A Service Dog Alone Could Be A Cry For Help
Service Animals are becoming more and more common across the country. The animals that most people used to only associate with assistance for the sight impaired can now be "working" in a wide variety of capacities.
We are all aware of the basic rules of service animals. We know we shouldn't approach them or pet them while they are working. What I didn't know is what I should do in the event that a service animal approaches me without its owner present.
Flashback to 1950's television and the tv show Lassie. I know it was also presented under a couple of other titles too. But the one consistent thing we learned from Lassie was that Lassie was amazing when it came to getting help for Timmy or Jeff or June Lockhart, or even that grumpy old man who I never could quite figure out why he lived in the same house.
That's the message a lone service animal could be trying to send to you if they approach you without their human companion. Perhaps their owner has fallen or suffered a medical issue and can't call for help. The service animal is trained to react to that behavior by getting someone's attention.
I have to admit I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't stumbled across an article about service animals online. I figured if I didn't know, then maybe you didn't know either. The bottom line is this, whether we are man or beast we are all on the planet to take care of each other.