New Jersey Toughens Its Law Against Harming Service Animals

Those who attack or let another animal attack a guide dog will face 18 months behind bars and a $10,000 fine, plus compensation.

You will not hear many good things being said about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie these days. Between getting caught closing down bridges, holding up disaster relief funds, and his generally abrasive nature, he doesn't make for a very sympathetic figure. But I'm a forgiving sort (no, not really, but it sounds good), so when he does something right, I'm willing to throw the man a bone. So here we go: This week, Christie signed legislation known as Dusty's Law, which gives extra legal protections to guide dogs.

The law is named after a 9-month-old German Shepherd who was being trained as a guide dog in 2010 when he was attacked by another dog. Dusty wasn't killed in the attack, but he required 100 stitches, lost four teeth, and was so emotionally traumatized that he couldn't be kept in the training program. Dusty's trainer, Roger Woodhour, recently told a New Jersey news site that almost half of all guide dogs are attacked by other animals.

Before the new law, violence against a guide dog wouldn't be treated as a criminal offense; the police were required to refer the case to the animal control agencies. With the passage of Dusty's Law, someone who assaults or kills a guide animal, or allows an animal in their custody to do so, is guilty of a fourth-degree crime. That means that anyone found guilty is subject to a maximum of 18 months behind bars, a $10,000 fine, or both. It also requires the person convicted to pay compensation to the owner of the dog that's been injured or killed. That includes not only veterinary bills, but the cost of a new guide dog if necessary. Considering that a guide dog's training can cost almost $60,000, the compensation can easily exceed the amount of the fine.

Jim Kutsch, the president and CEO of training school The Seeing Eye, says that "Seeing eye dogs are especially vulnerable to injury during an attack because they've been bred and trained to be non-aggressive."

Also, thanks to their training, they're extremely hesitant to leave their owners' sides, even to escape a threat to themselves.

Ultimately, there is a lot of credit to go around for this law getting passed. A lot of organizations have put a lot of work into getting it through, and they have petitioned online and in the real world to get it into Christie's office. Congratulations to all of them. Service animals are an invaluable resource, and we're glad to see them protected by law.

Via Cliff View Pilot

Top Image Welcome to New Jersey Sign by Shutterstock..

View the original article here

Hero the Service Dog Puts on a Cap and Gown to Join a Graduate on Her Big Day at U. of Illinois

The dog stole the show -- and then won the Internet after someone posted a photo on Reddit.

If you read out story about the Bonehead who took a fake service dog into court and bamboozled a judge, here's your antidote: A woman who took her legitimate service dog with her to accept her diploma from graduate school at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

The dog wore a cap and gown, too, and stole the show. 

“I’ve never had so many Facebook friend requests for my dog in his entire life,” the dog's owner told Today.com. “I’m just along for the ride!”

Bridget Evans, who graduated with a master's degree in community health and hospital administration, was born with spina bifida, which impairs her mobility. She uses a wheelchair, and has a service dog named Hero to help her get through the day. 

“He’s been with me through all my classes,” Evans said. “He deserved a cap and gown as much as I did.”

Evans' story swept through social media, thanks to this photo that user f3b14 posted of Evans and the dog on Reddit:

“This picture is everything that is right in the world,” Reddit user AndreThreeHundred wrote.

Evans even joined in the discussion on Reddit, writing details of her life with Hero and posting more pictures. 

“Hero knows over 40 commands to assist me! He loves to retrieve objects for me like envelopes, pens, and my crutches. He also turns off the lights, opens doors, and he pulls me in my wheelchair up ramps! I couldn’t have gone to college without him!”

She also wrote how much Hero enjoyed the day. 

“He loved it! He loved all the attention too! When we were walking outside to reunite with my family, we were stopped every 10 feet for pictures by random people that loved his cap and gown! He was like a celebrity; I think he realized it was a special day!” 

Evans is an old hand with service dogs -- aside from working with Hero since he was a pup, she has trained 20 service dogs herself as the founder of Illini Service Dog Program, a student program at her school that allows college students to train service dogs. After the dogs are trained, they are placed with a person with a disability at no cost.

“We can read each other’s minds,” Evans said of Hero. “We’re so attuned to each other. He’s my best friend, roommate, classmate, and like my sibling. I’m so grateful that I got to celebrate my day with Hero by my side and my family in the audience.”

Via Today.com

View the original article here

Now THIS Is Brazen: A Woman Brings a Fake Service Dog to Court -- and Fools the Judge

Lots of people have fake service dogs. This unsavory practice is bad for folks who truly rely on service dogs to get through the day, and it erodes the goodwill of the public toward service dogs. And every day we hear about more people running around with the fake certificates, confronting anyone who dares to question that the dog eating garlic twists from their lap at the Sbarros is anything but a medically needed hearing dog -- or therapy dog. Uh, I mean, seeing-eye dog. Wait, what was it again? 

Then we hear this, courtesy of PhillyBurbs.com. A Pennsylvania lady -- a Bonehead? Yes, lets call her that -- goes into court, in front a judge, with her little fake service dog. 

Bucks County District Judge Daniel Baranoski regrets to inform the court that he got bamboozled by the bold women, who waltzed into his courtroom with her Dachshund and sat down in the gallery. She was there for a hearing on a traffic ticket. The dog was there because the woman is a Bonehead. As she was waiting for her case to be called, Baranoski piped up. 

The judge questioned her about the dog. 

The woman responded that he was a service dog. 

Judge: "What service does the dog provide?"

The woman: "Psychological!"

And then she swept a business card from her purse and presented it to the judge with a flourish (which is to say, we like to think it was a flourish). The paper said the dog was “properly registered” with the “United States Service Dog Registry.” 

Hah! Have you seen the United States Service Dog Registry? It looks official, sure. But for $50, you can buy whatever credentials you like, including a "documentation package" with a fancy certificate. (One PetsAdviser writer who did just that said, "We’re talking digital watermark, security foil hologram, color-shifting printing, the whole works.") 

You'll also note the fine print on the Service Dog Registry home page: "Not affiliated with any government agency. Registrant data is based on assertions by dog owner. Registration is not required by the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act]."

Our judge, about as knowledgeable of the United States Service Dog Registry as a salesperson at Anne Taylor, let the woman stay with her dog. 

But he took the woman's case next, to get the dog out of the courtroom. Yes, he gave preferential treatment to a woman who brought a fake service dog into a court of law.

Later, because the judge was in a place full of people busy figuring out laws, he found out that he had been (probably) bamboozled. His staff told his honor that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not require such "documentation" (namely, a fake business card that says your dog is "properly registered") and that the United States Service Dog Registry is considered "questionable" by people who know such things. 

It looks like our Bonehead was just another brazen person who is uses the delicate nature of the law to circumvent the hell out of it. 

The problem with this, of course, is that your typical fake service dog is not an expertly trained machine who's undergone years of study to behave like a pro in public. Your typical fake service dog is just a dog the owner really wants to be around all the time. Kind of like most dogs.

As the article says, "Such deception is making life harder for people with disabilities who rely on service dogs and face additional scrutiny and skepticism from business owners." 

At least Judge Baranoski won't be fooled again. He has told colleagues to be on the lookout for this crap. 

Via PhillyBurbs.com

View the original article here

Bingo the Service Dog's "Lick-It List" Goes Viral

It's a "bucket list" for a loyal service dog. Yes, Bingo is heading for the Rainbow Bridge.

For nine years, a Jack Russell named Bingo has had an exemplary run as the service dog to 11-year-old Cole Hein, who suffers from an undiagnosed condition that causes him to stop breathing. Indeed, Cole's parents have "lost track" of the number of times Bingo has alerted them when Cole started gasping. In the probation period alone, beginning when Cole was just 2, Bingo saved the boy three times.

Bingo is a hero dog through and through -- but even hero dogs need help.

Earlier this summer, the 14-year-old dog, afflicted with seizures and failing eyesight, received bad news from the vet: Bingo suffered from cognitive dysfunction syndrome, and the vet gave her weeks to live.

The family was devastated. Cole, who now can cope with his illness without assistance, wanted to send off his friend the proper way -- with a "lick-it list," the canine version of a "bucket list."

“He went to bed that night and I heard him talking,” Cole’s mom, Mandi Hein, told CTV News. “I thought at first he was playing his video games. I listened and he was actually talking with Bingo about all the things he wanted to do with her.”

Among the items on the list:

Dog treats from around the world -- "so that Bingo can 'TASTE' the world."One last visit to Ruckers to play video games.One last walk around the block.A photo shoot with Cole and Bingo.

Mandi Hein posted the list online, where it simmered for a few weeks. Then it exploded, going viral.

The treats began to arrive, first from Canada, and then from places around the world; the dog's Facebook group swelled to 12,000 members; and the story even reached the boozy, fourth hour of the Today show.

Where do those treats go? No, not on eBay. Cole is made of better stuff than that. The boy sends bags full to Winnipeg’s animal services shelter, so other less-fortunate dogs can have nice treats. And the Dog Whisperer's Cesar Milan even stepped in, helping to create the Bingo Hein legacy fund, which will raise money to train service dogs and abandoned animals, according to CTV News.

Cole and Bingo, meanwhile, have been working on that lick-it list.

“There’s still one more thing we haven’t completed on the list," Cole told CTV News. "Her last public outing.”

The pair still have to make that trip to play video games together. 

"It's a bittersweet story. It's taking a negative and turning it into a positive," Cole's mother told the Winnepeg Free Press. "One child, one dog, one world. That's the way I see it." 

If you want to help give Bingo a taste of the world, visit her Facebook page and click on the About link to find a mailing address. 

Via CTV News

View the original article here

Great Dane Puppy Cam: Watch Future Service Dogs Grow Up

Explore.org and Dog Bless You provide a look into the lives of six puppies as they're trained.

Here at Dogster, we love big mutts and we cannot lie. While there's definitely a place in our hearts for petite breeds, big dogs like sweet giant George and record-breaking Zeus amaze us with their sheer size, engaging our imaginations and inviting us to hug them tightly.

We are no stranger to puppy cams -- in fact, we've got them all bookmarked in our browsers and we sneak a peek of adorableness whenever our boss isn't looking (well, all right, here at Dogster, our boss is usually looking at puppy cams with us and the squeals of glee echo throughout the office). But this particular cam of Great Dane puppies is especially awww-inspiring -- the six big pups are destined to become service dogs to disabled veterans, children, and people suffering from diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Friedrich's ataxia.

Thanks to the efforts of explore.org and Dog Bless You, we get a glimpse into the lives and training of these amazing service dogs with multiple cameras, which allow you to watch puppies Perry, Lola, Ebony, Mia, Willow, and Roxanne grow into healthy, noble dogs.

But that's not all! For every one thousand likes Dog Bless You's initiative, Dog Bless USA, receives on its Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest pages, the organization will donate one service dog to a disabled veteran. Since June, more than 150 dogs have began improving the lives of men and women who have fought to defend our country.

Are you ready for cuteness? You can watch the puppies sleep with the indoor cam and during the day you can watch them outside at the "puppy hill."

Photos via the Service Dog Project

View the original article here

Help a Soldier Get a Service Dog with a Click of Your Mouse

Imagine you're a war veteran who needs help getting around because of a combat injury. You know a service dog could make your life easier, restoring much-needed independence and normalcy, but most service dogs are out of reach for you financially.

Or imagine you're a veteran with PTSD, and you can't function in crowds or when you can't see clearly around you. So you stay home, so you don't have to face the panic attacks at the store or the movies. You've heard about the tremendous help a service dog can be, but you don't have the resources to get one.  

Now imagine you can help these veterans, and not by donating money. All you have to do is click, and a deserving war veteran is one step closer to a life-changing companion. For every 1,000 new Likes on the wonderful Facebook page of organization Dog Bless You gets between Memorial Day and July 4, the nonprofit will donate a service dog to a war veteran.

I've spoken with veterans whose service dogs have given them their lives back. It's so easy to make a huge difference in the lives of these wounded warriors. All it takes from you is one tap of the mouse on the "Like" button of Dog Bless You's Facebook page during its Dog Bless USA Spirit of '76 campaign. (The group will donate up to 76 dogs!) 

I wish I could participate in this social media challenge grant, but I Liked them long ago. This almost makes me want to have many Facebook alter egos so I can Like them all over the place.

The campaign also applies to Dog Bless You's Pinterest and Tumblr pages. For every 1,000 followers on each site, Dog Bless You will donate a dog. 

As of last night, there were enough Likes for five dogs to be trained by excellent nonprofits that specialize in this kind of training. How many lives of wounded warriors will Dogster readers help change? Let's get clicking now! We can make a real difference here. 

View the original article here

Sad, Sad, Sad: Thieves Steal Service Dog of Blind Girl With Cerebral Palsy

Just, wow. What kind of jerk steals a young girl's service dog?

Andrea Taylor, age 5, is legally blind, with cerebral palsy. She's one of five children in her Kansas household, and sometimes her parents couldn't hear when she needed help.

But her service dog, Millie, could. The black-and-white lab mix always seemed to be there when the little girl need a hand. Millie would sometimes get the attention of her parents by barking or pacing back and forth. And Andrea and Taylor were best pals.

Since Millie was stolen, little Andrea cries much of the night, and stares outside her window, hoping for her dog to come home.

“She wasn’t ever going to be a normal child,” Lana Taylor, Andrea’s mom, told FoxKC. “When Millie come along she was able to have a little more independence. Outside, she was able to run with her siblings."

But those days are over for now. Millie is gone, abducted in front of the children. A white, four-door car recently pulled up in front of their Hutchinson, Kansas, house, and Millie ran up to it. FoxKC reports that even though they called out for the dog, she jumped in the car. She hasn't been seen since.

“It just happened in an instant,” Taylor said. “They were all in a panic. They know how important this was to Andrea.”

And now Andrea spends her nights crying for her dog, and her days staring out her window, hoping Millie will come home.

As we said, sad, sad, sad. (You can see a TV news piece about this here. The embed code didn't work, thus the video's absence from this page.) The family has been offered another dog, but no one can take Millie's place. We hope that if this story gets out, someone will come forth with the whereabouts of the dog. There's a small cash reward for her return.

Who would do such a thing? The TV news report said that the person or people in the car called the dog's name, which is different from what the corresponding article stated. What could be going on here? Did they know her before? Did someone just want to hurt this family? I'll try to keep you posted.

View the original article here

Town Forces Retired Cop to Give Up His Pit Bull Mix Service Dog

Jim Sak and his dog, Snickers, who now has to live in a kennel outside town (Photo via Chicago Sun-Times)

A small Iowa town has forced a retired Chicago cop and Vietnam veteran to part with the service dog who was helping him cope with a profound stroke that left him with no feeling on the right half of his body.

If he hadn’t sent 5-year-old Snickers to a kennel just outside town, the leaders of Aurelia, Iowa could have taken the dog away and destroyed him. The town fathers had reportedly threatened this, and Jim Sak could not take the chance with this dog who is everything to him.

The dog’s crime? He is a pit-bull mix. It seems Aurelia – a town whose motto is “savor the sweet life” – banned the breed in 2008 after a pit bull bit a meter reader.

Sak wasn’t here then. He and his wife recently moved to her home town of 1,100 people so they could be closer to his ailing mother-in-law. But Sak learned that there are no exceptions. Sak even brought his plea to keep his dog before the Aurelia town council, but they turned him down.

“I was a policeman for 32 years. I understand there’s black and white, but there’s also a grey area where you have to use your head. They’re not using their heads…I can’t believe they didn’t even try to talk to us. They just said, ‘No. You’re not having him. He’s outlawed in this town,’ ” Sak said in an article in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Without the dog, Sak’s mother-in-law – the very person Sak moved here to help – has to help him out. Snickers has been of invaluable help to Sak since his stroke. “I have spasms on my right side where the leg gives out whenever I get upset or try to do too much,” he said. “When Snickers sees that my hand is moving, he sits down by me right away and waits for me to tell him what to do. Usually, he goes to get my wife so she can help me get back in the chair. Without him, I feel lost.”

Peggy Sak, Jim Sak’s wife, said the demand to get rid of the dog was sudden, and that it has left them worried sick about the dog. “They called us to a city council meeting Dec. 14 and voted 3 to 2 to make no exceptions. I had to get him out of the house by the next day. That dog has never been away from us a night in his life. He’s the sweetest, most good-natured dog you’d ever want to meet,” Peggy Sak said.

“I left the meeting and threw up on the street outside the place. I can’t stop crying. Jim, being the Chicago cop, is stoic, but very depressed. It’s terrible. I’m afraid to leave him. My mother is now helping take care of Jim because the dog isn’t here to help him.”

She said she is “appalled and embarrassed by the town I grew up in…They have made our lives a living hell since we got here.”

Wow. Is it just me, or if Snickers is a bonafide service dog, doesn’t this fly in the face of the Americans with Disabilities Act bigtime? The ADA says service dogs can be of any breed, from what I know.

The Animal Farm Foundation, whose goal is to secure equal treatment for bully breeds, has hired a lawyer to represent the Saks. The group is also paying for Snickers’ board at the kennel.

“It’s about the injustice of this man having his service dog taken away — this man who is a Vietnam War veteran and a retired Chicago Police officer who has always given back to the community,” said executive director Stacy Coleman.

“This town has taken away this man’s independence, his peace of mind, and his freedom to move about his house, go out in public and keep from having to go to a nursing home with 24-hour care. He’s physically in danger without his dog.”

Aurelia’s website says “Aurelia offers something for everyone!” Apparently everyone but war veterans and retired cops with strokes.

Dogsters, what do you think? Do you have to investigate a town’s rules these days before moving in with a bully breed or bully mix? What would you do if this happened to you? If anyone knows about the ADA in relation to service dog breeds, please give us the facts.

(Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Animal Farm Foundation, town of Aurelia website)

View the original article here

Law Firm Sued for Barring Client’s Service Dog

A German Shepherd, like Reicha the service dog, who was barred from entering a law firm his owner was doing business with

It’s bad enough when restaurants or businesses prevent people with service dogs from bringing their dogs in. But when a law firm does it, it’s almost unfathomable — especially when the client needs the dog because of injuries that are the reason she’s seeking legal counsel in the first place.

Er, sorry, but shouldn’t the lawyers know better? Here’s the story in a nutshell, according to the suit against the law firm:

In January 2009, Lauren Klejmont arrived with her service dog at the law offices of Larkin, Axelrod, Ingrassia & Tetenbaum in Orange County, NY, to discuss a case stemming from a 2007 car crash. The crash left her with spinal and head injuries that cause seizures, and problems with balancing and memory. Lauren got a service dog to help her deal with these problems. Her German Shepherd, Reicha, warns her before seizures occur, helps her up if she takes a tumble, and picks up objects and carries them when she needs a helping paw.

But ironically, Reicha was not welcome at the meeting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which has filed a civil rights suit against the firm:

“Ingrassia and another attorney refused to meet her because she was accompanied by her service animal … Ingrassia and the associate asked [her] to leave the animal outside while they had their meeting in Ingrassia’s office. Despite [her] request that the meeting be held elsewhere on the firm’s premises so she could bring her dog inside, Ingrassia and the associate would not relent and Klejmont eventually left.”

A year later a firm associate sent her a letter asking her to come to the office to sign documents, but told her not to bring her dog. As a concession the associate said he could meet with her in the parking lot if she left the dog in her car.

The firm says the associate was not acting on the firm’s protocol.

A statement from the firm says Ingrassia “expressly communicated to Ms. Klejmont the firm’s policy that the firm would accommodate her and her service dog. The subsequent refusal by an employee of the firm to meet with Ms. Klejmont and her dog in our office was in contravention of the firm’s stated policy, was motivated by the employee’s personal dog phobia, and is not properly attributable to the firm.”

The suit seeks a civil damages against the firm, compensatory damages for Klejmont, and assurance that the firm will take action to stop future discrimination, particularly against people with service animals.

What do you think, Dogsters? Are you surprised a law firm or firm associate would so blatantly disregard the ADA, if the suit is accurate? If the associate had a dog phobia, weren’t there other steps that could have been taken?

Sources: Times Herald Record, Thomas Reuters News & Insight

Photo: From the Flickr photostream of Rigwelter

View the original article here

New Service Lets You Track Your Dog Walker

Walkies have never been so high tech

Ever wonder if your dog walker really gets to your house when she’s supposed to, or if your dog gets the kind of walks you’re paying for? With a new high-tech service, you can track your dog-walker’s every move – or lack thereof.

In other words, Big Brother is now in the business of watching walkies.

While most dog walkers are responsible, hard-working people, there are some lazy ones who take advantage of the fact that dogs can walk, not talk. If they’re super late for a walk (or miss one), who’s going to tell? If they take Fido to that bedraggled flea-filled dog park instead of the tree-filled haven you’d agreed on, how will you find out (besides fleas setting up camp on your dog)? And even the most well-meaning walker can make a mistake or be stuck dealing with an emergency.

The people behind Pet Check Technology aim to put dog lovers at ease by providing them with real-time evidence that their dogs are going where they’re supposed to, when they’re supposed to. Here’s how it works: Your dog walker gets to your house, swipes your QR code (a type of barcode) once there, and goes on her way with your dog. If she’s late, you’ll be notified immediately by email.

Then GPS technology takes over, and your dog walker’s movements are tracked until she swipes the QR code again at the end of the walk. You’ll be able to get a report of start and end times, and the route the walker took during the outing. About the only thing you won’t see are where your dog did his leg lifts.

The technology is available only to dog-walking businesses, and not to dog owners. The idea is that dog-walking companies will want to make sure their employees are doing what they’re supposed be doing, and if they’re not, they want to know right away.

What do you think, Dogsters? A step in the right direction, or a bit over the top? Have you had bad experiences with dog walkers that would make you value a service like this? I know we have some fine professional dog walkers in our midst, so I’d love to hear from you, too.

View the original article here

McDonald’s Manager Accused of Punching Mom With Service Dog

Jennifer Schwenker, her two sons, and husband, in a 2008 11Alive news story about children with autism

An off-duty manager of a McDonald’s in Marietta, Georgia, was caught on surveillance tape as she harassed the mother of autistic twin boys because they came into the restaurant with a service dog.

The mom, Jennifer Schwenker, told manager Tiffany Denise Allen that the dog was specially trained to help her boys. But Allen didn’t care for that explanation, and followed the family around the restaurant. At one point Schwenker entered a bathroom with her brood to get away from Allen.

After they left, police say Allen punched the mom in the face.

You’ll find the TV report, complete with the surveillance video, above.

The manager has been fired, and police have charged her with simple battery, simple assault fear and disorderly conduct.

We often hear about this sort of discrimination, but it’s rare to see it. How does it make you feel to witness this, Dogsters?

View the original article here

Restaurant Owner Arrested After Refusing Woman With Service Dog

Hrachya Avagyan (Courtesy of The Sun News)

A South Carolina restaurant owner who allegedly refused service to a woman with a service dog didn’t just get a slap on the wrist from law enforcement. He got arrested.

Myrtle Beach restaurant owner Hrachya Avagyan was charged with interfering with the rights of a blind/disabled person when he refused to allow a service dog of into Seafood World, according to The Sun News.

The woman told police Avagyan said the restaurant was private property and that he doesn’t allow dogs. The woman said she tried to show him her certification for the dog (not required, as readers have noted in the comments), and to explain the law, reports Carolina Live. The dog was wearing a service animal vest. It did no good.

For his refusal, Avagyan has so far spent one night in jail, according to the latest update.

As more people become familiar with service dogs and the Americans with Disabilities Act, flat-out refusals like this are happening less frequently, says Marianna Thompson, who works with a group that places service dogs with disabled people in the Carolinas. Unfortunately, not all business owners are on board.

“Not everyone feels that an animal should be in a restaurant and it’s something that it’s just going to take time to change,” says Thompson, who uses a service dog herself.

Judging by past responses to similar articles, a good number of Dogsters have service dogs and have had similar issues. Have you noticed the problem decreasing over the years? What have you done when someone has tried to restrict you and your dog? And what do you think of the restaurant owner being arrested? Was that over the top, or a good example for others who might try to deny access to people with service dogs?

View the original article here

Help Veterans Get Service Dogs With a Quick Facebook Click

For veterans with PTSD, the world can become a much more livable, less stressful place with a service dog helping navigate civilian life after the trauma of war. Besides providing calming companionship, these dogs help their veterans function by performing many duties, including warning them when people are approaching so they don’t get startled.

The dogs are often called “life-changing” by vets with PTSD.

Now you can help provide a veteran with a service dog by clicking “like” on the Facebook page of a new internet campaign called Dog Bless USA. It’s never been so easy to change a life for the better. For every 5,000 Facebook “likes,” Explore.org will donate a service dog to a recent war veteran, up to 100 dogs or $500,000. The campaign runs from Memorial Day through July 4.

The Dog Bless USA program is funded through a grant from the Annenberg Foundation. Charlie Annenberg Weingarten, the founder of explore.org and Dog Bless You, is a Trustee for the Annenberg foundation.

“We want to raise awareness about the amazing role dogs can play in the lives of veterans and people who suffer from emotional and psychological damage, while giving everyone a chance to participate through a zero-cost contribution,” said Weingarten. “The ‘like’ button is akin to putting your name on a card to those soldiers. We’re excited to foster a discussion among vets and dog lovers during the campaign.”

Throughout the campaign, it will be revealed which service-dog foundations will receive the grant money to adopt or train a service dog. In the end, with lots of clicks, up to 100 former soldiers will be able to get the life-changing dog they could only dream of. So Like away!

View the original article here

Disneyland: The Most Exhausting Place on Earth (When Training a Service Dog)

Kami Jewart and Kendall, her service pup in training, at Disneyland

Today we’re going to take a trip to Disneyland with guest blogger Kami Jewart, who has raised five service dogs and serves on the board of Power Paws Assistance Dogs, in Ariz. Kami is a dog-lover who is passionate about helping others gain their independence through the partnership with service dogs. If you like this story, you can find more like it in the book Partners With Paws: Service Dogs and the Lives They Change, edited by Kyla Duffy.

Maria Goodavage

___________________________

The happiest place on earth is even happier with a four-month-old Golden Retriever. An integral and fun part of the service dog training experience is taking a trip to Disneyland. Sights, sounds, smells, and millions of distractions await the service dog-in-training at a Disneyland Park. People are overjoyed when they see a service dog partaking in the Disney experience, and the park and staff welcome service dogs.

Training at Disneyland is unmatched, as the pup-in-training is permitted to go on most rides. They need to remain calm while getting spun around on the teacups, and they must rest quietly at their owner’s feet as they soar high above Neverland on Peter Pan’s Magic Journey. They don’t meet the height restrictions for Space Mountain or Indiana Jones, so they have to forego those rides. However, a disabled person in the theme park with a service dog can do something like the “baby swap,” where if there is more than one person in the party, one can ride the ride while the other waits with the dog, and then they switch. People with service dogs are advised to obtain a guest assistance card when they enter the park, which helps their Disneyland experience go as smoothly as possible.

Meeting the characters in costume is one of the important Disneyland experiences for a service dog. I didn’t even think about how “scary” a person in a costume could be until my pup, Kendall, tried to run away from Pluto.

Another experience I wasn’t prepared for was the popcorn. Part of my responsibility as a volunteer service dog trainer is to get my pup-in-training to the point where he or she will automatically ignore dropped food. Once a service dog is fully trained, he or she can be expected to not eat dropped food off the floor, but at four months old, Kendall’s “leave it” command was not yet perfected.

Now that you’re aware of my duties, take a moment to picture Disneyland and all the spilled popcorn… and then think of trying to keep a four-month-old Golden Retriever away from it. Kendall took this opportunity to lunge at every morsel of salty, buttery, popcorn goodness children had inadvertently dropped throughout the park. At least we didn’t have to buy Kendall any snacks!

A day at Disneyland is an exhausting experience for children and service dogs alike. Near the end of our visit, Kendall fell fast asleep while waiting in line for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. When we finally got on the ride, Kendall obediently hopped into the boat and lay at my feet. I hadn’t been on the ride in years, so I wasn’t prepared for the entire experience. We went through the various scenes on the ride, and Kendall seemed to enjoy watching the animated pirates singing and dancing.
We were nearing the end when it happened. The boat inched up a hill and then released into a sizeable drop. Kendall had never before experienced freefall, but he sure knew the location of my lap. As the water poured in over the edge of the boat, a little wet Golden Retriever landed in my lap. Now he was comfortable, and I was soaked!

Kendall quickly recovered from the Pirates experience, splashing the other patrons as he happily wagged his soaking wet tail. We stayed to watch the parade, and Kendall couldn’t keep awake long enough to be scared of the costumes or fireworks. He just dozed in my husband’s lap as the colorful light show bid us farewell.

This guest post is an excerpt from the book, Partners With Paws: Service Dogs and the Lives They Change, a compilation of 50 stories that highlight the important role service dogs play in people’s lives. From both puppy raiser and service dog team perspectives, readers gain an intimate understanding of service dog training, service dog team matching, and the liberating impact service dogs have on people with both visible and non-visible disabilities.

View the original article here