jitterbugjive

lunapuppiesareawsome

No some people who have actual service dogs don’t mind them being pet if they’re asked first

There is usually some kind of signal they can give the dog first to show that it is okay for petting, like letting down the handle of a harness for example.

Service Dogs should be given this signal first BEFORE they are pet. 

And just because ‘some people’ are okay with it does not mean it’s suddenly okay to do to everyone else. These people who give permission should be making it very clear that it is generally not okay to pet a service dog unless express permission is given to the dog first from the owner. It’s a really terrible issue when people with service animals, fake or otherwise, do not educate people at all when they allow them to pet their animals.

Which brings up comments like

“Can I pet your dog?”

“No the dog is working and can’t be pet.”

“But that other person let me pet their service dog and it was fine!”

People ARGUING with the person who has the service dog brings unneeded pressure and stress. People will get anxiety attacks, even faint if people get too close in their space and will not value their privacy and rights over their own dog being touched or not.