This Is What To Do If A Service Dog Approaches You Without Their Owner

Aug 28, 2018

A Twitter user named Melissa Hope recently gained a lot of attention when she posted a PSA about service dogs. After an incident in which Melissa fell and landed on her face on the concrete, her service dog ran off to get help, thinking she was having a seizure. But when her service dog approached strangers for help, it was met with being shooed away. So after Melissa had collected herself and her service dog, she decided to write a blunt and direct message on Twitter to explain how important it is that strangers understand how to react when a service dog approached you without its owner.

Melissa Hope’s Twitter PSA, which has since been deleted, explained her situation and continued to brief the public on why service dogs need to be taken very seriously in these types of scenarios. She went on to say “Don’t get scared, don’t get annoyed, follow the dog! If it had been an emergency situation, I could have vomited and choked, I could have hit my head, I could have had so many things happen to me.”

Droves of people were affected by Hope’s message on Twitter and responded by taking to social media to show their reactions. They showed their support for Melissa’s message, and some even shared their own similar stories. Individuals far and wide got involved and even some local pet organizations responded as well!

Generally speaking, service dogs will have a clearly stated vest or uniform on. The vest is usually brightly colored or clearly marked. If you see a dog matching this description with no owner around, it is most likely seeking help, as most service dogs are trained to do!

The best thing to do in this scenario is to follow the service dog back to its owner. You should always be careful around unknown dogs, but service dogs, in particular, are well-trained and well-behaved. So following a service dog will help you to help someone else.

Do you have a similar story? Have you ever seen a service dog without its owner? Show your friends this important information!