06/10/2024
A bit of a rant: We are THERAPY Dogs, not Service Dogs. It is very important to know the difference. We are trained to love ANYONE and EVERYONE we meet, whether a school, a hospital, nursing facility, veterans home, etc. A service dog is meant for a single individual for a very specific task (examples: a PTSD dog, a diabetic alert dog). As therapy dogs, we are tested, registered, certified, and insured through a national organization. We do NOT have the same rights as a service dog as far as entering businesses, accompanying our handler anywhere they go. The problem we come across so often in our work is the fake service dog epidemic. Unfortunately, because of loopholes in laws, dishonest people take advantage, hop on Amazon or other sites and purchase a “Service Dog” vest/patch and demand to take their UNTRAINED dog everywhere with them. Sorry to say, but it’s just not cool. Watching a TRUE service dog in action is like watching a harmonious work of art with their handler. They are in tune to every single movement with focus on absolutely no one else. But the there are those people who just want to take their dog into the Walmart or onto the cabin of a plane, so they slap the little vest onto Fido, while he barks at everyone near him with his 30 foot retractable zinger leash. These individuals are making it much more difficult for the true service dogs out there…the dogs that spent years of their life training to possibly save the life of their handler. But because of people that abuse the system, we’ve had friends questioned, harassed, and even denied entry to places where their TRAINED dog is present to provide crucial services to their handler. It takes ten seconds to identify a real working dog in action, believe me, you’ll see the difference. Let’s start doing better. Let’s stop the senseless nonsense. Let’s start being fair to the individuals who rely on these incredible creatures for their wellbeing. We all would love to take our dogs everywhere with us, but it’s just not how it should go. Please spread the word.