When you come to my office for a visit, you will see that I have a service dog. His name is Cupido, he's hypoallergenic. He will be in a kennel for your first visit to the office. Most of the time - you won't even know he's there. 

A lot of individuals are not familiar with service dogs. I decided to put some information together. 

What is a service animal?
As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service dog (or miniature horse) is one that performs a task for the benefit of a person with a disability.

What is a disability?
It is any physical or mental condition that substantially limits major life activity. Some disabilities are not visible, such as deafness, epilepsy, diabetes, and psychological conditions.

What are some tasks that service animals can perform for someone with a disability? 
-Guide people who are visually impaired
-Alert epileptics to an impending seizure or protect them during a seizure
-Retrieve dropped items
-Help a person rise after a fall

How can I be sure a dog is a service animal and not just a pet?
 If a person wants to bring their dog into a public place, the only questions allowable are, “Is that a service animal?” and, “What task does s/he perform?” Asking about the person’s disability or requiring that you watch the animal perform the task are in violation of the person’s rights.


Service Dog Manners
When you meet a person with a service animals, please remember that the dog is working. Don’t do anything to interrupt the service animal while it is performing its tasks.

Some guidelines for interacting with people who use service animals:  
·     Speak to the person first. Do not aim distracting or rude noises at the animal.
·     Do not touch the service animals without asking for, and receiving, permission.
·     Do not offer food to the service animal.
·     Do not ask personal questions about the handler’s disability.
·     Don’t be offended if the handler does not wish to chat about the service animal. 
·     Do not ask for a demonstration. 

About Heather's Service Dog:
My service dog is named Cupido, he is a Lagotto Romagnolo, a rare breed from Italy. Cupido is a gluten-detecting service dog. He is one of just a few gluten detecting dogs in the world. Cupido does not need to taste my food or touch my food to know if there is gluten in it - he simply smells it and lets me know. 

For more information about Cupido, go to: www.gofundme.com/celiacservicedog, www.facebook.com/celiacservicedog, www.celiacservicedog.org.

A gluten-detecting service dog can be obtained by contacting Maja Golob, K9 Services in Slovenia. You can reach her at: www.hydrargium.si, [email protected].

Thank you to Pet Partners for some of this content. (875 124th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98005, 425.679.5500, www.petpartners.org)