Celebrating National Service Dog Month

National Service Dog Month written on a giant dog bone. The background is a sky is dog bones falling. There is a guide dog and a service dog in front of the picture.

National Service Dog Month is celebrated every September and was first recognized in 2008. This month honors the contributions of service dogs to individuals with disabilities, raises awareness about the importance of supporting organizations that train service dogs, and acknowledges the legal protections these dogs and their handlers have under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). National Service Dog Month highlights the role service dogs play in helping an individual with a disability more independence and better quality of life.

Service dogs assist individuals with various kinds of disabilities by performing specialized tasks that help with their specific disability. For example, individuals with visual impairments can use guide dogs to help navigate barriers and ensure safe travel. Hearing dogs can alert individuals with hearing impairments to important sounds in their environment. Mobility assistance dogs can help provide physical support by retrieving items or opening doors. These tasks benefit the individual to live more independently and help to maintain a better quality of life.

There are organizations that help train and provide service dogs to people with disabilities. Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines is a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and placing service dogs with those individuals bases on their disability.

Check out National Service Dog Month with | Guide Dogs of America