It used to be so easy to spot them, with their expensive
leather halters. The name "Leader Dog" or "Seeing Eye Dog" stamped right
into the leather. And they were always accompanied by a person wearing
dark sunglasses and we would look at them in wonder, (never pity), and
just a little envy that this person deserved to have such a nice dog. We
knew not to ever touch them, these fine dogs, or talk to them or distract
them in any way.
The sight of someone with a seeing-eye dog is so touching
that a few years ago a story hit the news about a gentleman whose dog had
died while on duty. This elderly gent was seen every day by those who
worked in and around the courthouse. He would walk up and down Olive, his
loyal service dog leading the way, as he boarded the bus, shopped and made
his way from work to home and back again. But then, the unthinkable
happened. The dog, having given all that he could, suffered a heart attack
and died on the sidewalk, leaving his bewildered master in confusion and
fear. It was a blistering hot day in the city as passers-by rushed to the
aid of the pair, taking them to the veterinarian and helping the gentleman
get home safely. In the days that followed, the story hit all the news
stations and donations poured in to help this man, who had become
something of a local celebrity after all those years, acquire another
seeing-eye dog. The community reaches out in times of need, and never more
so than when an animal is involved.
But it's not so easy to spot a dog who may be performing a
service anymore. These days, service dogs may be employed as eyes for the
blind or ears for the deaf, but that's not all. These days, we find dogs
who perform such services as:
* Detecting seizures before they happen so that their
owner can take a pill or don a helmet or otherwise prepare for the
impending event;
* Detecting changes in the heart's sinus rhythm, thereby
notifying the owner that a heart attack may be imminent so that s/he can
take a nitroglycerin tablet;
* Assist with mobility those who are confined to a
wheelchair, suffer from spinal disorders or are otherwise unable to "get
around" on their own;
* Pick up items that are dropped, open the refrigerator,
turn on lights, navigate around store displays and other related services.
* Help with psychiatric problems such as agoraphobia or
depression.
And the good news is, these dogs are protected under the
law courtesy of the Americans With Disability Act (ADA) of 1990. The laws
are pretty clear on this and there's not a lot of patience on the part of
the federal government for those who break the law, so those who work with
the public, in retail or government, may do well to educate themselves on
what is and is not acceptable under the ADA.
First of all, understand that there is a big difference
between service dogs and therapy dogs. The latter are not protected under
the ADA and are not allowed in public places where dogs are typically
banned. A good way to remember the difference between a service dog and a
therapy dog is the following distinction: A service dog focuses on the
person he is serving and ignores everyone else. A therapy dog focuses on
everyone else and takes his cue from his human partner while "ministering"
to the others in the room. Service dogs live in people's homes and
accompany them on their daily routines. Therapy dogs also live with people
or could be residents of a nursing home. One usually sees them visiting
patients in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and schools. Both therapy
dogs and service dogs may wear vests, but there is nothing in the law that
mandates that a service dog wear a vest or other identifiers. Also, the
person with the service dog does not have to carry any certification as to
the nature of their disability or the service that the dog performs.
Business owners who have been told by county and/or state agencies that
they may only allow guide dogs to the exclusion of other service animals
will be in clear violation of the federal law if they adhere to that
mandate. The federal law supersedes all municipal, county or state
regulations.
Retail and government or service employees are not allowed
to ask a person with a service dog to leave the property or they could
face stiff penalties for committing a federal offense. They are also not
allowed to ask the person with the dog about the nature of their
disability. An employee may ask "Is this a service dog?" but once told
that the dog is, indeed, a working service dog, s/he must allow the dog
and the person to go about their business. As far as the human is
concerned, they are still bound by law to comply with leash laws,
vaccination laws and protocol -- that is, the dog must be well-behaved and
not cause a nuisance in the place of business.
There is no requirement that the dog be of any specific
breed(s) and can be of any breed or a mixed breed. No obligation exists
under the law for a dog to be a graduate of an accredited training
program. A dog can be considered a service dog even if the owner trained
the dog himself. This is the kink in the law in that some people have come
to used to bring pets that are not service animals into retail
establishments. The retailer really has no recourse if told that the
animal is a service animal. However, when people do this, it ruins it for
everyone and causes a great deal of mistrust that is simply not warranted
or fair to those with true disabilities and service dogs.
So what should you do when seeing a person with a service
dog? Well, the best thing is to just let them go about their business
without being singled out for questions or conversation. If you simply
cannot help yourself because you just love dogs so much and must greet the
dog, (and everyone totally understands that) there are some basic rules of
etiquette that should be followed:
� Speak to the person first, don't automatically direct
verbal or non-verbal noises in the dog's general direction;
� Ask for, and wait to receive, permission to speak to
and/or pet the dog;
� Never feed the dog or offer him treats;
� Do not ask the person about the nature of their
disability or the dog's services (how would you like to discuss your
medical conditions with strangers?);
� Try not to be offended if the person does not grant
permission to interact with the dog or does not want to chat. You have
those days too.
For more information on this topic you may visit:
Canine Companions for Independence
http://www.caninecompanions.org
United States Department of Justice
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/qasrvc.htm
Training Your Own Service Dog
http://sdog.danawheels.net/ot-adog.shtml
The Delta Society
www.deltasociety.org
(Michelle Rivera is a humane educator and the author of
Canines in the Classroom, Raising Humane Children Through Interactions
with Animals)
Go on to Related
Article: Guide Dogs Under Attack By Family Pets
Return to 22 May 2005 Issue
Return to Newsletters
** Fair Use Notice**
This document may contain copyrighted material, use of which has not been
specifically authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that this
not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the
copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your
own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner.