do we have living on the streets of America who could be productive members of society if they just had a dog!