Shoot, I brought tears to my own eyes with just the memories of them.
I loved them heart and soul, the entire family. It broke my heart to leave them when we moved. I guess that's why I get so mad when I see folks who try to pass off everything from a camel to a goldfish as Service Animals. I learned first hand what kind of intensive socialization and training it takes to get a dog to the degree Maxie achieved, and the training never stopped. I firmly believe that Service Dog trainers should be registered and licensed, and that only dogs which have been trained by them should ever be considered Service Dogs. Those dogs and trainers should be in a centralized National system, re-certified regularly, and the dogs should wear an ID vest that's uniform nationally. The owner should carry and produce when asked a valid ID card with the dog's information, the degree of the disability, and the name of the physician and dog trainer. There should be a clear distinction between a true Service Dog and Fluffy or Hei Hei as Comfort Dogs. While there is no doubt that untrained animals can assist their owners with building confidence to go out in public, to comfort, or to act as more than companions, I simply can't equate that in my mind with dogs like Maxie, dogs that can detect seizures, or dogs that detect diabetic crises. Funny thing is, if those regulations had been in place at the time of Maxie's demonstration, he still could not have been certified. I was not a registered trainer of Service Dogs, so he could never officially be a Service Dog. Ironic, isn't it? I would have sunk my own ship if those regs had just been in place.
