People with Disabilities & SD Awareness

Service Animals also known as Assistance Animals, are dogs or other animals that are individually trained whether from an established training facility, a professional private trainer, or by a individual handler. These wonderful animals though commonly used dogs may come from a breeder, donated by a private individual or from a rescue league.

This special training allows the disabled population to depend more completely on themselves. Other types of animals used are Mini Horses - mobility, guides (Guide Horse Foundation in 1999). Monkeys - Mobility (Helping Hands placed Hellion, the 1st monkey helper in 1979), Cats and even Pigs -Medical Alert / Respond, Psychiatric just to name a few.

Service dogs may be any breed, size or colour. They might sometimes wear identifying equipment such as a harness, backpack, cape or a special collar and leash.

All of these Animals are confident, friendly, intelligent, and enjoy working. The most meaningful characteristic of a good service animal is to Intelligently Disobey when a situation poses a danger.

The training whether be school, private trainers or owner-training consists of three stages: 1. Puppy (12 - 15 months Basics and Socialization), 2. Formal Task Training (4 - 6 months). This is a more intense training period which would consist of fine tuning as it were for the individuals needs. 3. Continuing Bonding, Growing, and Training in which all handlers should do for their needs will continue to change and so will the need to teach new tasks or modify the old ones.

Today there are approximately 20,000 service dogs / Animals working in the USA alone with the numbers rising in the next decade. This awakens ones appreciation of existence more than seeing someone who would otherwise have little or no hope of making a significant contribution to life; able to go to work, to live alone and to truly feel and be a part of ones community.

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Amendment Act