Day Eight - Brand New Friend in the FASD World

Posted 2/5/2008 11:06:09 PM

Day 8 of Training
A cold is trying to sneak up on me but I pretend that it isn’t really there. I’ve been fighting a stuffy nose, scratchy throat for 3 days now along with about 3 other people in the class. I was paranoid about the kids getting sick before the training because of the medically fragile children in the class. So Iyal and Morasha seem to be fine. I’m the one who caught the bug.

Today was a transition day as my cousin Adair left Ohio to fly to Las Vegas for a conference. I don’t know how I would have managed without her physical presence and moral support. There has been so much to keep track of during the last 9 days. Every time we go somewhere, I have to manage 3 adults, a large dog and 2 kids who think they are squids…tentacles reaching into places they should not be...slithering out of the spot I thought I had placed them. It’s just a lot of logistics to maneuver in and out of a vehicle with so much stuff! Definitely a flashback to my days of being on the road shooting video for Caterpillar machines. I would be managing a crew of several people, but also be in charge of some major equipment that needed to make it from our departure to our destination in tact.

My dad took Adair to the airport around 11:30 this morning. (Unfortunately, due to fog, her 2 O’clock flight had not yet left by 6:30. I later received a phone message that she had made it to Minneapolis, so at least she was half way there. It was so wonderful to spend a week with my lovely cousin. She was able to observe me and give me some pointers after class when I would be giving Chancer commands back in the hotel room.

My brand friend, Jodee Kulp, from Minnesota arrived in Dayton last night and we arranged to meet at 4 Paws. Jodee has been exclusively training poodles over the last several years. She designed a pilot program that includes working with a poodle trained to assist a young man who has FASD. Jodee spent the evening with me, my dad and the kids, just schmoozing and talking “shop”. I would love to pick her brain more as it pertains to some of the FASD research she has accomplished. Jodee is currently working on 3 new novels.
It is truly a gift to have her come to observe our training and get to know Jodee and her work in the field of FASD.

Back to 4 Paws.

I took Chancer and Iyal out with me to Wal-Mart to have one of the other trainers observe. Jennifer, the trainer, was able to provide a few pointers and suggestions. Maneuvering a boy who is literally one step ahead of you, or on you, along with a big dog and a grocery cart isn’t as easy as it looks. It felt like a 3-ring circus! We did a lot better today than the first day I took kids, Chancer and the shopping cart with me. Chancer was great and Iyal wasn’t too bad when he wasn’t trying on shoes all over the place.

He’s obviously accumulated a taste for shoes or and obsession for feet. Not sure which.

Before I forget, one of the evenings early on in the training we were back in our hotel room. I had brought several small snack bag type treats for the kids for the trip. I also had purchased a variety of dog treats for the training class. And of course all the grocery bags filled with our stash of snacks were on top of the refrigerator. Well my dad, being the “snacker” that he is, reached up and grabbed some goodies from a small bag and started munching. I caught him out of the corner of my eye and asked him nonchalantly, “Dad, how were the Charlie Bears? He did one of his famous gestures indicating “so-so/not great, not wonderful.” I took out the bag of Charlie Bears and asked him would he prefer liver over chicken? We had a good laugh over this one.

And last night while supposedly sleeping, Morasha rolled into me in bed and yells out in her sleep-talking voice, “Chancer, get down!!” I laughed out loud!

This afternoon I took just Iyal and Chancer with me to the mall, for some review. Jeremy followed us around and ultimately said, “He thought we were in pretty good shape”. Our certification test for ADA Public Access will be one half hour in length. We’ll be given the commands and Jeremy will determine if he feels we are in control of the dogs at all times in public. It sounds as though they try to keep it low-key without extraordinary stress on any of the teams. Some parts of what we’re doing feel totally natural, other issues require a concerted effort to think through the steps of a command.

Hopefully we can practice again in the mall tomorrow evening after class.

Day Seven - Polish for Chancer

Posted 2/4/2008 8:49:09 PM

Today was spent polishing command work with the dogs. We practiced a "moving sit" and "a moving down". These are basic obedience commands but we're getting our dogs to respond to them consistently no matter where you are. This also continues to reinforce my relationship as the "handler" or parent. Chancer has been just amazing in class. I am able to put him in a down on his mat and walk away out of his sight for at least 15 minutes now and he stays in "place".

Iyal helped us practice behavior interruption with Jeremy, the trainer. He's been completely fixated on the game boy at 4 Paws and has made fast friends with the other boys. Getting him away from the game and kids has been a challenge every day. Iyal is afraid he'll lose his turn and has little patience for training. But once he is "present" with us, he's doing well. Chancer definately knows that Iyal is "his".

What a joy to watch this relationship unfold...and it's only been 7 days!

Often, when Iyal is very hyperactive I will offer to "squish him" on our sofa. I lie on top of Iyal and let my body weight put deep pressure on him to help lower his arousal system. I learned how to train Chancer to do this. We have to do all new commands in small increments to allow the dog to adjust and process these new ones. The interesting thing about doing the deep pressure the way Iyal is accustomed, is that it's on the sofa. Chancer has been trained to stay off furniture so he was a little confused about getting up on the sofa to begin with!

My Invisible World - life with my brother, his disability and his dog will be going to press this week

Day Six - Super Bowl Sunday with Chancer

Posted 2/3/2008 7:40:36 PM

This morning we reviewed several of the commands and learned how to tell the dogs to "speak".

In all of the 5 days I have heard Chancer bark maybe 4 times! I don't think we even heard his voice until Day 3. He's really only barked when he's wanted to play. Poor guy...he's had little recreation since the training class began. There is a pen at 4 Paws where he can romp and we're trying to give him this opportunity twice a day while we're at the facility. Once we get back to Atlanta,there will be another adjustment getting him used to our environment and his new home. Our backyard does have a fenced area where he will learn to "go potty" by himself and have some space to run around. This week of training has taken all the dogs out of their routine. They have all been sleeping much less than they are accustomed to. You can see how tired they are by the end of the day. Not to mention me.

After class Morasha and I took Chancer with us to the mall again to visit a pet store. Chancer was so well behaved. Literally at his nose level was an entire wall of unpackaged dog treats ...and he was able to stay in "a down". I was so impressed. The mall was much less crowded this afternoon and I was much more relaxed, therefore so was Chancer. Morasha has been amazing with the amount of information she has absorbed. She volunteers all of these service dog facts to the folks who stop to pet Chancer. I can't wait to take her with me on the road to do advocacy work. She will be awesome.

Our entire class is downstairs at a Super Bowl/Valentine's day Party. We invited the only two families not staying here at the Residence Inn to join us. So there were 9 families (one visiting family for some training pointers) with nine service dogs in a special room. The dogs took up more room than the people did! It was so much fun for us to be together in one place just to chill out.

We have been accumulating some great things for our scrapbook. Adair has been videotaping and taking photos every day.

It feels so important to be able to document this experience and to share it with y'all.

More tomorrow, I hope!

Day Five - Chancer the Kid Magnet

Posted 2/2/2008 4:12:02 PM

Today, only Iyal, Adair and I went to 4 Paws for the training session. Morasaha and my Dad stayed at the hotel to do about 5 loads of laundry for us! The morning was spent with Jeremy covering many topics including travel, the laws pertaining to service dogs and several other issues. This afternoon the class met at the indoor mall near our hotel. I dropped off Iyal and Adair and immediately went to the mall. Jeremy spent about 20 minutes following each team for sugestions,corrections etc. We met at the Food Court which was mobbed. This was a very realistic way to practice obedience and make sure the dogs were continuing to respect us.

I realized that we will now have to give ourselves an extra 15 minutes wherever we go just to give us time to answer questions and allow people to pet Chancer. He is such a kid magnet!! Chancer was very good except when I could not get him to stop sniffing a woman's rear-end who was in line at a register in front of me!! He wouldn't take "No!" for an anwer...

I also recognized the amount of spaced Chancer takes up. Alot!!

We have cousins visitng us from Chilicothe, Ohio in just a few minutes... so that's it for now.

Day Three and Four With Chancer our FASD Service Dog

Posted 2/1/2008 10:28:38 PM

Whew!

An amazing 48 hours has come and gone with so much progress.

Just 4 days ago when we first met Chancer I could never have imagined we would have come this far this fast! Without my copious notes in front of me I cannot even remember all the commands we've learned and practiced. The training system at 4 Paws is so comprehensive it is mind-blowing.

Yesteday we learned 2 major commands; "Come" and "Place". We each received a special mat for our dogs and that is Chancer's "Place" at our home. The rule that the dogs have learned is that they must always have at least 2 paws on the mat for them to be "legally" in "place". I have no idea how they taught this to the dogs, but every single dog knows the boundaries.

We practiced having our dogs in "a down" while distracting them with noises, stepping over them, pulling on their tails, ears, waving our hands in front of them, etc. Then, more for the children for whom the dogs are trained, all the SDs know several tricks which we were taught yesterday; "High Five", "Wave", "Shake", and the alltime favorite, "Play dead". Yesterday we started working on behavior interruption, for which our command is "Nuzzle". When Iyal is upset or melting down, Chancer goes over to him and licks his face or "noses" him to interrupt the behavior. Any repetitive motions can be disrupted using this command. "Lap" also brings Chancer over to lay his head on Iyal.

Yesterday afternoon we ventured out into public for the first time with our dogs. 3 of us accompanied by our dogs and one trainer had a field trip to Lowes Hardware Store. We "heeled" the dogs around the store, stopping to shop, and talk with people and make sure that the dogs would respect us outside the classroom as well as they were during training. Chancer was brilliant. He would check in with me every few seconds by looking up at me to make sure he was doing the right thing. Many of the commands become "implied". As the trust develops between the dog and the handler, they automatically go into "a sit" or "down" when you stop "heeling". They have learned to anticipate what is expected of them and we have already started to drop off vocal and hand commands for certain things.

Today (Day 4) we reinforced basic obedience and learned "under" for taking the dogs into restaurants. Tonight, back at the hotel room, we had a visit from some very special friends of ours. Rabbi Sam Joseph and his wife, Dori, visited us from Cincinatti. Sam was Harvey's room mate during their first year of rabbinic college at Hebrew Union College (HUC) in Israel. He is now a professor at HUC in Cincinatti. We had a wonderful visit and they were so excited to meet Chancer and learn about the program. I had to prompt Chancer a few times to "leave" the food alone that was out on the table in the hotel room. But without prompting him, Chancer put himself "under" the table and chairs where we were sitting and went into the appropriate "down". That was very cool!

During the afternoon, we learned how to "tether" Iyal to Chancer using the harness on the dog and special vest that Iyal wears. Basically, the dog is put into a "down" and does not move. Jeremy, the trainer, used Chancer as the example for the class. He literally dragged Chancer across the floor of the classroom, to show how Chancer was not disturbed by being pulled. It was pretty hysterical...and we have it all on video tape! We wanted Chancer trained in this because Iyal's inability to think through an action to a consequence, can play itself out in running into the street without looking. Should I see Iyal take off, I heel Chancer by my side and the 2 of us together serve as a pretty strong anchor. Iyal is attached to Chancer's harness through one "leash" and I am attached to Chancer by another. Iyal also has his very own 2 foot leash that he holds when we walk Chancer. Really amazing.

Tomorrow we go to the mall.

And to tell you the truth...I am so much more excited to take Chancer in with me...that I don't even care if I see "Clearance" signs in the windows of the stores!

Day Two - FASD Service Dog - Painfully Clean Work

Posted 1/31/2008 6:36:51 AM

Okay. So certain realities are becoming painfully clear. I am way too ambitious in my dreams of being able to keep up every night with recording the details of this awesome experience in the way that I'd like. But I'll try to get down some general comments and hopefully fill out the details later on. At the end of the training day...the evening is comprised of me running errands, while the kids and Chancer are watched by my cousin and dad. I'm practicing the commands we learned that day with Chancer while attempting to stay conscious! During the training class, Iyal is playing with other kids and video games and is not staying involved in watching the training. I had not expected he would be able to sit and listen for more than maybe 7 seconds. Thus, in after class it is vitally important that we make time for just Iyal and Chancer to have some bonding time. I fear cumulative fatigue has already set in. I just am not sleeping well at night. Too much excitement mixed with anticipatory anxiety I suppose.

But here are the highlights from Day 2:
This is how the day started. When I awoke I crept inside the room where Iyal is sleeping in bed with my dad. Chancer is sleeping in his crate in the same room. I peeked in the crate and Chancer was still in La-la land (labrador-labrador land), so I went to take a shower. Evidently while showering, Adair (my cousin) and Dad let Chancer out of his crate. Adair was able to videotape most of what happened next as I did not witness this in person. Chancer lept up onto the bed and immediately began licking Iyal's face with "Good Morning" kisses and much excitement. Iyal, who is typically quite cranky when first awakened in the early morning seemed to enjoy his Chancer kisses. Probably somewhat taken aback...at least he was not put off and welcomed the attention. Yesssss!

I'm jumping forward to the end of the day and will fill in the middle as soon as I can. Again, I was otherwise engaged as I was at Sam's Club and filling up the van with gas (3.09 (yikes) for those who are curious). Adair took Iyal and Chancer out to "go potty". That's the actual command for Chancer to pee and poop! The event was unproductive as nothing biologically occurred outside. However...we had previously made plans to meet another family or two at the indoor swimming pool. Adair had let Iyal go ahead and get in the pool with his new friend Aiden, before taking Chancer outside. There were already adults present in the pool area. On the way back up to the room, Adair took Chancer into the pool area, because she saw two of the other SDs inside. So...the moment Chancer spied Iyal in the Whirlpool (big hot tub) he darted into the pool to join/rescue/retreive him! This took Adair quite by surprise and being that the pool floor area was wet, she had no traction to stop Chancer. So Chancer had his first "rescue" even though he hasn't even been trained for this! Needless-to-say WetDog smell permeated our hotel room for the evening. This was even after a mini-spa experience for Chancer of a rub down, massage and facial. Gotta get a handle on the right products to use!

That's it for now...

Day One - Life with a Chancer, an FASD Service Dog

I began blogging a long time ago - just before Chancer joined us . . .

Here is our story - please enjoy it.

Our first Day

(written 1.29.08)

Do the words exist?

Imagine walking into a building and being greeted by the sound of over 50 dogs saying

“Are you my human?” at the same time.

We didn't know where to look first.

Of course our initial focus was on finding Chancer!

We scurried through the first room filled with crate after crate of dogs of every size and shape...into the training room at 4 Paws. On our left were 8 crates lined up against the wall containing our new buddies. Chancer was in a crate half way down the aisle. In a flash there was chaos with the children and families running to find their dog. Kids squealing with delight as parents whipped out their video cameras to record the moment. The training room was divided in half. One half had a huge circle of chairs for the actual training class with the other half housing the same amount of space dedicated as a play place for the kids. 4 Paws has been gifted with many donations of therapeutic toys and games. Things to climb and of course the usual game cube, video stuff and art supplies.

We began our training with Jeremy, the head trainer.

The families introduced themselves and said the name of their SD. There were 8 families in total, with children ranging in age from 2 to 15. The majority of kids were affected with Autism and many had additional challenges such as seizure disorders or immobility. Two-year-old Ryleigh is medically fragile and has a feeding tube. She is unable to hold herself up and looks as though she is only six to eight months.

Our class consisted of the one each of the following breeds;

• Chancer- Golden Retreiver,
• Keno - Great Pyrenees, all white and probably 100 lbs!,
• Tinsel - Australian Shepherd mix,
• Jedi - Golden Labrador, Claire - Boxer,
• Hero - Standard Poodle,
• Lady - German Shepherd,
• Ray - Collie.

An incredible assortment of amazing canines. Today was spent covering some fundamental issues of training, how to use the training leashes and treats and the beginning of Basic Obedience. Jeremy taught us how to correct the dogs and reward withe the appropriate motivators. We learned, "Sit", "Down" and by the end of the class were able to put our dogs in "a Down" and walk away from the dog for about 10-15 seconds without the dog moving from his position.

What a wonderful feeling to be successful the first day.

Chancer is a love...affectionate, responsive and confident. At the end of the day today, we took Chancer home with us back to our hotel. 4 Paws loaned all the families crates for the duration of the training. We were given food and any other necessities for the night.

Iyal was much more self-initiating with Chancer that I had expected. He kissed and pet Chancer a lot.

The Miracle of a Service Dog

It has begun!

We will be in training at 4 Paws beginning this Tuesday, January 29th and continue for 10 days straight from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.through the 7th of February.

February 8th will be our Public Access Certification Test and Graduation!

On Friday, the 9th we will head back to Atlanta.

There is so much more to tell you about the miracles these service dogs are bringing to families all over the world. If you have time and interest, visit the 4 Paws website at www.4pawsforability.org. The testimonies will blow you away!

So we begin our travels to Ohio on Sunday, January 27th and will arrive in Xenia on the 29th. My cousin, Adair, arrives from Missoula, Montana Monday evening to begin the training with us on Tuesday.

As if this adventure weren't enough...

I'm excited to report that one of the foremost experts on parenting children with FASD, Jodee Kulp, will be joining us at our training. Jodee, a well-respected author, lecturer and advocate in the FASD field has also been breeding poodles at her facility, Knarlwoods. Jodee, a Board of Directors Member for the Minnesota Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS) actually started a pilot training program in her area. She has been training "Limey" to work with a 21-year old young man with FASD named Ken. Unbeknownst to me until just a few weeks ago...I had not heard of anyone using a SD for someone with FASD! Now, not only will we be returning with our new miracle for Iyal and our family...but Jodee and I will have a chance to meet, brainstorm and hopefully collaborate with our FASD efforts. Jodee has been my "FASD Guru" since I first read her book, Our FAScinating Journey; Keys to Brain Potential Along the Path of Prenatal Brain Injury, many years ago. This book has more information about the challenges and triumphs of raising a child with FASD than any other of which I am aware. To find out more about Jodee and her work visit her website at www.betterendings.org.

Thank you in advance for joining us our adventure.

I'll do my best to keep you posted during our training...

if I'm not "dog-tired" at night.

And please feel free to share comments.

We Found A Service Dog!

Finding 4 paws for Ability (written 1.28.08)

In the spring of 2006 I began to research Service Dogs (SD). Of course I was aware like most everyone of the support that Guide Dogs for the Visually Impaired and Mobility Assistance dogs could provide. I had also heard about Seizure Alert Dogs and those that were trained to help individuals with Hearing Impairments. Somewhere along the way a few articles made their way across my path telling about how Service Dogs were now being trained to support those with "Invisible Disabilities" like Autism, Psychiatric and Behavioral Disabilities. Dogs were even being used to aid those that suffer from Schizophrenia and Panic Disorder.

In all my research with interventions and treatments for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder I had not come across a mention of Assistance Dogs trained for this specific lifelong disability. The more I learned about the skills that were taught to dogs to help children with Autism...the more excited I became about the possibility of a SD learning to assist Iyal!

After reading several books and researching online I decided that we should submit an application to an agency in Xenia, Ohio, called 4 Paws for Ability. They were the first agency that began to train dogs to help children with Autism among other disorders. The Executive Director, Karen Shirk, started the agency in 1999 after experiencing firsthand the limitations a disability could bring. Karen is affected by a form of M.S. Her first S D, Ben, became the model she developed to begin what is now a literal lifeline for many families.

The philosophy of 4 Paws includes every dog being trained for several weeks at a correctional facility. The win-win nature of this arrangement held so much meaning along with all the other ideals the agency represented. You can see videos of inmates training the dogs on the 4 Paws website as well as read life-altering testimonials by these inmates.

One of the things that struck me about 4 Paws was the extent to which the dogs were trained for their clients. In the U.S. a Service Dog can only be certified for Public Access by receiving a minimum of 120 hours of training over a period of no less than six months. The dogs trained by 4 Paws, receive upwards of 500 hours of training, with the handlers being trained for over 60 hours. Very few SD agencies even allow dogs to be placed with individuals under the age of 18. Because of the laws pertaining to this field, an adult must be the "handler" and accompany the dog and child at all times when the dog is out in public "working".

How do Service Dogs help children with Autism and hidden disabilities like FASD?

Service Dogs for such children assist in several ways: they provide the child/adult challenged with this type of disability an opportunity to safely access different environments which result in improved communication and social skills. The dog's presence offers a calming influence and provides a sense of security to the child and the parents. Research shows that abstract and concrete thinking advance, focus improves, and the length of attention span increases. Emotional outbursts occur less often. The important role of the SD is affording the individual more independence and autonomy, helping those individuals becomes a viable part of the community at large.

The other factor that convinced me that 4 Paws was the right agency for us is that the dogs are trained case-specific. Beyond the minimum of 6 months of Public Access training, another 4 to 6 months of training takes place using video of your child. 4 Paws provided us with a script of scenarios they wanted us to video tape. These situations included Iyal having meltdowns, tantrums, interacting with Morasha, the cats, other dogs, etc. This video then becomes the tool used to communicate to the dog what signals it will learn to assist its "human". Many children with Autism and FASD have sensory issues causing involuntary repetitive movements. These movements thus become the "signal" or "command" taught to the dog. The dog is then trained to interrupt the behavior by nuzzling the child or putting a paw on the child. Many children like Iyal require Deep Pressure to calm down an over-aroused regulatory system.. An 85-lb. dog like Chancer will provide much needed weight to help calm Iyal when he (the dog) is lying on top of him! Up until now I have "squished" Iyal on the couch by making him the middle of a “sandwich”.

Another significant concern of ours is Iyal's safety; physical and emotional.

Because of Iyal's impulsivity, he often darts out into the street or a parking lot without looking. Chancer will be trained to be tethered to Iyal. A dual leash attached to a vest on Iyal and to me, will afford an opportunity to keep Iyal from running out into danger. This particular skill is also used for kids who tend to wander away from their parents. (Search and Rescue dogs are taught how to find their human for many families where this is a great concern.) Iyal's emotional safety is intertwined with a great sense of vulnerability. Individuals with FASD are easily taken advantage of and exploited. Iyal will do virtually anything to make a friend. We know that 90% of individuals with Developmental Disabilities will be abused at some point during their lifetime.

It is my hope that while Chancer will provide "social lubrication" easing Iyal's way into social interactions...hopefully the presence of a large dog will deter someone with less than honorable intentions.

The Beginning of Life with a FASD Service Dog

(written 1.26.08)

Our son was born in Ashtrakahn, Russia over 9 years ago with a severe life-long disability called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is an umbrella term used to describe a range of birth defects that can occur when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol. Iyal was adopted at 14 months and was diagnosed with FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; a severe form of alcohol exposure on the spectrum of FASD) when he was around 4. Like Autism, FASD can have a small or great impact on an individual and their family. For more information about FASD, go to www.nofas.org.

Because of the nature of Iyal's organic brain injury, most medications do not result in positive outcomes. In fact, they tend to make his symptoms/behaviors worse. While we have also used Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies...FASD seems to "live" outside the boundaries of these treatments...stubborn to change. Behavior Modification requires short-term memory and an ability to anticipate consequences for actions taken. People with FASD cannot learn "from their mistakes". Their short term memory is limited, and unable to control impulses...they often act before they "think".

Here are just a few ways in which FASD is really "hidden"...not exactly invisible. FASD is like the undertow...it lies beneath the surface of the individual but is marked by co-existing disorders and characteristics which appear in everyday behaviors. Because FASD looks so much like ADHD, Autism and other disorders it is grossly under diagnosed and misdiagnosed. When it fact 1 out of 100 live births in the U.S. are affected by prenatal alcohol exposure.(CDC 2007) The prevalence is greater than Autism...or Downs Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida and Cerebral Palsy combined! Often a combination of the following descriptions apply to someone like a Iyal:

• hyperactivity (looks like ADHD, but is actually a processing issue)
• poor impulse control
• intellectual disability
• sensory integration disorders
• obsessive compulsive disorders
• oppositional defiance disorders
• perseveration
• poor motor planning
• unable to read social "cues"
• always interrupting conversations
• low frustration threshold
• overly emotional
• low self-esteem

The list feels endless to those living with FASD and their families.

Trying to keep our heads above water, we were always looking for new therapies, ideas...anything to help Iyal feel better about himself and more in control. Often children adopted from another country have experienced neglect along with the possibility of birth defects. Attachment issues and post-traumatic stress responses became part of our landscape as Iyal got older. He could not be left alone for any period of time with out becoming extremely anxious.

So about two years ago I had an epiphany! It occurred to me that perhaps a service dog could be helpful to Iyal and us, as well. In truth it would "legitimize his invisible disability".

Service Animals are legally defined (Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990) and are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers/clients who have disabilities. Federal laws protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in public places.

Service animals are not considered pets.