One often overlooked challenge is that service dog handlers must prepare themselves for the public and their actions. Service dog harassment is still far too common. The public’s reactions can easily make or break a handler’s day. I experience this regularly.
Every year, during domestic violence awareness month, I try to muster the guts to share my story because I am a survivor. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced physical, emotional, mental, or sexual abuse by an intimate partner. Sharing that I am a DV survivor is embarrassing because of the attached stigma.
In April 2022 I and my partner met with a friend of ours for lunch at a restaurant in Wildomar. I was able to walk that day and had my service dog Storm with me. He was wearing his service dog vest with a guide handle for me.
Service dogs give people with disabilities more independence and provide life-changing benefits. Unfortunately, we experience far too many service dog access issues in public places these days.
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