STAR-BULLETIN / 1999 Even when a service dog looks friendly, if you approach one you could cause a lapse in focus. Keep in mind that a service animal is doing a job for a person with a disability.

Service animals give
owners independence

Ninety-five percent of Oahu residents believe that animal companionship is important to quality of life, according to a 2005 survey conducted by Ward Research. For thousands who are disabled or disadvantaged and employ service animals, companionship is just one component of the relationship.

According to Assistance Dogs of Hawaii, nearly 227,000 people in Hawaii might need help from service animals every day.

So, what exactly is a service animal? Any animal specifically trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability is recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act as a service animal.

Guide dogs for the visually impaired are the most widely recognized, but other service animals assist people with hearing and mobility impairments as well.

They might be used to alert someone to sounds, stabilize a person's balance, pick up fallen objects or pull wheelchairs.

Some dogs are trained to turn lights on and off for owners who can't use their arms; push elevator or crosswalk signal buttons; guide owners around obstacles and alert them to street curbs and traffic.

With important jobs to perform, assistance animals receive certain privileges in the community. They are permitted in all areas of public facilities. The ADA requires that businesses allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals anywhere customers are permitted. Some business have strict rules about allowing pets into their stores, but it's important to remember that service animals are special assistants more than pets.

While visiting a place of business, a service animal is the responsibility of his or her owner. The dog must not disturb the course of normal business or impede any other aspect of the company. Should the service animal cause any damage, the business owner can ask the animal's owner for reparations.

The only time a service animal can be kept out of a facility is if it poses a direct threat to health or safety. For example, a shop owner can ask that a guide dog be left outside if it has growled at a customer.

Business owners also have certain rights. A few questions can be asked to distinguish a service animal from a pet. Are you disabled? Is your dog a service animal? These questions are appropriate, especially because some disabilities are not apparent on first glance. But a business owner may not ask a person the nature of his or her disability.

For the many who enjoy animals, it is natural to want to engage with them in public places. But it is important to keep in mind that a service dog is on the job, and although it might appear friendly, it is unwise to pet one without invitation. Distractions such as a loud noise or the offer of a treat can cause loss of concentration on its owner's needs. Even a slight lapse in focus can put its owner in harm's way.

For people with disabilities, these highly skilled animals allow for a more independent lifestyle. Because of their assistance, service animals stand as a unique example of the interdependent relationship that bonds humans and animals.