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
“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.
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.
