Professional Documents
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POINTS OF
What is a
service dog?
Service V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1 1 0 / 2 7 / 1 7
Animal vs.
ADA Laws
According to the Americans with Service Dogs train from the mo-
Common
Disabilities Act (ADA) a service ment they can finally be away
Service Dog dog is a dog that is individually from their mom. It can take up to
Misconcep- trained to do work or preform two years just to learn the skills
tions tasks for a person with a disabil- needed for public access. Then
ity. they have advanced training and
regular refreshing to keep their
skills sharp. Training never ends
Service dogs have been trained to
for these heroes.
work with one specific type of per-
son and what they have been
INSIDE THIS
trained to do depends on the type Service dogs save lives and have
ISSUE:
of disability the individual has. become an integral part of their
handlers lives. They provide un-
ADA Laws 2
conditional support, love, and a
Many disabilities can use the aid of
Public Access
source of optimism for their han-
2 a service dog including physical
dlers. Often increasing their inde- are given public access. (Check
disabilities, visual or hearing impair-
Show me the 2 pendence and quality of life. out pg. 2 for more information)
ments, autism, medical conditions
paperwork They go everywhere with their
or not? like seizures or diabetes and diag-
handler and do what they do
nosed psychiatric disorders like Since these dogs play such an
Common
best. To their handlers these
3 PTSD. important role in people living
Misconceptions dogs are irreplaceable.
with disabilities, all service dogs
about Service
Animals
Dont Distract,
Service Dogs are
Life-saving
3
Emotional support animal vs. A service dog
There are many differences be- are not granted public access; The difference between these two
What do service 3 tween a service dog and an emo- later in this newsletter we go distinct animals has caused many
dogs do? tional support animal, even into what this means. issues. Most people do not know
Sparkys Service though people use the term in- the difference and improperly
4
Dogs
terchangeably. An individuals trained support animals can leave a
doctor can prescribe an emo- Emotional support animals do bad reputation on the service dog
tional support animal. Yet, these provide comfort and relief to community.
animals are not trained in specific owners with psychiatric disabili-
ties so this does not mitigate Overall, both animals have an
tasks for their handler. There- important job, just much different
fore, these animals are not pro- their importance in individuals
lives. from each other.
tected under the Americans with
Disabilities Act. This means they
PAGE 2
Public access
There is no such Public Access is not as complicated Service dogs are trained to be polite
The only exception to this rule is
as it seems from first glance. It and in public. Service dogs must take a
thing as service simply is where the handler and
religious establishments, some gov-
test to confirm they can enter and
ernment buildings and places the
dog paperwork their service dog can go together. exit a building safely, will not wander
public is not normally allowed.
This is their access to the public. off, come when called and ignore
and to ask food, distractions and loud noises.
You also cannot charge a service dog
someone for it is A service dog is allowed to go
team more for a service or accom-
anywhere in public that their han- It can take up to two years of training
rude and modation. For example, a service dog
dler can go. This includes but not for service dogs to learn these skills.
team does not have to stay in a pet-
limited to restaurants, amusement After all they represent the entire
disrespectful friendly room in a hotel or pay extra
parks, movie theaters, malls, and service dog community and must mas-
for the service dog in an apartment.
grocery stores. It is ILLEGAL to ter these skills in order to serve their
deny access to a service dog team. handler properly.
you wouldnt
take someones
A public service announcement: The #1 thing to remember is that a When you distract a service dog wheelchair
PLEASE DONT DISTRACT OUR service dog is NOT a pet but a life- you could be seriously harming the
DOGS! saving animal. Their job is to alert person living with the disability. away.
and save people from situations The best thing to do when you see
This includes: that could be deadly otherwise. a service dog is leave them alone.
Making kissy noises Such as a blood sugar drop, seizure,
or fainting spell. They have a very important job to
Trying to catch their attention do and getting in the way of that
job can really hurt someone else.
Offering them food A service dog is like a piece of
medical equipment you wouldnt Think of others first, dont distract.
Trying to pet them
take someones wheelchair away.