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Joshua Graham Rohrer, a homeless veteran in North Carolina, says he was wrongfully arrested and mistreated by Gastonia police officers, who also tased his service dog Sunshine, sparking support from those who witnessed the incident. ~ Rohrer was standing on a median near a Gastonia shopping center with Sunshine on Oct. 13 when a 911 caller contacted police. While Rohrer wasn’t bothering anybody, having Sunshine with him was his way of using sympathy to get money from people, the caller said, according to a copy of the audio call. ~ Rohrer’s grief over losing Sunshine almost killed him, Dowell said...

Prayers for my service dog

We call them the man’s best friend, but for some of us, they’re more than that. Dogs are extremely intelligent creatures with an extraordinary selfless nature. That’s why these indispensable beings are helping people with medical and developmental issues, all over the planet. However, not all dog breeds meet this high demands. Only highly intelligent dogs as German Shepherds or Labradors are able to do this job. And that, after numerous hours of hard training. Therefore, you can imagine what difficult challenges these pups need to complete.

Thank You, God for creating Sully, Beau and all tail-wagging mutts in between, and for having seen bestowed upon them Your Name spelled backwards In the end, love—love of dogs in particular—-conquers all. It is the photo of sad-eyed ‘Sully, the yellow Labrador who nobly shepherded former President George H.W. Bush through the last six months of his life, helping him during the misery of his Parkinson Disease symptoms, that people will remember most. The photo of Sully lying by his late owner’s casket not only went viral over the weekend, it went straight to the human heart.

DogsBite.org - After Delta Air Lines issued a new policy on June 20, limiting emotional support dogs to one per person and banning pit bulls as service and support dogs, we reviewed top service dog organizations and their selected breed types. These dog breeds are overwhelmingly Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Labrador-golden mixes and standard poodles. Primarily, pit bull "breed advocate" groups, one who failed miserably, are pushing "pit bull service dogs." Accreditation by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) is the highest standard of accreditation for service dog organizations. We selected portions of website statements from accredited groups and candidates of ADI...

The eight puppies born at Airside F in Tampa International Airport last week were adorable instantly, internet famous quickly and controversial not long after. The white golden retriever parents, a male named Golden Nugget and the pregnant Eleanor Rigby, were set to board an American Airlines flight to Philadelphia with owner Karen Van Atter. That’s when "Ellie" went into labor, while Nugget jumped around like a nervous dad-to-be. It made national news, met mostly with congratulations and "awws" when the airport posted photos online. But the photos drew substantial negative reactions from people complaining that the dogs were not service...

Neither the vest from the accredited training program nor the certificate are required under the ADA. The ADA says anyone can train their dog, or miniature horse, to perform a task that mitigates or helps them with their disability. Professional training is not required. ADA also specifically prohibits cities, merchants and others from requiring proof that a dog is a service dog. It allows, in fact, only two questions. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? What work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Service dog owners may not be asked about the...

The incident happened just over a week ago at the Regional Transit Station at 16th and Q streets in midtown Sacramento. Kelly said just as they got on the light rail a pit bull lunged toward Kie and locked it’s jaw onto Kie's snout. "There was a pit bull on his face just latched on,” Kelly explained. "My dog started screaming." Kelly said the pit bull's owner later claimed the dog was a service animal. When Sacramento police reminded the pit bull's owner that they were monitoring footage from surveillance cameras, the man admitted his dog was a pet...

A video of a woman screaming about a veteran’s service dog being inside a Delaware restaurant has caught the attention of the internet. It happened at Kathy’s Crab House in Delaware City. The unidentified woman was filmed screaming about how disgusting she thought it was that an animal was inside the eatery.

A video of a woman screaming about a veteran’s service dog being inside a Delaware restaurant has caught the attention of the internet. It happened at Kathy’s Crab House in Delaware City. The unidentified woman was filmed screaming about how disgusting she thought it was that an animal was inside the eatery.

The Chili's Bar & Grill restaurant chain has apologized and vowed to correct a wrongdoing by one its managers, who took away a meal from a U.S. Army veteran from the Dallas area. U.S. Army veteran Ernest Walker, 47, of Cedar Hill, said he was served the meal as part of a "free meal to Veterans" promotion on Friday, Veterans Day. He had finished his food and was preparing to leave the restaurant when the trouble began. Walker was accompanied by his service dog named "Barack." Walker said he believes an elderly man wearing an American flag shirt and Trump...

Ah, the fake service dog. Like out-of-sync traffic lights and above-ground power lines, they’re one of those things that make my normally mild British temperament fall by the wayside. Allow me to rephrase that - it’s not the dogs that make my blood boil, but rather their owners. Who are these people? You’ve probably seen them. For me, the most recent was a lady in the grocery store with a teacup poodle in a Coach purse. Before that, there was the guy in the health food store pushing a Yorkshire terrier in a stroller. A few years ago it was...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Several combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder were denied access to a Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Viera because their service dogs apparently didn’t have the proper paperwork. The vets were rebuffed by security officers. But when they refused to leave the situation nearly spiraled out of control. Rory Dobis, founder of Paws 4 Boots, told Watchdog.org that he was attempting to assist several veterans in acclimating their dogs to the VA facility where they regularly come to receive physical and mental health treatment.

Police officer to disabled veteran denied service: “You’re not blind, you don’t need a dog” Aryeh Ohayon served in the armed forces for 23 years as a member of both the Army and Navy. Like many other military men and women, Ohayon’s experience hasled him to having depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And that’s why his service dog, Bandit, is important. As he told KHOU 11 News, “He’s the alert if I start to if I have a panic attack or start to go back into a flashback mode…He’s my ground. And my family.” However, Ohayon claims that a...

A bit of good news..my son is on his 3rd day of training with his service dog. YAY!

For 10-year-old San Clemente twins Avery and Emma Lalor, raising a golden retriever/poodle from a 25-pound pup to a 95-pound service dog is a project they wish would never end. But they hope Tahoe ends up with a wounded veteran.

A Marietta McDonald's manager is accused of punching a mother who brought a service dog and autistic children into the restaurant. A Cobb County warrant charges Tiffany Denise Allen with simple battery, simple assault fear and disorderly conduct. According to the warrant, Jennifer Schwenker entered the Marietta McDonald's located at 1291 Bells Ferry Road with her children and service dog on July 12. Allen, off-duty at the time, became irate that the dog was in the restaurant, the warrant says. Schwenker explained to Allen the dog's purpose and told the manager the dog was legally allowed to be inside the...

Sam will tell on Joy in a heartbeat. It’s his job — and often it’s potentially life-saving. Sam, a 3-year-old Labrador/spaniel, likes to romp with the kids, but when his vest and balance harness go on, he becomes 11-year-old Joy Cahill’s service dog and official lookout. No one is then allowed to touch him because Sam is busy, keeping alert and ready to warn someone should this Wilmington girl have a health emergency. “He’s gotten to know her norm,” said Denise Cahill, Joy’s mother. “So when something is not normal, he reacts. He also doesn’t let Joy do anything she’s...

COLUMBIA, Ill. - The parents of an autistic child are suing a southwestern Illinois school district they say won't let the 5-year-old boy bring his certified service dog to school. Melissa and Chris Kalbfleisch (KAHLB'-flysh) filed the lawsuit Monday in Monroe County against Columbia Community School Unit 4. The couple seeks an injunction that would let their son, Carter, bring the 11-month-old dog to school under a state law the family says allows it.

NEW YORK -- Like any other golden retriever seeking a treat, Tuesday nudged his owner's hand with his snout one recent morning and waited expectantly. Luis Carlos Montalvan got up from a chair in his small Brooklyn apartment and walked to the kitchen. Tuesday followed close behind, eyes fixed on a white cabinet. The retriever sat alertly as Mr. Montalvan, an Iraq war veteran with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, reached for a vial of pills, lined a half-dozen on the table and took them one by oneThe dog had gotten what he wanted: When the last pill was swallowed, he...