Just like other pets, service dogs are cute and enjoyable to be around. The fact that they’re well trained makes them seem even more appealing to many, and petting them might seem to be a good icebreaker if you’re hoping to meet their owner.
But these dogs aren’t just pets. They’re highly trained assistants for people who literally could not live a relatively normal life without them around. They have the incredibly important job of keeping their companion safe. Petting them means that you could distract them from doing their job, and unintentionally put their owner at risk of injury.
Teenage Hailey Ashmore and her young dog Flynn recently experienced the consequences of having a stranger pet Flynn, who is a medical alert dog. It’s his job to sense when Hailey is going to have a seizure, and to give her ample warning. This allows Hailey to move to a safe spot, get help, and take medication.
But when the teen recently visited her dad’s workplace, friendly strangers started petting Flynn, dividing his attention. Hailey quickly asked them to stop, but by the time the dog’s attention was restored precious time had already been lost. He alerted Hailey to the fact that a seizure was on the way, but had no way of telling her that this time, she didn’t have the normal ten minutes to prepare. The seizure came sooner than she expected, and was violent enough to be rather serious. Hailey ended up on the floor, with painful, nasty rug burns on her face.
While Hailey should recover from the rug burns, this should be a serious heads-up to the rest of us. No matter how cute they are, service dogs must be respected and never petted without the explicit consent of their owner.