Posts Tagged ‘service animals’

Dogs I Wish I Had Met

by Lori S. June 7th, 2011 | Dogs
I’ve only owned two dogs in my lifetime, yet I’ve loved dozens of dogs. I remember my best friend’s dog, Tippy, a beautiful lab/collie mix who enjoyed sitting on my eight year-old lap, even on 90 degree days. And there was Pepper, a poodle whose affections proved difficult to win, yet once he loved me back, he literally jumped out of his skin when I came to visit.

Yes, I’ve consider myself blessed to have befriended many dogs, yet I wish I had met several others.

Petey from the Little Rascals series begins the list. Many over the age of 40
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Dogs Help with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

by Jane Wangersky April 13th, 2010 | Dogs
Though any animal can make a contribution to its owner’s physical and mental health, service dogs usually are trained to help with specific tasks like guiding and balance. For some of them, however, improving their owners’ mental health is the service they provide.

Since the 1990s, dogs have been trained to help people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They wake their owners out of nightmares, nudge them if they start to drive too fast, look out for them in crowded rooms, or warn them if someone behind them gets too close. Dogs’ sensitivity to the moods of humans – something that’s
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Service Animals and the Law

by Jane Wangersky November 30th, 2009 | Dogs
“No pets – service animals only.” We see variations of these words on signs everywhere. They sound pretty straightforward, but sometimes there’s confusion over exactly what they mean.

In the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets the rules for service animals, their owners, and the people who deal with them. This law says, among other things:

  • A “service animal” is defined as any “animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability”. They don’t have to be officially licensed or certified – so business owners can’t ask for proof that they’re really service animals. They can’t ask
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Allergies in the Air

by Jane Wangersky November 9th, 2009 | Cats, Dogs
There are disabilities that make a person need the help of an animal – and disabilities that require a person to stay away from animals. At least, that will be true if the Canadian Transportation Agency decides to count allergies as a disability.

The question has come up because of Air Canada’s and WestJet’s recent decisions to allow small pets in the cabins of its planes. The CTA is looking into complaints against the two airlines and may end up ordering them to put all animals except service animals back in the cargo bay. (more...)
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