Never engage an animal at work

When a youngster or even an adult sees a dog in a retail store or other public location, his or her first instinct is usually to approach the animal and pet it. However, that dog may be a working service animal, so people should not touch it or talk to it.

"A general rule of thumb is not to engage with a service animal," said Christina Billy, director of client services for Canine Partners for Life (CPL), a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs for individuals who have physical and cognitive disabilities. "Some people don't mind having a conversation with people about their animal, but it is important to address the individual and ask for permission."

Dogs trained at CPL, which is accredited through Assistant Dogs International, wear a soft vest or a harness to provide balance and support for mobility clients. "They are always working and always engaged in a task by providing balance and support," said Billy. "If they get distracted, they can veer off to the side and make the person fall. If they are a medical alert dog, they can miss an episode. It's never OK to assume you can pet a service animal."

Billy noted that not all dogs that are in the public with their owners are certified service animals. While some dogs may wear a scarf or vest, it is not a requirement.

"It can be difficult to tell at times," she stated. "The Americans With Disabilities Act defines a service animal as (one) that is task trained to provide some sort of service for an individual with a disability."

Dogs trained at CPL are matched with clients who have seizures and other physical disorders, including cardiac conditions, diabetes and narcolepsy, as well as those with mobility issues.

"The task needs to be directly related to the disability. For example, the individual who has seizures (is paired with) a dog who can alert the person or a dog that can retrieve medication," Billy said, noting that service dogs are not the same as animals that provide emotional support. "A support animal is not trained to do a task. They are providing emotional support to their owners. They do not have public access like other service animals."

CPL also provides therapy dogs that work in the community. "We also place facility dogs as courthouse companions," said Billy. "They will actually interact with other people and work in a courthouse setting and work with victims of crime and (we place dogs) in a health care facility to help children relax in stressful situations. Their training is a little bit different."

Billy added that although CPL animals are trained and certified, they still get to engage in normal dog behavior. "One of the things we focus on is our dogs' well-being. A lot of that comes down to meeting their needs. They need to be dogs at times," she said. "When they get home, they can take off their equipment, run around and play and have play dates with other dogs, but they can redirect back to their handler. If their person needs help, they will be by their side no matter what they are doing. They have a lot of drive to work with their person."

For more information about Canine Partners for Life, which is located at 334 Faggs Manor Road, Cochranville, visit http://www.facebook.com/CaninePartnersforLife or http://www.k94life.org or call 610-869-4902.