Service Dogs and ALS
Do you want a service dog, or just a pet? You can’t just buy a dog, then buy a “Service Dog” vest and think you’re all set. Ask yourself what kind of service you want from a dog? Are you willing to take care of it?
My friend has a certified service dog (a golden retriever). My friend is a 47-year-old mom who is paralyzed from the waist down, plus she’s losing upper limb strength (she doesn’t have ALS; she has gastroparesis and achalasia, both of which have destroyed most of her esophagus and digestive system; she only weighs 70 pounds because she cannot eat much). Gastroparesis is also a lousy progressive disease that is slowly crippling her. She has two 20-something grown children, one of whom autistic. They all live together in a nearby house. She obviously has her hands full.
Her dog was specially trained for her needs (it can turn lights off and on (both switch and button types), it can pick up dropped things, it will bring its leash to her, it will open the fridge, then take things out of a shopping bag, then hand them to her, it can pull her up her driveway (it’s steep), etc. It must obey her. The dog must not interact with other dogs, unless permitted. She must give the dog some “down” time (or play time).
No one is allowed to pet her dog while it is carrying out its duties (the dog wears a tiny vest that states “DO NOT PET” because petting will distract the dog, but many adults will pet the dog anyway. Because my friend can speak, she tells people to stop petting her dog; sometimes they will listen, but other times they just keep petting her dog. They are rude.
There’s a lot of work and training involved. Her dog cost big bucks, most of which was paid for by a GoFundMe-type webpage and through some very generous donors. She had to spend 1 or 2 weeks at the dog training facility to learn how to work with the dog. She’s had dogs all her life, so she can “read their minds” and know what issues a dog is having and to why it might be acting strangely. She takes excellent care of it. There’s insurance and licensing fees on the dog. There’s paperwork to certify the dog is truly a service dog. My friend has to go to a training facility once a year to recertify it for “service dog” identification. You have to walk it and clean up after it. You have to take it to the vet. You have to feed it. Service dog requirements and certifications may vary by state. Here in New Jersey, for the dog to acquire “service dog status” it has to be able to do at least one thing for you that you cannot do for yourself.
Dogs shed, drool, bark, pee, and poop. Are you willing to deal with all this?
As an ALS sufferer, if you lose the ability to speak and to control the dog, a dog will not be appropriate for you. If you want just a pet, there are still many questions to answer but you won’t need any certificates.
My friend is on Social Security because she can’t work (she can’t hold things well and she cannot walk or stand). She was told by Social Security that they will check her social media posts to see if she truly needs disability coverage (e.g., do any photos show her doing physical things that would prove she could work and that would disqualify her from disability benefits?). They’re basically spying on her, so she has to be careful that she doesn’t post photos showing her doing the few physical things she’s currently able to do. Nice, huh?
Here is a link to the home page of a very helpful website that goes into great detail about service animals and eligibility of the owners: https://usserviceanimals.org.
On a different page of the same website are more relevant topics at
https://usserviceanimals.org/blog/what-disabilities-qualify-for-a-service-dog
The website asks and answers the following:
- What Disabilities Qualify for a Service Dog?
- What Is a Service Dog?
- What Are Service Dogs Used For?
- Physical Disabilities
- Mental and Emotional Disabilities
- How Can a Service Dog Help Someone With a Sensory Disability?
- How Can a Service Dog Help Someone With Mobility Issues?
- What Do Service Dogs Do to Help in an Emergency?
- How Do You Qualify for a Service Dog?
- Why Do People Need Service Dogs?
