National Guide Dog Month!
September is National Guide Dog Month! So let's raise some awareness and show some appreciation and support to these speical animals!
The ADA, classifies a service animal as a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.
Some may ask what does "perform tasks" mean? Service animals are individually trained to take specific actions to assist a person with a disability.
For example, a person who is blind may use a guide dog that assists in navigating environments. At the same time, someone with diabetes may have a service dog that alerts them when their blood sugar reaches high or low levels.
There is a clear distinction between service dogs and emotional support dogs. Emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals are terms used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Under the ADA, they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task and do not qualify as service animals.
Service animals do not need any certification/documentation or formal training (i.e., they can be individually trained by the owner). So, how do you know if it's a service animal? Under the law, only two inquiries can be made:
Is this a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or tasks is the animal trained to perform?
Although the ADA does not cover emotional support dogs, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) does. Individuals with emotional support dogs have a "prescription" – signed documentation from a mental health care provider – stating the animal helps the person deal with a mental or emotional disability. This documentation may be necessary for a renter with a disability to obtain a reasonable modification of a "no pets" policy.
Different Types of Service Dogs
There are many types of service dogs and possible tasks they learn – as diverse as the population of people with disabilities. Following are just a few examples.
Guide Dogs
Guide dogs are trained to guide people who are blind or have low vision. They navigate their owner around obstacles to ensure safe travel in the community.
Hearing Dogs
Hearing dogs are trained to assist people who are deaf. They alert their owners to doorbells, alarms, unexpected noises that may indicate a safety issue, etc.
Mobility Assistance Dogs
These dogs help people with limited mobility or someone who uses a wheelchair. They are trained to help pick up objects from the floor, open doors, turn lights on and off, provide balance for their owners, etc.
History of National Guide Dog Month
National Guide Dog Month was inspired by Dick Van Patten. After he realized how much it cost to raise and train a guide dog and how long it could take, he was determined to raise awareness and support for guide dog schools.
His pet food company underwrites all costs for the promotion of National Guide Dog Month to ensure that all the money raised benefits non-profit guide dog schools in the US.
Now, National Guide Dog Month is celebrated every September.
Things to Remember
Guide dogs and other service dogs are working animals trained to support individuals with disabilities in living independently. They help to:
Ensure appropriate social behavior for the dogs and reduce the risk of dangerous situations.
Contain your excitement and curiosity. Service dogs need to remain calm and focused on their job. Do not pet, distract, or feed them. Interact with the disabled individual and not their service animal.
Say "hi" another time. If you're walking your pet dog and you see an individual with a service dog, take your dog away.
We recognize the critical role service dogs play in the community to improve the quality of life of many people with disabilities. Celebrate National Guide Dog month by donating to local non-profit guide dog schools!
