The old blog 'Lucysvoice . . .' is gone. Enter Working Service Dog Post, a new regular publication that focuses on the needs and sometimes the pleas of service and working dogs with particular emphasis on establishing, improving and protecting their legal status and their standing in our society by showing the palette of important services they perform, promoting higher standards for training, qualification and certification, by arguing for improved protection, and by combating the rampant abuse facilitated by the present code of laws.
Windsor, the late founder of the 'Lucysvoice . . .', crossed the rainbow bridge while on duty as a service dog. An unofficial service dog, I hasten to add. He never bothered to qualify and to get certified. He did not even own one of those phony 6 dollar service dog patches sold to anyone on the Internet.
He simply served his family and, most importantly fellow canines in desperate need of rescue, assistance and rehabilitation. He was well known and respected in many urban shelters.
So much so that when he decided to retire forever at the end of a long day helping two Mastiffs leave the blighted yard of an abandoned house despite of being himself confined to a wheelchair, his own vet secured him a safe and free passage over the rainbow bridge. A commercial crematorium offered to cremate him at a rate and with the ceremonial honors reserved for police service dogs. Another shelter at which he had assisted many good dogs with a very bad but undeserved reputation honored his selfless service by cremating him for free.
Why the mention?
Because first of all it shows that it does not necessarily take formal training for a dog to be a true service dog. It takes the right character and personality and the opportunity to use the God given talent. Good Samaritans are not produced in Samaritan schools. They are born that way.
Not all dogs have the gift to be service dogs, even fewer yet are blessed with the faculties that make an outstanding service dog.
Windsor had it all. During the last five years of his long life he showed me how to identify troubled powerful, difficult dogs, rehabilitate them and guide them into a new life as trusted family members.
His judgment was uncanny. He never failed to identify those worthy of redemption and to nip at the hopelessly evil.
Windsor King MacArthur on his throne.
His reassuring presence, his example made me realize the invaluable services true service dogs perform day after day without question and complaints.
These working service dogs are the unsung heroes of the dog world: Working dogs guarding the life and the property of their owners, performing physical tasks while assisting challenged handlers, detecting harmful and illicit substances, pulling loads and performing specific services that assist the disabled.
Many are called but few are chosen. Those who are can lead a privileged life during their working years as cherished members of a small 'family' unit. They also enjoy the respect of society at large.
But there is a problem.
It comes in the form of the ever increasing number of impostors.
Read more about this danger in the second part of this article.
PJJ
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