b"Life with MSTThheeCChhaalllleennggeessooffTTrraavveelliinnggNNeeaarraannddFFaarrwwiitthhaaSSeerrvviicceeDDooggBy Darbi Haynes-LawrenceMy service dog, Jaeger (sounds like Yayy-grrr),in public always warms my heart. I never and I have been matched since Jaeger was tworealized, though, that having Jaeger to assist me years old. Jaeger is from a nonprot service dogso I could be in public, safely and independently, organization called Indiana Canine Assistantwould be so cumbersomenot because of Network. Jaeger just turned nine in December.Jaeger but because of the attention drawn to him Jaeger assists me with my mobility issues byby community members. It was astronomical wearing a walking harness, is trained to assistthe number of people who would follow us, me when I utilize my wheelchair, and helpstalking loudly about the dog, or the adults me retrieve all the things I constantly dropwho would drop to their knees and bear hug because of ne motor issues. He works with mehim; or worse, the people who thought they while I am at Western Kentucky Universitywere sneaking a pet by touching his tail. And lecturing in coursespassing out papers,an aside, he always told me when someone retrieving things students need to hand me, andtouched his body. so on. When I travel, he typically travels with me.EEdduuccaattiinnggtthheeppuubblliiccHe has indeed been a MS Focus: the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, If my family and I were together shopping, gift. Our experiencespresents: for example, we learned quickly to make a buffer have been captured inzone around Jaeger to keep people away from the second childrenshim. My husband always had a sharp eye for book for the Multiplechildren running towards Jae. Our buffer zone Sclerosis Foundation,was defeating the purpose of Jaeger helping me AlongCameJae:gain or keep my independence. The attention Conversations aboutfrom the community became so negative that Service Dogs for Peoplewe had to make a decision: I had to stop going with M.S.out in public, relinquishing my independence, I was heavily trained on two points by ICANor we had to do something more signicant concerning having a service dog: people into educate people. I was not about to stop going the community and travel. For example, theout in public, so we developed our Service community's reaction to seeing Jaeger on aDog and Disability Awareness program.simple trip to the store can be quite exhausting.Our thought was, if we could educate Lets face it, as an animal lover, seeing a dogchildren in elementary schools about service msfocusmagazine.org 14"