Service animals provide needed assistance
Carolyn L. Cheney
Board of Directors
Central Aroostook Humane Society
Many of us have dogs for companionship that are very much a part of our families; however, certain dogs have jobs and they are called service animals.
Recently, my husband and I made a cross-country train trip to California and return. I have a tendency to always notice dogs wherever I am, and during this trip I saw a number of service dogs. At the Boston station I noticed two people with seeing eye dogs. The dogs were doing a great job in a very busy and noisy environment. At Union Station in Chicago I saw a tiny dog adorned with a service vest sitting on a lady’s lap waiting for a train. I sat down beside her, and we struck up a conversation. She indicated she could not go anyplace without her service dog as he helped her with anxiety. I saw her later on the train, and she and her dog looked very comfortable and relaxed.
Service dogs are sometimes bred for certain kinds of work, but occasionally service dogs are found at local animal shelters. Not every dog is cut out to be a service dog. They must be intelligent, willing workers, the right size, and very important the dogs must be able to avoid all distractions when working.
There are many remarkable types of service dogs, and the following are a few kinds which are used most often. The Assistance dog retrieves and manipulates a variety of objects, pulls a person’s wheelchair and carries things in a backpack; the seeing eye dog serves as the eyes for his owner; the hearing and signal dog assists hearing-impaired people by alerting them to a variety of sounds including door knocking and bells, phone, smoke alarms and crying; the seizure/alert dog responds when a handler has a seizure and either stays with the person or goes to get help. Some are trained to hit a button on a console to automatically dial 9-1-1. A psychiatric service dog helps a person with a variety of problems including agoraphobia or those with autism who need help in focusing.
Besides being man’s best friend, dogs provide so many valuable and needed services. Folks who have service dogs are so grateful to them for enriching and helping make their lives easier.
Granted, dogs helping people is most important, but do dogs ever help other kinds of animals? We were so fortunate to be able to go to the San Diego Zoo, and as we walked by one enclosure I saw a female huskie mixed breed lying beside a cheetah. I thought I had had too much sun and my eyes were playing tricks on me. The cheetah named Bakka and the dog named Miley were roommates and best friends. I was told they get dogs from local shelters and audition them for the job with the cheetah. The dogs must be able to walk by a group of barking dogs and ignore the situation. The tour guide told us the dog helps relieve anxiety in Bakka. The cheetah is one of the zoo’s ambassadors. Sometimes the dog leads the cheetah around on a leash. I must say seeing this unusual arrangement of a domestic animal helping an exotic animal was the highlight of my visit to the zoo.
Please visit us at the Central Aroostook Humane Society to adopt a beautiful pet. All animals deserve to have a forever home.
