My service dog story

[Guest5643]

Pg 1. need to write this post after reading the thread 'How do i get a service dog?

Sorry its a VERY long post.

This is an extremely hard post to write for fear of judgment. My dog jesse was my assistance dog for approx 5 yrs. I permantly retired him the day he nearly lost his life by a particular breed and he became and still is aggressive with certain breeds of dogs now. This happen before his cruiciate ligament ruptures. I will write our story then the service dog rules.

Our story sounds to surreal to be believable. I have since had an official apology from a different manager.

OUR STORY is not a nice one and one for which i have apologised profusely to him. I know he forgives me and holds no grudges. When he was 6 months old i accidently came across a website called DISABILTY AID DOGS. I had absolutley no idea about assistance dogs or the rules at the time. I have learnt the rules the hard way. The website at the time was different to now. I called the nsw regional manager and she said it will cost me a few hundred dollars and i can take my dog anywhere i want. I said i don't necessarily need jesse to help me when im out. She said that dosnt matter and said you want to take him everywhere if you could wouldnt you, which of course i did. I said im on a very small income and cannot afford any hidden costs. She assured me there wasnt. I paid that then was told we need 3 training sessions on different days at $50 each. The first was to the local library that was fine we basicaly walked in and out. The next was to the local coles which had shopping trolleys piled up outside. She told me to walk the trolley while holding jesses lead and push the trolley over and pick it up and do that over 10 times and then she rammed the trolley a few times into the others. I thought shes the expert there must be a purpose to this. This was jesses first introduction to shopping trolleys. I said i dont want to go in coles cause he'll jump up and eat the food but she said he'll be fine. We then went in coles and i was told to walk around while she did her shopping with her service dog. She would never tell me why she needed one. Thankgod jesse was fantastic and didnt touch anything or pee anywhere. He wasnt scared of the trolleys that day but anytime after that he was too scared and traumatized and to this day still freaks if he sees or hears a trolley. The 3rd trip was 2 minute bus ride and a 2 minute bus ride back again.

[Guest5643]

Pg 2

I reievedan old vest with anothet dogs name on it. I paid $75 to get a vest that fitted my dog with his name on it. I was told to start going everywhere myself. Anytime i mentioned why did you do that with the shopping trolleys cause hes scared of them ans supermarkets now, she would snap and get defensive. I started taking him in little shops and taught myself and he was fantastic. I started going on buses and not surprisnly was constantly questioned where is his certification certificate and i kept saying the truth i didnt get one. I said to her this keeps happening and i was given a crumpled up piece of paper with someone elses name on it crossed out and mine written in place. I said i cant use this so i paid $50 for her to make a card. She told me i need to start alpha rolling jesse as all owners should with there dog for a healthy relationship. I was incredibly naive and believed her and i did it every now and then. The day i realised what an alpha roll realy was in dog language i broke down in tears that i was abusing jesse and even wrote an apology letter to jesse. Sometime later another lady now an ex friend had my number and was being conned called me asking if i was constantly being asked for small amounts of money like $20 here and there which i was and she was. By this stage my depression had become severe and i realy needed him and she knew that so i kept paying and would go short. When i moved to where i am now i gained more confidence and spent a long time doing thorough research on guide,hearing and assistance dog laws including all the legal loopholes. Although i was 100% confident in my findings i told my friend we dont have to be under them anymore but she needed more proof and had a barrister she knew thouroughly look into it and comfirmed my findings were correct. So i made up my own vest for jesse and my own certified card. I understand if you judge me even though i genuinly didnt know i was doing harm at the time. I also didnt know i was breaking the law at the time.

[Guest5643]

Page 3. Last page

THE RULES. I AM ONLY STATING NSW LAWS AS THATS ALL I KNOW.

An emotional support dog is a pet and DOES NOT have legal access.

You DO NOT legaly have to be under an organisation. Remember they are a business first.

You CAN legaly train your own service dog if you have a NDTF trainer stating the dog isnt aggressive, is clean, dosnt toilet where it shouldnt or bark ect you get the drift.

A service dog DOES NOT legaly have to have yearly public access tests.

A service dog DOES legaly have be task trained to help. Unfortunatly stroking petting while extremely helpful is not seen as a task in the eyes of the law. I personlaly think it should be.

I think ive horrendesly mispelt throught this thread.

Cheers lynne and jesse🐾

[White_Rose]

Dear Helium

Thank you very much for sharing your story. It sounds like you have been through a great deal and have the courage to keep going. I find that very inspirational.

I always thought a service dog was allowed to go into anywhere you need to go. A friend of mine has a service dog who is absolutely adorable. He likes to be with people but when he is on duty he is a different dog. All business. Sadly he must retire due to stress. I hope my friend will be given another dog as she has lots of problems.

Mary

[Guest5643]

Hi mary.

Thankyou for your kind words. I hope your friend gets a new pal. Yes thats correct service dogs are allowed to go everwhere. A service dog and emotional support dog are 2 different things. Unfortunatly alot of the business including one that recently was on the show insight breaks the law and gets innocent people confused about this. Its apalling innocent people are being lied to and taken advantage from.

Cheers lynne

[Doolhof]

Hi Helium,

Thanks for sharing your story here. I do not know much at all about service or companion dogs.

You mentioned you have had to retire Jesse as your assistance dog. Does that mean you are now looking for another dog to assist you?

I am also wondering if you are feeling some kind of guilt, confusion or distress over this process as you mentioned a couple of times some situations you found upsetting.

Feelings of grief, distress and being upset can affect us until we find ways to accept them, work through them and let them go.

It sounds like you cared for Jesse very deeply.

Wishing you all the best, from Dools

[Guest5643]

Hi dools.

I dont have any guilt or shame ect due to the fact i was naive and trusted what i thought were experts. If jesse was still working i would be a very different person today. I will never get another dog while i have him cause its always just been us and the cat and he would be immensely jelous and psychologicaly damaging for him. He comes first not me 😊

Cheers lynne

[Doolhof]

Hi lynne,

Recently I started volunteering in a home for the elderly. I am not sure on their rules and regulations there, but it seems to me that people bring in their pet dogs for relatives and other residents to say hello to which is lovely.

There is talk about getting in some bantam hens as well, that would be great for some of the residents I am sure, just to sit and watch chooks is calming and sometimes entertaining.

They have a cat as well, apparently they had up to 6 cats at one stage!

So you still have Jesse but he is no longer a service dog, is that right? Do service dogs adapt well at going from being in service to just relaxing 24/7?

Cheers from Dools

[Guest5643]

Hi dools.

I got jesse put down because he was no use to me anymore.

[Guest5643]

Hi dools.

Im saying a big apology for my stupid comment about jesse being put down. I understand if you dont accept my apology. My depressive state mistook post in a negative light. Yes thats correct i still have jesse who has been retired for yrs. Jesse is not relaxing 24/7 believe you me. My mental illness hasnt changed and he still helps me the same at home or in public.