The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

What is a service dog? According to the Americans With Disabilities Act, service animals are used to mitigate their handler's disabilities. These highly trained animals are becoming more and more common. With the rise of legitimate service animals, there is also a rise in fake ones. I am a service dog handler myself. Welcome to my story about the daily struggles of being a handler.

Barnaby, my service dog, is trained to mitigate my PTSD, POTS, panic disorder, and manic depressive disorder. I am so lucky to have such a companion and lifesaver. There are many things that I could not accomplish daily without him. Being able to handle a service animal is a privilege. It does, however, come with extreme consequences.

First of all, service dogs are often distracted or interrupted by the general public. I cannot go anywhere without someone cooing and gawking at my dog. Behaviors like this are very uncomfortable for us. Handlers get asked many times a day if their dog can interact with people. Service animals are generally on duty while in public and should not be disturbed. Disrupting a service animal can be life-threatening for their handler.

Secondly, we are often followed or stalked. I have experienced multiple attempted thefts. A woman came into my place of employment. She asked me if I could sign her up for a membership. I put Barnaby into a stay position and proceeded to set her up. While I was typing her information into the computer, she had grabbed the mobility handle on his harness. Before I could process what was happening, she was running for the door dragging my boy behind her. Luckily, my boy was able to free himself from her grasp and make it back to me safely. I then called the authorities to handle the situation. Handlers should never have to experience this level of disrespect. A service animal provides equivalent services to a wheelchair or oxygen tanks.

Now let's get into the topic of fake service animals. In the US, fake service animals are becoming an ever-growing problem. Service dog's access to the public world is becoming limited due to the rise of illegitimate service animal numbers. Businesses such as airlines have begun excluding service animals without mobility or guide tasks from the cabins. Actions like this can be difficult and potentially dangerous to the handlers. With limited access, handlers are living in fear of their dogs becoming endangered by aggressive and untrained dogs. Please leave your pets at home. These animals disguised as service animals damage the service dog community by putting us in danger. If you feel that a service animal would be beneficial to you, please seek guidance from a medical professional.

I am grateful for my ability to have a service animal. The life that Barnaby has given me outweigh the negative consequences. We have come so far together. I am a better person because of him.

The next time you see a handler, please allow their animal to work safely, and undisturbed.