The Department’s investigations found that Deerfield and Landmark discriminated against veterans with PTSD when they refused to honor reservations for hotel rooms because the veterans were accompanied by their service dogs.
Kylie is a 3-year-old black Labrador-greyhound mix O’Brien received in August 2016. He and she received training from a nonprofit organization called Mutts Mending Mankind based in Bantam.
“The biggest problem is you have people that do not have a trained dog. They’re taking untrained dogs out there and they’re causing problems,” Brodie said. “They’re saying they’re service dogs, but they’re not.”
It takes more than $50,000 to breed, raise, train, match and support a service dog trained through America’s VetDogs. After the puppies graduate from the prison training, they receive an additional three months of formal training, O’Brien said. The group then flies the veterans in and houses them for two weeks while they work with their new puppies. Veterans are never charged for the service; the organization relies largely on donations.
For those with disabilities, a service dog means a more independent life. But oftentimes, the attention the dog attracts in public can make life more difficult.
After getting questioned about her disability, a Seattle woman is spreading the word about how you should interact with service animals in public.
It’s Ashley’s last week of puppyhood and her last days with Brittney Clark. She is the third Canine Companion pup Clark has raised from just eight weeks old.
“Renee” was first, then came Grams. Both are fully certified and working. “It doesn’t get any easier. If they tell you it’s gonna get easier Kathryn, they lied to you,” Clark said tearfully.
Yet, she keeps doing it, again and again. “I always go into it as they’re my puppy, not my dog,” she explained further.
More than 385,000 dogs in the United States have been trained to provide assistance to someone with special needs, but some people want to take advantage of the policy by faking a service dog.