Pets
So, where do dogs belong? Clearly, they’re not in the doghouse any longer. In fact, in many homes, they’re sleeping in our beds. But what about out in public?
A few weeks ago, I printed letter from a reader who observed a dog in a Las Vegas casino restaurant without a service dog vest. The reader said, “From all appearances, the person accompanying with the dog had no disability.” So, reader, S. C. in Las Vegas asked what the dog is being used for. The woman with the dog replied, “It’s none of your business.” The reader called the dog act “a sham,” and added, “Dogs shouldn’t be allowed in restaurants unless they’re helping the blind.”
I replied that the reader is blind about the law concerning service dogs. These dogs serve people with a wide range of invisible disabilities. How can you tell if this isn’t a seizure detecting dog; a dog used for a person who has difficulty with balance; even a dog used to encourage a person with a fear of going out in public (agoraphobia), or for all we know to assist a returning U. S. soldier with post traumatic stress disorder. The list of how dogs can help people with invisible disabilities is a very long one. For example, dogs are now even being trained to alert children who are allergic to peanut products (www.angelservicedogs.com).
Though most assistance and service dogs wear vests, it’s not required by law. I believe the reader was totally rude in approaching a stranger and demanding to know the medical condition that necessitates the service or assistance dog. I suggested that I hope since he hangs out in casinos his gambling skills exceed his social skills.
That column elicited a flurry of e-mails from you. Here are just a few.
“Thank you for your article on service dogs. I have a Doberman pinscher whom I trained myself. I have rheumatoid arthritis, my joints are frozen and I can’t reach the ground. I use a wheelchair when I leave home, and I’ve taught my dog to pick up anything I drop, from pennies to knives (she’s smart enough to pick those up by the handle). She goes wherever I go. I was only stopped once, at a telephone store—they didn’t allow me inside. I cancelled my service.”—Largo, Fla.
“I was at a bed and breakfast on Rutherford Island, Maine. This dippy woman registered with a service dog. For your edification, the owner of the B.&B. had a perfect right to ask for verification of the animal being a service dog. It’s no different then the clerk at the local 7-Eleven asking for proof of age (to purchase liquor or cigarettes). That same day I saw a hippie-type couple sitting on the outside patio of a restaurant with their grungy-looking dog. They were sharing their food on the restaurant’s dishes with their dog. Yuk! Dogs do have their place. Let’s keep them there.”—T. A., Richmond, Va.
Send e-mail to petworld@stevedale.tv .
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