Pictures of Disney going Service Animals

[mechurchlady]

Kathy you and Skye are very special to me. Special and is two very nice people. I would have told the lady that the dog did was not able to repeat what she said, lol. It is weird how people will treat the disabled like they are not there or worse I have seen people treat my mother like a little girl. I bite so they do not do it to me.

Kathy I send you big hugs and snugs and chocolates. If you need you could send a copy of the picture to someone or post it and have Sue resize it for you. I would love to meet Skye off duty. I so want a dog and when I see any dog want to hug it and snug it and hold it tight but know better.

As I stated earlier the problem with assistance and service animals is that not all of them are screened, not all are professionally trained, and sometimes owners can undo the training of an animal. The animal might be aggressive because it is sick, who knows. I have been looking into a therapy dog combined with a bit of help mate type of service and am shocked to see so many agencies offering for a fee Service Dog training. Pay them and you get a certificate with no questions asked. I might as well train my own dog for free and make a fake certificate. I do have enough bites to know to never greet a strange dog without permission.

Gives Kathy a big hug and chocolates and Dole Whips.
Laurie

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

The person who asks is one of many who will have asked each day and it gets tiring, esp. on vacation. Unless it's a very unusual circumstance or I'm just beaten down because I've been asked all day, it's not something I allow as it's not good for Skye and not fair to her. It's also tiring to answer questions about what my dog does for me, except of course on a message board! When we're out, we're asked many, many times and it's because people are genuinely and rightfully curious...but boy does it get old.

Seriously, I can't even count as high as how many times I was asked while at Disney this go-around! I think I went the Week of the Curious Come to Disney! I felt like I should've just put on a signboard each morning with the answers to all the questions people ask (What breed? Boy or girl? What's her name? Why do you have her? What's a service dog? What does she do for you? They allow pets in the parks?). Of course, you know those are the same people who wouldn't read it, would just ask anyway, LOL. You know, the same people who either don't read the "Do not touch" on the dog or who don't think it applies to them.

One lady on the monorail actually had the gall to ask me if I was there alone (I was riding the monorail alone). For safety's sake, I told her I was meeting friends (which was true, just not right at that moment). She had a relieved look on her face and told me that was good, but otherwise she was going to applaud me for doing Disney on my own as a disabled person!

 

[LauraVV]

Hi everyone these picture are wonderful, I was wondering if its not to personal would you mind explaining how the service dogs work. My DD10 has seen them before and asked me why someone had one. I can explain to her about seeing eye dogs but not any other kind. I don't want to give her the wrong information or just make something up. I want her to understand that these dogs are there for a reason.

Melissa, my daughter will be 11 in March. She's had her Service dog since right after she turned eight. It bothers her to no end when she hears people talking about her. It also bugs her when they say things like, "Oh, look there's a seeing eye dog," or when a mom says to her kids, "look they're training a seeing eye dog" without asking us about the dog at all. My son got his dog right before he turned 18.

We have several friends with dogs and the agency we used has asked me when I'm getting one for myself. Some of the tasks our dogs do:

*help balance to prevent falls
*help get up when fall
*notify handler of impending seizure
*get mom when oxygen levels fall
*get mom when pulse gets too high
*pick up stuff
*get mom when pulse ox alarms

Friends' dogs' tasks:

*get mom when vent alarms
*get mom with seizure/oxygen needed/apnea
*balance
*get things (like puffer)
*opening doors
*pushing elevator buttons
*picking up toys
*helping with sensory things (autism dog)

These are just short lists. We have one vent alert dog and one seizure alert dog. The vent alert dog alerted to another dog having a seizure once. We have a friend whose family has three service dogs (two are vent alert dogs) and two families with autism type dogs (one of them is also a vent alert dog).

Service dogs are amazing and can do many things. It gets very old when people stop us everywhere asking what the dogs do. We usually just say they are service dogs and go on our way. It's not because we're trying to be rude. It's because we're trying to live our lives like everyone else. It's tough to be stopped everywhere you go and it's tough having people stare at you constantly.

 

[LauraVV]

As to approaching and asking if a SD can be petted, I personally don't like it. The person who asks is one of many who will have asked each day and it gets tiring, esp. on vacation. Unless it's a very unusual circumstance or I'm just beaten down because I've been asked all day, it's not something I allow as it's not good for Skye and not fair to her. It's also tiring to answer questions about what my dog does for me, except of course on a message board! When we're out, we're asked many, many times and it's because people are genuinely and rightfully curious...but boy does it get old. As Sue mentioned, to be a SD the handler must be disabled as defined by the ADA and the dog must do trained tasks which would be things the handler cannot do for him/herself.

I know it's not easy to ignore a SD team when you see a beautiful, loving dog and you or your kids are just generally curious but it really is for the best. I had to endure the checkout line at Target this evening with a woman behind me talking for 10 minutes ( no exaggeration) about me as if I couldn't hear her...going over and over with her toddler son in a high pitched voice that "the lady can't do things for herself, the dog is her helper, the dog is her special friend, she needs a special friend, etc." I tried to ignore her but it actually hurt my feelings to be talked about loudly behind my back.

Amen to this! I have taken to saying "Leave it," as people approach us because that seems to stem the tide of questions and petting. If we're feeling like speaking with strangers we usually let a child (not adults most of the time although they ask----my goodness, haven't these people ever seen a dog?) shake hands with the dog or give a high five. It's something the dog can do and it's not some stranger coming towards us and hugging our dogs.

 

[LauraVV]

For the pictures..... Rebel is the lab mix and Tootsie is the Golden. We call Rebel the wimp and Tootsie the "Love Sponge you Can't Fill Up". They are very different even though they are cousins. Much of service dog placement is matchmaking.

 

[Figmificent]

Kathy I believe we saw you and Skye in September at PTU? She is a beautiful dog, I remember talking to you, but not about her (your vent said something odd on the back, some sort of error I think? and you were in front of us in line.) Next time I see you, I'll say hi!

 

[Paragd911]

get back to the photos!

this is my first service Dog

 

[Shanka]

wonderful pictures!!!

 

[disneynewman]

Love this thread!
Here are some with my DS's SD Josie last April

 

[mechurchlady]

Love the pictures of Josie.

At DLR I only saw a bomb or drug sniffer type of lab and one service dog that works for Disney. I would love to have his job as he just sets there and if he smells the target scent will alert his handler. The service dog had on a burgundy or brown vest and was with a person in I think a powerchair but was not staring except at the dog, lol.

Wait I did see someone with a dog on a leash that had the U shaped harness but the owner was just walking the dog on the leash.

 

[Leajess99]

Some very beautiful Dogs!!!!!!!

 

[syko]

There was a SD in the Princess 5k and 1/2 marathon this past weekend.
I saw them before, during and after the race and the SD looked like he / she could go around again!!!!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Those are wonderful pictures! I especially love the pictures of Puppy as we call him (Pluto) with all the service dogs.

 

[lunapnp]

I love seeing the photos! It makes me excited for my DD to hopefully have one of her own some day. We will actually be traveling to Orlando next week for her interview with one of the service dog organizations! Wish her luck! Maybe one day I can put her pictures on here!

 

[mykidsintow]

Lucas has been with us 4 trips now.

Characters @ Epcot

Julia and Lucas waiting on the parade at Animal Kingdom

Julia and Lucas after her makeover in the front window of the BBB (he had a very nice snooze in the floor there).

 

[mechurchlady]

I am all teary eyed as Lucas so looks like Bruce Speckles our old pointer/lab mutt who was there with my father to the end, loyal and true no matter what.

I wish I had a dog like Lucas and all of your service dogs. I will keep wishing.

 

[teglazer]

My son charlie has MD and we are meeting his service dog in two weeks I think I'm more excited than him. We don't get to keep her right away , She has to go to a "foster home" for 6 more months, but it's just nice to know that she is ours, we have been waiting 2 years for this!!!!

 

[WALTSAGOD]

Nice thread, I had no idea. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Teglazer's son - congrats!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Teglazer's son - congrats!!

Let us know how the meeting goes!