Hello everyone! My humans were just discussing a news article about a restaurant who is fighting back against people who bring their emotional support animals in with them.

I just have to chime in about this!

First let me start by saying this: I went through extensive training to earn the title “Service Dog.” I did basic training, canine good citizen training, and public access training. I was taken to multiple locations to get used to the unexpected. I was taught to ignore loud noises and I’ve been on various forms of transportation. Not to mention all the additional training of specific tasks I’ve had to learn to help my Mama. That training was geared towards her and her Tourettes.

In basic and canine good citizenship training, I learned what most dogs know how to do: sit, stay, come, heel as well as consistence obedience to my owner. I know that most emotional support dogs (most dogs really) will have this training as well.

However, VERY FEW emotional support dogs will have any experience with public access. This is a large part of why emotional support dogs do not have the right to be in public places like I do. I spent a lot of my training time learning what I could and could not do in public. I learned that begging while in a restaurant is wrong no matter how good the food looks. I learned to ignore anyone who tries to interact with me. I even learned how to walk down the dog food aisle in the market without sniffing around!

No matter how good a dog may be at home, if they don’t have this training, they do not know how to act in public. Period.

My Mama said I was a quick learner and I was very good with all of my commands at home. But remembering those commands when outside my safe, comfortable home? That took a lot of time. This is common for us dogs (that’s why we need to be exposed to a lot of different environments) so emotional support dogs are simply set up for failure when they are suddenly taken out in public and still expected to remember all of their manners.

The most important factor that makes me a service dog is my Tourettes specific training. This is a list of tasks that I do to directly help my Mama. Not only did I learn to understand the scent change that happens before she has an episode, but I also know how to respond when she has a sudden onset attack. I let her know if she needs to sit or walk (whichever is best for her episode at the moment), I get her help, I can retrieve her medicine and her phone, and I can block her hands from hitting her when she’s ticking.

All service dogs are required to know three tasks that aide to their owner’s specific needs. Emotional support dogs do not have this training. They do not have the important job of providing life saving help to their humans. This is why I, as a service dog, am allowed in public but emotional support dogs aren’t. Without me, Mama could die but a handler without their emotional support dog does not face life threatening risks.

I’ve seen a lot of dogs with their humans in public who claim to be a service dog team. This is very upsetting to me and Mama because it makes our public access difficult. When people fight that their dog has access because it’s an emotional support dog, they confuse business owners on what the actual laws are and who is allowed entrance. This means that we are constantly stopped and questioned (inappropriately) despite my vest saying service dog and Mama being able to easily answer the legally sanctioned questions.

The restaurant in the news article has my support one hundred percent because it really understands the laws. It posted a sign in it’s front window stating that emotional support animals are not allowed. However, it goes on to say that service dogs are always welcomed. It even lists what the ADA law is and how they plan to follow it. As a legitimate service dog team, this means the world to me and my Mama. If we lived anywhere near this establishment, we would certainly frequent it to show our support.

So that’s my 2 cents about this whole thing. If you’re reading this and you’re an emotional support dog – please know, that I think what you do is just as important as what I do; it’s just that your job does not require nor permit public access.

Thanks for reading!

-Hedwig