September is National Service Dog Month which celebrates guide dogs, seeing-eye dogs, service pets and other assistance animals, including military working dogs. Part of the month’s focus is to help people become familiar with service dog challenges, etiquette and more.
Source: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and Foundation, September 1, 2018. Link.
Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work with or perform tasks for people with disabilities, says the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and since then, this definition has opened up to include miniature horses.
Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Also see: Service, Emotional Support and Therapy Animals, American Veterinary Medical Association. Link.
It is important for veterinarians to assist their clients in correctly identifying their animals and to provide care and advice consistent with the animal’s role.