Morefield 1 Taylor Morefield Kelsey Williams ENGL 104-E12 26 February 2014 Overview Essay For my research paper I want

to focus on Service Dogs as a vital part of their handlers independence within society. This topic is often misunderstood by people today, because of this I feel that I will need to research the different tasks and roles of service dogs in the helping of their handlers, as well as the differences between service dogs and an emotional support animals as defined by Federal laws. This information will give the readers more of a background which will further strengthen my argument on why service dogs are the key to their handlers independence. There are many types of service dogs including Autism Service Dogs, Hearing Dogs, and Mobility Dogs. According to Servicedogcentral.org an Autism Service Dog is a dog trained to indicate to its handler a situation that requires more direct attention. People with Autism have difficulty processing information about their surroundings so this type of service dog allows them to function on their own. An example of a task that a dog may be trained to recognize is an intersection. The dog will then give a signal that it is a task that requires more attention than others (Autism Service Dogs). Hearing dogs are individually trained to alert their deaf or hard of hearing handler to a variety of environmental sounds (Hearing Dogs). These environmental sounds can be anything from a phone ringing, a smoke alarm, ambulances and police cars, or a person calling the handler (Hearing Dogs). Without these dogs people who are deaf would have great difficulty living on their own, due to their difficulty living in the hearing world. Mobility

Morefield 2 dogs on the other hand are trained to assist someone who uses a wheelchair or has difficulty walking with a variety of tasks including pulling their handler up an incline, retrieving dropped items, providing balance support, or helping the handler up from a fall. These Service Dogs provide a sense of safety and security for their handler, without a mobility assistance dog someone with mobility difficulties would be unable to safely navigate public buildings. All of these dogs provide a sense of security for their handlers. Many people confuse Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals. As defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act of 2010, a Service Dog is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability (U.S.). Whereas An Emotional Support Animal on the other hand is just that, an animal there to provide comfort and emotional support. A handlers rights are also covered within the Americans with Disabilities Act. These rights include access to wherever the public can go, this includes state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, as well as resturunts and hospitals. Service dogs are to remain under control in any public place, if a dog causes a disturbance or problem the business can ask the handler to remove the animal but they have to offer to provide services to the handler without the animal present. If it is not obvious that the animal provides services for the handler the only questions someone can ask are: is the dog a service animal because of a disability, and what work or task the dog has been trained to execute (U.S.). The topic of Service Dogs is very complex and broad from the types of dogs to what a handlers rights are. One can clearly see just how vital a service animal is to someone with a disability

Morefield 3 References "Therapy Dogs International Discriminates Against the Disabled." Autism Service Dogs. Service Dog Central, 3006. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://servicedogcentral.org/content/autismservice-dogs>. "Therapy Dogs International Discriminates Against the Disabled." Hearing Dogs. Service Dog Cental, 2006. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/487>. United States. Cong. Disability Rights Section. ADA Requirements: Service Animals. 111th Cong. Cong. Bill. N.p.: n.p., n.d. U.S. Department of Justie, 12 July 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm>.