September is National Service Dog Month

Service dogs are specially trained to help a human manage disability and lead a fuller life. They are not just companions or pets, they are working animals who have specific skills that assist their owner.

Service dogs can be trained to safely guide a blind person around everyday obstacles, retrieve objects dropped by a person in a wheelchair, or press buttons to open a door. They may be able to provide their owner with seizure or diabetic alerts. They can calm autistic children or veterans who have PTSD.

If you see a person with a service dog, don’t try to pet it or get it to play. It needs to pay total attention to the person for whom it works. If you are not sure if a person’s dog is a service dog, you are allowed to ask two questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Service dogs do not have to wear an identifying vest and the owner does not have to provide proof of its training. Emotional support dogs are not considered service dogs because they are not trained for specific tasks.

Dogs are devoted, loyal, and loving. They can truly be a person’s best friend as well as an important assistant if the person has a disability.