Service Dogs by Merrillee Whren

The hero and heroine of my latest book, Hometown Hero, work together on a project that gives away dogs to twelve kids who have entered a contest sponsored by a man who owns a dog food company. The project is part charity and part promotion. About half of the dogs are service dogs of some kind.

While I was doing research for this story, I discovered numerous kinds of service dogs that I wasn't aware of previously. I am familiar with guide dogs for the blind, dogs for the hearing impaired, and dogs for diabetics. Did you know there are also dogs that help people who have autism? There are also allergy detection dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and psychiatric service dogs. It was interesting to learn that the psychiatric service dogs are not the same as emotional support dogs or therapy dogs. The psychiatric service dogs have extensive training and are not pets. 

I recently encountered two service dogs in training, one at the grocery store and one at the post office. My cousin's daughter has a diabetic service dog. Do you know anyone who has a service dog? What kind?

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Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.