What you should know about service animals

 By: Sarah Steward, MS*

One service dog can help over 60 Military Service Members coping with injuries or other health challenges. CDR René S. Hernández, USN (Ret) discusses her experience volunteering with a nonprofit that pairs service dogs with Veterans.

Sarah: Tell me about your background working with service animals and Vets.

CDR Hernández: I’ve been working with service animals since about 2011. I volunteer as a “puppy sitter” and help review the applications of injured Veterans who might be helped by a service dog. I also served on the Board of Trustees from 2012–2017 for a nonprofit that pairs service dogs with Vets. Their mission is to train and provide service and therapy dogs to Veterans with mental and/or physical health challenges

Sarah: What’s a “service dog,” and how’s it different from an emotional support animal?

CDR Hernández: A service dog has had training that directly relates to a particular life need, and they provide a benefit to their owner on a daily basis. For example, a Seeing Eye dog is specifically trained to perform the tasks a person with limited sight might need help with (such as crossing the street). Meanwhile, a dog trained to assist someone with seizures might have some very different skills. For example, seizure detection dogs can recognize a seizure ahead of time and pull or guide the person to the ground before they are incapacitated and fall. Others respond after a seizure begins and press a button (located in the owner’s home) that calls for help (for example, it might dial 911 with a pre-recorded message).

In any case, service dogs can be trained in a variety of ways for all kinds of different emotional or psychological disorders (such as anxiety or post-traumatic stress) and physical injuries (such as limited mobility or traumatic brain injury).

A companion dog, or emotional support animal, can also help those with psychological issues (for example, loneliness). Quite frankly, dogs naturally do a very good job of that even without training. For instance, a service dog that’s trained to help with psychological issues like anxiety or flashbacks would recognize when their owner is experiencing distress and respond in a certain way such as laying their head in their owner’s lap. A comfort dog might naturally do the same thing, but a service dog has received the training. And a service dog might be able to alert a spouse or even bring medication or a bottle of water. So it’s really about that extra training.

Many service dogs are trained to recognize when their owners are having nightmares too. They might jump on top of their owners to calm them or bark to wake them up. An emotional support animal might just be there or even serve the same function, but they aren’t necessarily trained to respond in a way that’s best for that particular person.

Service dogs are trained how to act in public places as well. For example, they learn to sit quietly or lie under a chair at a restaurant. Finally, it’s important to note that assistance animals have public access, which means they can go anywhere their owner can go in public, including stores, restaurants, sporting events, or airplanes. Support dogs don’t generally have public access, though private organizations might allow them in.

Sarah: Can service dogs really go anywhere?

CDR Hernández: Service animals have public access under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). And the owner isn’t obligated to prove the animal is a service dog. While many organizations do provide documentation, it’s not required.

If you are curious or need to know if you should let a dog into your business to be ADA-compliant, you may ask only a few specific questions. You may ask, “Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?” And you may ask what work or task the dog has been trained to perform.

Unfortunately, every Veteran I’ve encountered with a service dog has been challenged, and often not in the nicest way. They’ve been told they can’t come into restaurants or turned away from certain places. They can certainly explain, but that often takes a lot of time and sometimes just isn’t worth it, so they leave. It’s important that the public—especially business owners—be educated on service animals.

Sarah: What guidance can you give to people who encounter someone with a service animal?

CDR Hernández: There are different types of service animals, so it depends. For example, a Seeing Eye dog is working when they’re with their owner, so others shouldn’t interact with those dogs. In general, I don’t think you see many people trying to pet them.

But when it comes to service animals who work with Vets, it can be a little different depending on the situation. In short, there are two approaches for how service dogs are trained to interact with Vets. Some dogs are trained to watch the Veteran’s “six o’clock,” or watch their back. They literally stand behind them to make the Veteran aware if someone comes close.

Most organizations do the opposite because they want the animal to be a bridge to building social connections. They want the dog to help the Veteran get back to normal, be a conversation starter, and have people ask questions: “What kind of dog is that?” or “Can I pet him or her?” The goal is for others to talk to the Vet to ultimately help them blend into the community. Many organizations that use that model won’t use certain breeds (for example, Dobermans) because those dogs make people a little more fearful. They prefer dog breeds that bring people in such as Labradors and golden retrievers. Of course, that can be a double-edged sword because sometimes Veterans just need space or to get somewhere quickly! Still, the Vets with those types of dogs are trying to get better and reintegrate, so it’s part of the process.

Organizations have created vests for animals to help make others aware they’re service animals, especially for Vets who have disabilities that might not be obvious. Often, service dogs wear vests because many of the service-dog models follow that of police and military working dogs (also known as K9s), but it’s not required. If a dog is wearing a vest, it might say “do not pet,” so it’s important to be aware of that.

Sarah: From your experience in the military, working with the Military Service Member and Veteran populations, and in service animal training, what difference can service animals make to those who own them?

CDR Hernández: I’ve seen so many benefits for Veterans who have service animals, and it’s hard to narrow it down, so I’ll give you my top three. First, service animals can reduce the need for medication. Whether it’s anxiety medication or even pain medication, it’s amazing how much these animals are able to relieve the discomfort of their owners. One Vet showed us a huge gallon-size bag filled with various medications that he DIDN’T need to take because he worked with his service animal instead. And that was only for a 3-month period!

The dogs facilitate independence in people who would otherwise be dependent on others too. The dog’s training often helps people go out and do normal everyday activities that would usually need a caretaker or other person’s help. With that, service dogs also help people become a part of the community. Whether it’s because the Veteran can go out more on their own, or because people in their community start to recognize them together, a service animal can really help with the social interaction piece.

I’d say sleep also is hugely impacted by owning a service animal. It might be because the dog is trained to help with nightmares, or some other reason, but they definitely help the owners get better sleep. And good sleep helps heal people with many different ailments.

Sarah: Do Veterans pay for their service animals?

CDR Hernández: A lot of doctors now recommend service animals to their patients. Unfortunately, the VA doesn’t cover service animals even though there can be a large cost to raise them. There’s the cost of the dog from a reputable breeder, and then typically 2 years of training. Even for trainers who are volunteers, there are still veterinarian bills and other costs to training in specific environments (like airplanes). But many organizations are nonprofit and provide the dog at no cost to the Veteran. Some organizations even offer help with food costs and vet bills after the dog goes to live with the Veteran.

About the Author

Sarah Steward, of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, is a Social Health Scientist for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS).

* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of USUHS or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.