If You Give a Dog a Cookie……

Some people will remember the book title that I’m badly plagiarizing, here. And some people will remember when showing respect and good manners to people with service dogs was a thing.

Here’s a story about a whole SCHOOL that remembered.

An elementary school in Kentucky saved a special spot in its yearbook for one very good girl — Ariel, a service dog.

St. Patrick Catholic School in Louisville surprised 7-year-old Hadley Jo Lange by including a photo of the Labradoodle among its kindergarten class.

THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE.

Period! Full stop, and a mic drop to boot!

There are far too many stories of the other kind on Youtube for us to be caught resting on our laurels, though. There are far too many people PRETENDING that their pets are service animals, for us to flatter ourselves that we’re all that and a bag of chips when it comes to common decency.

Far too often, service dog owners are harassed and asked to leave shops and restaurants, by staff who are unversed in federal law as it pertains to service animals. Sometimes, even police and security guards need to be SCHOOLED.

Here are some pointers about dogs in general, and ESPECIALLY SERVICE DOGS. We would all do well to memorize them and teach them to our children, as well.

APPROACH SLOWLY.

ASK BEFORE YOU TOUCH.