| Don't You Call My Service Dog a Pet!!! |
| The most certain way I know to get on my bad side is to catch me when I'm tired and irritable and say things like "gee, I wish I could have a pet dog in the dorm," or "how come SHE gets to have a dog?" It makes me want to scream. |
| I don't have a dog because it's fun or cute or happy or any of that nonsense. He's not a pet. He's a working Service Dog. I have a dog because I have a disability, a medical condition that I wouldn't wish on another human being on this earth, and the service dog is the only way I have to approach functioning like a normal human being! I love him dearly and I owe my life to him, but the reason I get to have him in the dorm is because I am sick, I have a life changing disability that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. |
| Here's what I say to them: You want a dog in the dorm? Well, go right ahead, and you can take all the stuff that comes with it, too. Go ahead and get yourself a disabling illness, countless trips to the doctor, hundreds of hours of feeling like life isn't worth living, medications that you don't want to take but have to take in order to be able to get up and out of bed in the morning, numerous classes that you haven't been able to pass because you're too busy hanging on to life by the skin of your teeth to worry about what's due the next day...go get these things and THEN tell me how lucky I am that I get to have a dog in the dorm, and how much you wish you could have one, too. Yeah, I am lucky to have him. He's the only thing that's kept me alive through this personal hell I've been living. He's made the difference in my life. I have no idea where I'd be without him...probably dead. I love him dearly and he's enriched my life in so many ways. But it isn't all "what a cute puppy nice doggie I wanna play with him." It's a lot more than just having a "pet." It's a partnership. |
| Calling a service dog a "pet" is insulting them. These dogs are so much more than pets. They're with their handlers 24/7, providing life-saving services and support. They are elite, highly-trained service animals who do anything they possibly can to help their partners through day to day life. Calling a service dog a pet is like calling a Navy SEAL "that guy with a gun" or a brain surgeon "the guy who cuts up people." People just don't get it. They don't understand how insulting little things like that can be. I understand that people think I'm lucky to have a dog in the dorm, and how outwardly it might appear that way. But if they'd just take a minute to stop and think about the reasons why I need to have the dog, they might not be so jealous. Maybe then they'd understand why it makes me cringe to hear them speak so callously like that behind my back. It's such a seemingly-small thing, and a flippant comment to them...but it holds a great deal of significance for me. |
| We don't have service dogs because it's fun. We have service dogs so we can live life a little easier, and function like everyone else. Without our service animals, many of us would not be able to get through the day, at least not without depending heavily on other people for our needs. Service dogs are our lifelines to a world that others walk freely. They aren't just dogs; for many of us they are what keeps us alive and able to live a little more freely. They keep us from needing 'round the clock care, help us deal with medical situations that might otherwise put us in the hospital, and help us with the hundreds of little tasks of day to day living that outwardly seem simple, but that people with disabilities can find unbearably challenging. Service dogs give back the dignity that we need to live our lives. So next time you see a service dog, don't think "What a nice pet." Take a look at the animal for what he really is, a highly-skilled companion who helps his disabled partner get back into the community and live a fulfilled life... an animal that's highly deserving of respect |
| by B. Brake |
| Service Dogs Save Lives! |