Classic Toyota is Celebrating Hard Working Canine Companions on National Service Dog Day

Today is National Service/Assistance Dog Day. Let’s give a cheer for these incredible canine companions!⁠ These dogs provide an essential service for disabled people and include (but aren’t limited to) Seeing-Eye guide dogs, emotional support therapy, veterans assistance, and other accessibility needs.  ⁠Check out today’s blog post to learn more!

Unlike typical pets, these dogs receive specialized training so they can join their human companion and assist them in their daily life. Service dogs are allowed places that other animals may not be allowed to enter such as buses, taxis, restaurants, and other public forums.  You may have even noticed various service and support working dogs out and about on public transportation, in your ride-share pool, out on the street, or even with a customer at one of our dealerships.⁠

Here Are The Types of Service Dogs You May See:

• Guide Dogs
• Hearing Dogs
• Brace/Mobility Assistance Dogs
• Diabetic Alert Dogs
• Seizure Alert and Seizure Response Dogs
• Psychiatric Service Dogs
• Autism Support Dogs
• FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) Service Dogs
• Allergy Detection Dogs
• Emotional Support Therapy Dogs
• PTSD Service Dogs

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If you see one of these canine good citizens out and about you may notice they have special lead or harness or vest with a designation, remember that they’re on the clock working and shouldn’t be approached lest they be distracted and not able to do their jobs properly.⁠  These animals have spent years of training and had thorough educations in their specialized areas to be able to best assist their owners to lead a more independent, accessible life.  You can learn a little more about their training here with this article from the AKC.

Traveling with a Service Dog may sometimes require a few extra steps to ensure the dog’s safety, as well as making sure that transportation services will properly accommodate an individual’s needs.  Here’s some information on what’s required for bringing a service dog on an airplane, and more details on other accessibility requirements.

Curious about bringing a service dog in a taxi or rideshare service? While these drivers are legally obligated to provide their services to riders with service animals, oftentimes a rideshare partner may still try to refuse transportation.  Here is a blog post with firsthand experience from an individual with a service dog who has encountered such experiences in ableism and discrimination.  By learning more about this type of discrimination, we can learn how to be better advocates for others as well as ourselves, and create a more inclusive and accessible environment for both disabled and able-bodied individals.

Just like the average pet canine, Service Dogs require the same safety in moving vehicles, and should still follow precautions.  It’s recommended that service dogs are secured safely with a Car Harness and tethered with room to lie on the floor or sitting harnessed in the seat; it depends on the Service Dog’s owner and their preference and accessibility needs.⁠

Here’s a great little video that explains how service animals assist their owners on public transportation:

Wondering how some service dogs travel by car or over long distances? Check out this amazing video here:

And here’s some fun facts about Service Dogs from The Official Service Dog Registry from a few years ago:

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