Is a service animal worth the unwanted attention?

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I applied for a service dog and just got approved... suddenly I feel nervous.

I may have 2 or 3 generalized seizures in a year (although this number is increasing) but I have complex partial seizures a few times a week. my generalized seizures have lasted longer than 30 minutes before when I was alone which is my main reason for applying.

But... not many people know I have epilepsy and the ones who do think it's "not that bad" because they have been fortunate enough to not see one of my generalized seizures. They don't understand the complex seizures and often think I'm just being rude or quiet.

But if I get a service dog I worry that I will be seen as less than able in many areas. I have a sales job and worry that without specifying why I have him I will be looked down on. That at church people who were once my friends will look at me differently, that people who aren't friends will try to pity friend me and people who I barely know will ask rude questions and be mosey.

We told my mother and father in law about applying for a seizure dog and the response was "why?"

I don't want to have to explain this to everyone. So is it worth it to spend thousands of dollars to go out in public with a "look at me" target? I know the benefits would be great but the unwanted attention is causing me to panic.
 
Pets -- even non-service ones -- naturally draw attention. But that's not necessarily a reason to go without. You may have to learn a matter-of-fact answer to the nosy questions that might ensue. You don't have to give details, just be polite but firm, saying something along the lines of:
"This is my medical alert dog. She responds to my condition and stays by my side."

If you don't want to say anything, you can simply hand out a general pamphlet about your service dog -- your service dog trainer may have something that you can use.

BTW legally, all that anyone is allowed to ask is: "Is the dog required because of your disability? What tasks/work has the dog been trained to do for you that directly relate to your disability?" A person cannot ask somebody what their specific disability is or what the nature of their disability is.
 
I read about one person's technique:
When someone would say:"You don't look handicapped"
She would respond "You don't look stupid."

:)
 
It would be awesome if I met someone like you in my area and could discuss these issues with someone who has been in "the field" so to speak long enough to know answers and be informed. I'm constantly educating everyone around me.

I work at a hotel and have repeatedly had to inform my bosses that what they are saying or asking is inappropriate and borderline illegal. It took a while but for the longest time they thought everyone with a service dog was just trying to sneak their pet in and when a dog was without his vest they refused to believe it was a service animal.

But on the other side of the fence I have friends who talk about wanting to register their dog as a service dog to fly their dog with them and avoid the pet fee. Said person kept "I wouldn't have this problem if it was a service animal"

It's mindsets like these and the rude mosey people who know they shouldn't ask but just can't help but to ask "what's wrong with you?"

Without a dog just by taking medicine I've gotten "what's wrong with you?" And by saying I didn't have a license "why? What did you do?" And when they know about the epilepsy "well I've never seen you have a seizure" and "I think that's wrong. You need another opinion. Oh you've gotten a second third and fourth opinion? Well I still don't believe it you don't seem sick. You don't have it"

It's those people I worry about being around. Those people who make conversations awkward and with a dog in their presence it invites them to it it seems like.

Maybe it won't be that bad but I also worry otherwise healthy non conditioned people would see me as unable to do my job, by seeing a dog that they would think I was less than able to sell what I need to sell and the attention would be solely on the dog and my condition and not the job
 
I also worry otherwise healthy non conditioned people would see me as unable to do my job, by seeing a dog that they would think I was less than able to sell what I need to sell and the attention would be solely on the dog and my condition and not the job.
To some extent, you can't control what people think. Hopefully the effect of the dog will be a net positive, and you will feel confident and supported with it by your side.
 
Well if people feel the less of you because you got service dog then they shallow not worth having as friends I catholic and don't give monkies toss if dog came to church as long don't cock its leg at priest.
Went to Quaker meeting ,dog there no one took blind bit of notice.From what you say about social circle you in a dog sounds best most friendly option.You may on the other hand get some pleasent response
 
Is there a specific reason that people should have a service dog? Do you have to be blind or in a wheelchair? Do you have to look a certain way to need a service animal? Many people out there don't realize that there are other reasons too.

Pets -- even non-service ones -- naturally draw attention. But that's not necessarily a reason to go without. You may have to learn a matter-of-fact answer to the nosy questions that might ensue. You don't have to give details, just be polite but firm, saying something along the lines of:
"This is my medical alert dog. She responds to my condition and stays by my side."

If you don't want to say anything, you can simply hand out a general pamphlet about your service dog -- your service dog trainer may have something that you can use.

Some people may give you a goofy look and not ask any questions but others might just say "Oh ok" and just keep on going. People might ask "What's wrong with you" and like Nakamova said just say "This is my medical alert dog. She responds to my condition and stays by my side." I don't think may people will want you to go into more details, only the rude ones, but don't quote me on that.


I saw someone in a Wal-Mart once with a service dog and went over to say hi to the person and see his dog, I'm a huge animal lover, but the dog just sat down didn't want anything to do with me. The man, who didn't look like there was anything wrong with him (sorry to put it that way) told me he was a service dog. He told about how a service dog worked, not any details about why he had one, and he explained it to me which was why the dog didn't want a thing to do with me. It was actually very interesting. Service dogs are taught to stay by your side, they don't walk around smelling everything, bark at people, and won't go to the bathroom on the floor or want to be played with. Sometimes people will wonder why you have a dog in a store because they think that the dog will do these things. I don't think that people will do this, I'm just a person who loves talking with people and start a conversation. I didn't ask any questions after and we both just went on shopping.

You may want to tell friends, family and people that you spend a lot of time with that you have epilepsy and you need to have a service animal because of that and explain why. People who don't know that you have epilepsy might find out though because the people who've you told might tell others why you have the service dog.

I don't know if you know when you are going to have a seizure but many times an animal will. They will take you somewhere safe and wait with you until the seizure is over and it's ok for you to get up and move around again. A cat that I had always knew when I was going to have a seizure. He would sit on me and not get off until the seizure was over. He didn't get scared when I was doing things during the seizure he just stayed right on me the whole time. He was a big boy too so if I wanted to get up I would have had to throw him off of me during the seizure.
 
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