Dogs have been helping humans since ancient times. Both ancient Chinese and Roman artifacts depict dogs acting as guides to the blind or assisting people in other ways. This tradition of canine-human cooperation has persisted for tens of thousands of years, right up until today when we specifically train animals to be companions and assistants to people with disabilities.

Who Uses Service Dogs?

Anyone with a qualifying condition under the Americans with Disabilities Act may be eligible to apply for a service animal. Some common types of working dogs include:

• Hearing
• Seeing eye
• Autism
• Seizure alert
• Mobility

Veterans

There are also organizations that provide animals to former veterans, including those with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) as well as vets with injuries sustained in combat. One such organization is Argus Service Dog Foundation, co-founded by animal trainer and host of the CBS hit show “Lucky Dog” Brandon McMillan.

McMillan founded Argus along with Mike Herstik – a renowned trainer of military and law enforcement canines – and psychologist Eric Brotman, PhD. McMillan and Herstik came up with the idea after working with a vet named Tyler who had lost both his legs in combat in Afghanistan. The pair trained a dog to assist Tyler, who was having trouble with day-to-day tasks, and the experience made them realize that there was a huge need for these helpful animals in the lives of wounded American soldiers. Thus, Argus was born.

Autism

Service dogs can not only protect children with autism from bolting and getting lost, they can also provide a psychological anchor that gives the child security and helps them to function better and stay calmer in day-to-day life. Organizations like 4 Paws for Ability help kids with autism to obtain a service animal. They do ask that families participate in fundraising for their pet but they act as a partner in that effort, giving guidance and assistance along the way.

Benefits of Service Dogs

These amazing animals serve a number of functions in the lives of those with disabilities. Although the value of a service dog is incalculable, here are a few specific benefits of the heroic canines:

• They provide disabled people with self-sufficiency. Because these animals are with the person 24 hours a day, helping them with everyday tasks, they offer the individual a sense of independence rather than having to continually request help from others just to accomplish day-to-day goals.
• They can reduce caregiver costs. In some cases a service dog can completely replace a disabled individual’s daily helper. Because the skillfully trained pups can assist with tasks like shopping and household chores, the need for an assistant may be diminished or eliminated completely.
• Canine companions provide a form of physical therapy. With interactive tasks like grooming or playing fetch, not only the dog benefits from the exercise but its owner does as well.
• These animals offer unconditional love, and psychological support on days that might be hard for the person with disabilities. The emotional benefits of a devoted canine helper are difficult to quantify.
• The dogs can improved a person’s social life as well. Disabled people often isolate themselves, or are trapped in their home because they lack the help they need to get out and about. Service dogs change all that by being the individual’s guide and personal assistant. These animals also tend to make it much easier to interact with other people because they generate interest and provide a topic of conversation.

While service dogs are very expensive to train (the total bill can run about $25,000), the advantages for both the owner and the animal are innumerable. Most organizations provide dogs at no cost to the recipient (although there are usually wait lists) and some, like 4 Paws for Ability, enlist the help of clients to raise funds to cover the cost of training. For those in need of one of these amazing companions, where there’s a will, there’s a way.