I often write about service dogs, and I’m often fairly critical. It’s not that I dislike them – on the contrary, they’re incredibly important to people who need them. However, when people do stupid things with service dogs, it can ultimately hurt the people who actually depend on these animals.
I was at the grocery store
Two recent news reports highlight some challenges that people with service dogs face, and some of the controversies that exist.
In one report, a Winnipeg woman was kicked out of a McDonald’s restaurant because staff did not want her seeing-eye dog in the restaurant. McDonald’s head office has apologized profusely, probably an indication both
I’ve written a few times in the past about the need for better definitions and guidelines for service dogs. Service animals are incredibly beneficial for some people, but there is great potential for abuse of the "service animal" designation by people who don’t really need a service animal and/or are using completely untrained and
A Yonkers, New York school has barred a service dog from a school. On the surface, that sounds like a problem and an invitation for a lawsuit (particularly in the US considering the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)), but when you hear the details is seems like an entirely logical response.
The "service dog"
A friend recently asked me about having service dogs in classrooms. Her sister, who is a learning resources teacher, told her about an autistic child who will be attending her school with a dog. The dog prevents the child from bolting and helps reduce anxiety. She thought this was an interesting topic because of the
Recently, I wrote a commentary about the need to better define what service animals are because of potential abuse of regulations regarding service animals and the possibility that illegitimate use of the term could impact true service animals. Here are some good comments from a reader.
As a service dog user and trainer who
Because service animals are so important to the people they assit, they have much greater access to various venues than other animals. In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically addresses service animal access issues. It was a landmark act that ensured appropriate access for these animals so that people who require them
