As concluded from a poll done via Facebook on July 21, 2012, few people know or understand what a service animal is.
When asked what is the most common place to see a service animal, the only response was at hospitals.
In conducting research results using Storify where we looked at social networks and how service animals are used in the disabled community, we found that people tweeted, “I’m pretty sure a live rat is not considered a service animal…” when seen on public transportation. In the same way, Whatdisability.com, posted another survey asking, “Should Miniature Horses be Equally Excepted as Service animals.
The truth is service animals have come a long way from what they started off as. On July 15, 2012, a video narrative showed the journey from the first known service dogs who helped Civil War Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to the opening of Guide Dogs of America, who has been training and placing dogs with the blind for over sixty years and the recent addition of service cats and monkeys who are being trained to help the paralyzed as well individuals with Autism and Depression.
(Table created by rebecca.savransky)
A question was asked on facebook, “What kind of animal have you seen as a service animal?” These are the results. The number one animal was the dog followed by a cat.
So a followup question can be raised as a result… Are people so oblivious to the disabled community that they don’t recognize different animals in their own community until one comes on the bus and sits down next to them?
Over the next couple of months, it will be this site’s goal to bring a different look into the world of service animals and allow people to see the variety of service animals in their area, through exclusive one on one interviews with individuals who train and use service animals as an aid to their disability. It will also look at how individuals and businesses view allowing different service animals in public places.
So stay tuned and follow the exclusive coverage into this vastly emerging topic.