Service dogs have changed so many lives of people with disabilities. They help their owner with mobility, day-to-day task, alert people with an emergency, and the list goes on.
Here are 5 ways service dogs help people with disabilities and the reason why these people need them;
Mobility Assistance
For people with hearing and visual impairments, service dogs can help them with their mobility.
Service dogs guide their owners in their surroundings to avoid obstacles, the way to stairs, elevators and escalators, when crossing the streets and many more.
Service dogs for the hearing impaired are trained to practice physical nudge cues to communicate with their owners who cannot hear their barks.
Seizure Alert Response
For people with epilepsy or any other conditions which cause seizures, there are also service dogs specially trained for them.
Service dogs can act as seizure alert responses like signal caregivers when a seizure has occurred, activating an alarm, or protecting their owner when experiencing a seizure.
They can further be trained to predict seizures before occurring and give enough time for their owners to be in a safe place.
Air Travel Buddy
While some airlines are still not allowing pets on board with passengers, others are already making way for this to people with disabilities.
As long as requirements are met, people with disabilities can take their service dogs with them.
Service dogs can help people with disabilities navigate through little spaces of the plane and act as their emotional support during travel.
Diabetes and Hypoglycemic Alert Response
Dogs are very perceptive in nature. That is why they are trained to act as an alert response for people with diabetes, hypoglycemia and other blood sugar disorders.
These service dogs can detect biochemical changes in their owners’ bodies early even before the owner notices them. Allowing them to alert their owners to stabilize their blood sugar and or get emergency services attention when needed.
Emotional Support
Children with physical and intellectual disabilities usually get the most emotional support from a service dog.
These service dogs accompany these children to their doctor visits, school, and home to comfort them when they feel uneasy, scared, or alone which can help them calm and relax.
It may be a little expensive to acquire a service dog for some people but it’s going to be worth it to have an extra hand in taking care of your loved ones.
Some charities also match service dogs to people with disabilities for free.
The bottom line is, service dogs are a wonderful thing for their owners and the owner’s family. They help, they inspire and they care for the lives that depend on them.
Dogs are truly wonderful!