Communication

Communication is key when it comes to the livelihood of service animal teams all across the United States, from sharing their story to interacting with the public. Having clear and effective communication whether that be verbal or nonverbal in a variety of situations is crucial to spread kindness and correct information. If one is able to communicate their needs or express their scenario to individuals, then there will be a ton of progress made in regards to the wellbeing of service animal teams. Below are different situations that both service animal teams and the general public would benefit from reading, these include different interactions and cases that surround the service dog world!

How to interact with a handler and service animal:

The best thing to do when coming into contact with a service animal team is to just leave them be. Understandably, it is typically challenging to ignore the fact that there is a cute dog or miniature pony in your presence. However, when putting it into perspective of the handler, that individual has a disability and their service animal is there to assist their needs. By ignoring the team, you are creating a safe environment so the dog or miniature pony is able to do their job without problem. When you interact with the animal themselves, you risk distracting the animal and that can be very dangerous for the handler. The animal can miss an alert that the handler is unaware of, which can lead to an undetected episode that can cause serious physical or mental damage to the handler. Service animals are luckily trained to ignore the majority of distractions, but at the end of the day, they are still animals, not robots. When not interacting with service animals, you are setting the team up for a high rate of success when going about their daily business.

If you must interact with the service animal team, it is always best to speak directly to the handler. Whether it is a general question or a nice compliment, the handler typically appreciates being spoken to personally. Each handler and service animal team that you meet will all have a different way that they may respond, some are more open to the conversation and some may be more shy. Most days, I am generally very open to having a conversation about my experiences with having a service animal, but there are other times where I am experiencing a bad health day and I would politely say to someone that I would like to be left alone. Us handlers are people too and our animals are there to keep us safe, we are all about communicating our experiences and the laws that protect our team. Each one of us may do it in a different manner; however, we are all trying to spread the message of respect and kindness!

What to do if a service animal approaches you without their handler:

Picture this, you are shopping one day in the grocery store and all of a sudden you feel a boop on your leg and when turning around you see a service animal, here is what to do. One of the coolest and more useful tasks that a service animal can learn is the command to “go find help.” This is where the handler is down somewhere in a public space and they are in a debilitating scenario and need the assistance of another individual. They are unable to move, so they send their service animal to “go find help,” at this point the animal will leave their handler and find the nearest person to assist. So if a service animal approaches you, congratulations, you are the chosen one. What to do next depends on the team, but generally the first thing that you should do is check the animal’s vest for any patches that might indicate the command to return to their handler. This command will allow you to follow, as the animal would be trained to lead you back to their person. If there are no patches or wording on the vest some general commands you can try are:

“Go find them.”

“Go find mom.”
“Go find dad.”
“Go find your person.”
“Where are they?”
“Show me.”
“Show me where they are.”
“Go find.”

These are some common phrases that service animal handlers use to command their dogs to return with the selected individual. When the animal successfully leads you to their person, you can now assess the situation. If the handler is awake and able to speak, be sure to ask gentle questions regarding what they may need or who you call to help them. If the handler seems to not be as responsive, take a moment to further examine the service animal’s vest to look for any indication of the symptoms that the person may experience due to their disability. Some examples might be:

“Psychiatric service dog”
“Diabetic alert service dog”
“Seizure alert service dog”
“Medical alert service dog”
“Seeing eye dog”

There might also be a step by step list on or inside the pockets of the vest that instructs on how to assist the handler that is down. If nothing else, remain calm and do your best to help as much as you can, whether that is seeking aid from other civilians or store management. Unless in a critical or injured state, it is best not to call 911, because often handlers experience these symptoms on a daily basis and it is incredibly normal for them. Our animals are our lifelines and when doing this command we rely on the trust and goodhearted people who are ready to jump into action. So if a service animal approaches you without their handler, take a deep breath and do as much as you can. And if not you, then be sure to find the help of a trusted adult that can further aid the situation.

What to do when a pet/ESA is causing a disturbance in a non-pet friendly place:

If a pet or an emotional support animal (ESA) enters a non-pet friendly establishment, then this causes a trend of misconception for other individuals wanting to do the same thing. This creates a precarious environment for people who have service animals, as a pet can be a serious distraction to a service animal. Service animals are luckily trained to ignore the majority of distractions, but at the end of the day, they are still animals, not robots. A pet/ESA does not legally have to be trained to the level of a service animal which is totally acceptable for the lifestyle the pet/ESA lives. If the pet/ESA is untrained, in training, or fully trained and they go into a pet friendly environment, that is not only legally acceptable, but that is also great for the animal’s socialization. However, if there is a pet/ESA in a non-pet friendly place, this does pose a risk for a service animal. So if you are a service animal handler, or a standby citizen, what do you do if there is a pet/ESA causing a disturbance in a non-pet friendly place? The first step is to keep distance from the pet/ESA and to be as calm and collected in this situation, knowing for service animal handlers it can sometimes be tricky. From the perspective of a service animal handler, this type of distraction can be very dangerous for them. Seeing their dog can be caught off guard by the pet/ESA’s actions, the service animal can miss an alert that they needed to give to their handler. This type of interruption can also be a hazard for a service animal, because an untrained, reactive, or unsocialized pet/ESA might lunge, bite, nip, bark at, or go after a service animal. The outcome of this can result in a service animal having setbacks in their training, causing them to develop fear periods. Unfortunately, the worst outcome in a detrimental encounter is for a service animal to be washed (removed) from service work because they could never recover from such an intense interaction. The second step is knowing if the establishment is non-pet friendly, in this case the business does not allow pets thus justifying the animal not being allowed to remain in the building. The third step is to politely approach an employee and notify them of the situation, depending on how the employee reacts it is also good to ask for a manager or supervisor. From there, you can state you either saw or heard a dog in the store that was barking or lunging or being disruptive, at this point the employee or manager should take note of this issue and deal with the situation accordingly. Although this action may seem small, this makes a huge difference in the lives of service animal handlers and their animals, as it is so important to keep all teams safe. Overall, pets/ESA’s are amazing for people’s wellbeing, health, and comfort, providing an unbreakable bond that allows them to be incredible companions. It is understandable for individuals to feel that urge to bring their pet/ESA with them wherever they go. However, it is a risk to people with service animals due to the level of distraction that a pet/ESA can cause.

Some questions you can/should not ask a service animal team:

When having an adorable animal at their side almost all of the time, service animal handlers are well aware that their companion’s presence will attract attention. That is one of the realities when owning a service animal, the general public will be curious and may ask questions. If you are one of these people that are inquisitive about a service animal passing by and you feel as though you want to find out more about the team, here are some tips on how to approach this interaction. Initially, respect is everything, if you approach a service animal team with some general questions it is always best to first confirm with the handler if it is okay to ask a few questions about their animal. Understanding that each service animal team will always be different to the next when interacting with the general public. If the handler indicates a “no,” it is best to respect their wishes and allow them to remain on their way. However, if they say “yes,” then you are in business! The following action would be to speak to the handler directly, this allows the owner of the service animal to feel a genuine level of respect and connection when interacting with you. Next, now is a good time to be thoughtful and mindful of the questions you are about to ask, here are a few great examples of what you might want to ask a service animal team:

“What type of breed is your animal?”
“How many years of training has he/she had?”
“What is your service animal’s most helpful task?”
“What is the best memory you have had with your service animal?”
“What is the name of your service animal/what are they named after?”

(note: not every handler gives out the name of their service animal for interactive and safety purposes)

“Is your service animal a boy or a girl?”
“How old is your service animal?”
“What is your service animal’s favorite activity during their down/break time?”

I personally know one of the biggest questions out there is,

“Can I pet your service animal?”

This question is okay to respectfully inquire about, but do note that not all handlers will say yes. These are working animals and their primary job is to be there for their owners; however, I personally would rather someone ask me if they can pet my service animal rather than reaching out and grabbing for them.

On the other hand, there are also some questions that you want to avoid when speaking with a service animal handler, these are some simple examples:

“What is your disability?”
“Why do you need a service animal?”
“Do you have paperwork for your service animal to be in this establishment?”
“How did you get your animal certified?”

(note: this question is a common misconception and you would want to refer to the legal document of the Americans with Disabilities Act for answers!)

“Why do you not look/act disabled?”

Some of the questions above are invasive, unethical, and illegal to ask a service animal handler. It is best to stick with the questions that focus on the light and journey of the handler and service animal, as each team has a different story that they typically love to share with others. Overall, when interacting with a service animal handler, the two best things that you can do is politely speak to the handler directly. Being sure not to talk to their animal unless given permission, and to ask good questions that relate to the service animal at hand and the adventure that the team is on!

How to communicate in a case of a public access issue:

Ah, the good old public access issue, something that many service animal handlers are aware of. Unfortunately in today’s society they are almost inevitable for a service animal team to encounter in the United States. Some of you who do not own service animals maybe asking:

“What is an access issue?”
To put it simply an access issue is when a service animal team is denied from a place of public access. This can be because of the breed of the dog, the nature of the person’s ability, or the request of an identification card, as all of these reasons are illegal to deny access and a form of discrimination. So when dealing with an access issue, here are a few steps that can be taken to handle this situation as respectfully and educationally as possible. For example, imagine you enter a store to pick up some groceries and you are accompanied by your service dog. You are then approached by an employee stating that they need some ID to let the dog continue because of store policy. You can:

Pause for a moment, and take a deep breath processing the situation.
Stay in touch with your dog for any rise in symptoms that might occur when addressing this sort of confrontation.
Confirm with the employee that Federal law overrides company policy when covering service animals and that certifications are not required in the United States.
Offer to educate the employee about the two legal questions that they are allowed to ask and reference the Americans with Disabilities Act website, the ADA FAQ Service Animals website, or printable law cards that have the correct information regarding service animals.
Calmly ask to speak to management about the situation that has arisen and offer the same resources and conversation about the ADA and service animals.
Nicely ask for a corporate number or contact.
File a discrimination complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act with the Department of Justice.
Voluntarily display an information card that answers the two questions and has further information about the ADA and how the card you are giving is out of voluntary action.
Leave the situation and go to a different location or store, keeping in mind that this might keep confrontation levels low even though it is a hassle.
Call authorities, but keep in mind that not all law enforcement are versed on service animal laws.
Go through with private legal actions against a company for discrimination purposes, but also keep in mind that this process is lengthy and can cost a ton of money.

As service animal handlers, we are setting the tone for others around the country and it is so important to try your best to be as professional and collected as possible. I realize that this is not possible for some service animal teams, but that is why we use these resources like this website to reference the Americans with Disabilities Act Hotline, the Department of Justice incident website, and so much more to ensure that correct legal information is spread. When addressing a public access issue, service animal handlers should try their hardest to take that opportunity to educate the employee. The employee was either improperly trained or was not aware of the correct information, so taking an approach of kindness and understanding is essential. If a worker or management is not willing to listen, the list above also covers ways in which a situation can be handled, but know that each one of them can have severely different impacts. Some are far more stressful than others, just noting what your state of mind is if you are a service animal handler, because these scenarios can have a negative impact on our health. Each moment of success that we have though is one step closer towards making the world a more accessible place.

Ways to politely decline or accept someone touching or interacting with your service animal:

As service animal handlers, getting attention from the public is inevitable within our lifestyle. Understandably, the average person does not always have an adorable dog or miniature horse by their side in the middle of a grocery store. So if someone whether that be a young child or full adult asks to interact or touch your service animal, here are some pointers on how to address this situation.

If you are feeling up for the interaction and want your animal to be touched, here is what you can say:

“Absolutely, let me just get my service animal focused on me and then I will dismiss them to interact with you.”
“Sure! Just please be gentle when touching my service animal.”
“Yes, thank you so much for asking, this can allow my service animal to have a nice break from working hard.”

If you are not feeling up for the interaction and do not want your animal to be touched, here is what you can say:

“No, not right now my service animal is working, but thank you so much for asking!”
“No, my service animal is on the job right now and is working hard!”
“No, you cannot pet my service animal but thank you for asking.”
“No, we are training right now, but thanks!”
“Not at this moment, my service animal needs to stay focused on me.”

If you are non-verbal at the time of the question and do want the interaction, you can do a nice head nod and dismiss your animal to encounter the person asking. However, if you do not want the interaction to occur, you can simply shake your head and nicely point to the vest on your dog to show that they are working. If they are not vested, you can simply point to the dog and back and yourself to indicate that they are there for you and need to remain focused.

Each interaction from the public will be different, and the way that these situations play out will vary. However, as a service animal handler, you should do your best to be as kind as possible or when signaling be as respectful as can be. A note to the general public is that service animals should not traditionally be touched and a service animal team is not obligated to say yes even when asked. Do not take a “no” personally and understand that service animals are there to do a job and keep their handlers safe!