12/23/2018
Today I was going to tell you all about my hydrotherapy session with Auntie-Doctor Segal. It was fun, and I am very tired from exercising so hard.
Instead I want to share with you some other news that I hope you can help me with. As many of you know, I was bitten by a fraudulent Service Dog three years ago. A person wanted their pet teacup poodle to be able to come into a medical facility to visit their friend, so they lied. I was bitten in the face while I was just sitting next to Chris minding my own business. I was shocked, and bleeding, and still have a scar on my handsome terra-cotta nose. I was lucky that it was such a small dog, and that I was not more seriously hurt.
I have been barked at, lunged at, and interferred with by dogs whose person put them in an an environment they were not emotionally or tempermentally equipt for. It is unfair and unsafe. It is selfish.
I have also been barked at and lunged at by pet dogs whose owners do not recognize that their own dog is not being playful, but who are indicating fear or aggression, dogs on retractable leashes, or no leashes with humans who yell from afar, "Don't Worry, he is friendly!". Well, I do worry, and Chris worries. I am important to Chris, and have an important job to do. If I were to be attacked, or even had too many interactions with aggressive dogs, I may develop a fear of canines. This is common.
You see, I will not protect myself, I will not retaliate, I am bred and trained to have no aggressive tendencies. Service Dogs depend on their humans 100% to keep them safe.
If I developed fear as a result of an attack I would be released from Service Dog work. Chris would be sad, I would be sad, and Chris and I would both lose our freedom to adventure.
Why do I share this today? I share this because one of my well-trained and much needed Service Dog colleagues has been released from service; after only 2.5 years of work. My friend was attacked, and has developed fear that prevents him from being able to do his job. This means that he will be living with his puppy raiser now, as a well-loved pet. It means that his human, who is much more dependent on a Service Dog than Chris is, will be without independence until a suitable match can be found and fully trained. It means that my colleague has emotional wounds that will take alot of time and training to recover from. If he is being released, it means that he is too fearful to be rehabilitated in a timeframe or to a degree that would allow him to continue as a Service Dog.
So, I ask you this. Please continue to advocate for professionals like myself. Discourage friends and family from taking advantage of the law, educate yourself, businesses, children, and strangers about the law, the role of Service Dogs, and how important we are to our humans. We go through over two years of training to get our diploma.
If you have a dog, learn to identify body language. If you have a dog-aggressive dog seek out a behaviorist to teach you how to make your pup as comfortable as possible; learn ways to keep them safe, and keep others safe. There are lots of reasons for some pups to have dog aggression. Really, it usually isn't their fault.
Let's just try and keep everyone as safe and calm, and happy as possible.
Good Luck to my friend on his new life, and I send comfort to his partner who is experiencing the loss of her partner and the freedom he gave her.
*My colleague is not from my alma mater, but another reputable organization.
