Reggie Smith is an Army veteran who dislikes recalling his experiences in the Gulf War. His wife, Christene Smith, says that Reggie is having nightmares and tends to shut down when he hears certain noises.
When Reggie spoke about his struggles with a Veteran Affairs counselor, he realized that he was going through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He figured out that he’d seek the assistance of Operation Delta Dog, a nonprofit organization that trains service dogs for veterans.
Finally, a 2-year old labrador chocolate mix named Triton was introduced to Reggie. Reggie said he immediately felt a connection with the dog. Triton would wake him up when he’s having nightmares and nudge him.
Just recently, Reggie had a bad experience when he was denied service at a Lowell restaurant where the employees refused his request to have his service dog with him. Despite Reggie’s explanation about the ADA law, still, they weren’t allowed.
Sarah Stratton, Operation Delta Dog’s operations coordinator, spoke with the restaurant owner, Edil Cunha, whose primary language was Portuguese. Cunha regretted the incident. His friend also explained to Reggie that he wasn’t aware of the ADA.
Because of the incident, Stratton hopes that governments would help create official certifications for service dogs. Since service dogs are going to be here for a long time, educating people would help.
Article source: Sentinel & Enterprise News
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