What Should You Do Around Service Dogs?
First, give them their space. Its hard to withhold from petting or talking to a cute dog—we get it. But remember that these dogs have an important job to do, and try to contain your excitement so as not to detract from their role assisting their owner. While service dogs may be well-trained to tune out distractions, it can still make it hard for them to concentrate if you are trying to get their attention through noise, gestures, or by reaching out to touch them.
Second, be polite. As a dog lover, its understandable youd want to ask questions about the service dog, how theyre used, and what their training regiment is like. A dog with the ability to look both ways before crossing the street or prevent a health emergency is The Most Awesome Thing in the World—we agree! But take a pause before you ask someone about their assistance animal. They may not want to talk with every person about their service dogs special training, or why they have one at all.
It’s distracting the dog from its jobYou wouldn’t try to distract and engage an air traffic controller talking to them to get their attention while he or she is working, would you? No! That would be dangerous. The same goes for a service dog. When you see it out and about, assume it’s working and on-duty to keep its handler safe.”If people in the general public either pet, talk to, make eye contact with any assistance dog, it can distract the animal from its work and then the dog is going to not pay attention to tasks it needs to perform,”‘ says Rivi Israel, guide dog program manager,
OK, we know that you wouldnt do this, but if someone tries to maliciously or recklessly interfere with or impede the duties performed by a guide dog or service dog, that could be a misdemeanor offense or even a class 6 felony, in some states, including in Arizona.
DONT assume a napping service dog is off duty All dogs nap, including working dogs. When her handler is sitting or standing for some length of time, its perfectly natural and appropriate for a service dog to catch a few winks. Shes still technically at work, however, so all dos and donts remain in effect.
DO speak to the owner/handler rather than the dog. The service dog and her handler are a team. If you want to talk to them, always speak to the person first rather than automatically approaching the dog. Remember, the animal is working, and her humans life could depend on her staying focused on her job.
If youre crazy about dogs, youve probably found it difficult to “mind your manners” in the presence of service animals. These dogs are so beautiful and carry themselves with such quiet dignity that theyre nearly irresistible.
In case youre not sure of proper etiquette when you encounter a working dog, the following are some dos and donts for behavior around a service dog team (dog and owner).
DONT assume service dogs never get to just be dogs Working dogs typically get plenty of R&R and playtime. When theyre home and out of their “work clothes,” theyre free to behave like any other dog. Since the jobs these wonderful animals do are often challenging and stressful, their handlers recognize they need plenty of downtime and exercise.
Service dog laws/ everything you need to know
While DSS-DHS does not allow pets of any type to reside in shelter with clients, DSS-DHS does seek to accommodate requests for Emotional Service Animals (ESAs), on an individual basis based on a client’s unique needs. Service animals and approved emotional support animals are not considered pets. Emotional support animals must have an approved Reasonable Accommodation Request (RAR) to reside in shelter with their owners.
Before entering shelter, approved service dogs or emotional support animals must have all their licenses and vaccinations up to date, as required by state and local law.
Service dogs are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability, such as guiding a person who is blind or alerting someone with epilepsy of a forthcoming seizure.
Clients with a service dog must be able to explain what specific tasks the dog has been trained to perform, unless the client’s need for a service dog is readily apparent or already known to DSS-DHS staff. Clients are not required to explain the nature of their disability to DSS-DHS staff, or demonstrate any tasks the animal has been trained to perform.
An emotional support animal is an animal whose presence provides its owner with comfort or other emotional assistance that alleviates the symptoms or functional limitations of a disability. Any animal that is legal to own in New York City can qualify as an emotional support animal, and it does not need to be trained to complete specific tasks.
To enter shelter with an ESA, clients must submit a Reasonable Accommodation Request (RAR) that will be evaluated by DSS-DHS staff. DSS-DHS will not approve a RAR for an emotional support animal without supporting documentation unless the client’s need for the ESA is obvious, apparent, or already known to DSS-DHS.
The RAR should include written documentation from an appropriate professional (such as a doctor, social worker, rehabilitation counselor, or other reliable and relevant sources) and include disability-related information supporting the need for an emotional support animal.
Clients may submit relevant documentation from an appropriate professional. If a client needs help gathering supporting documentation, DSS-DHS staff at an intake center or at the client’s assigned shelter location are available to help. For Reasonable Accommodation requests for more than one animal, the documentation must explain the need for multiple animals.
An emotional support animal may not reside in a DSS-DHS shelter location while the RAR is under review.
If you are asked to find temporary shelter for your animal, or if your reasonable accommodation request for an emotional support animal is denied, look into the following options: