apparentlyimginger-blog

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

me: wants to be hugged and held, is totally touch starved and needs to be cuddled

also me: allows only a very limited number of people to touch me at all, let alone in a slightly intimate way. barely ever allows myself to show emotional weakness around people. gets anxious when someone hugs me for too long.

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

UNMUTE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! #intears #lmao 

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

say what you want, but this shit was better than the scene in legally blonde when elle wins her case

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

i cant tell you how much i love this lol

😼

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

so today i went and got my senior photos done at Cady Studios in acworth GA.

i really wish i could rate this place with more than 5 stars because it was just that amazing! I'm a really self conscious person and i also have a service dog that helps me with my severe anxiety among other things, so when i went in i was soooo nervous and had no idea what to expect but my heart was racing. (and before i go on may i just say if you have a service animal THIS IS THE PLACE TO GO!!!! my main problem with companies is always employees petting my SD, [along with civilians] but at Cady Studios that was not the case, everyone was sooo polite and always asked to pet him before even making a move to, i cant begin to tell you how much that meant to me) MY REWIEW:: Employees at Cady Studios in acworth have a way with people that i simply couldn't understand, you just look at them and they would make your heart smile, their happiness was so incredibly contagious! They all made it feel like home somehow. i had so much fun i didn't want to go home. it was like being out with your best friends and having a great time, I NEVER WANTED IT TO END! i was so in love with everyone's attitude and the way they made you feel "like one of the gang". i didnt feel like i was just a customer i felt like i was part of something truly special, and i was, Cady Studios! i want to give a special thanks to Kylie, Maria, Troy, Lucas, Javar and Mia for a day i will never forget. Thank you all for bringing so much joy and fun to work and sharing it with everyone who walks through the doors. I will definitely be back, dun dun dun lol! NOW MY STORY AND EXPERIENCE IN DEPTH: When i walked in i was met by the very friendly and smiling faces that belonged to Kylie and Maria, at the front desk who helped me sign in and figure out where i was supposed to go. From the front desk i went to the runway station where i was met by Troy, a very handsome and talented photographer, he was so kind and patient  that by the end of my time in runway i was super confident and almost ready to rule the world. my dog buddy was taking the first few photos with me but then when i wanted some on my own. A wonderful and incredibly kind lady named Mia came over and happily walked him around pampering the heck out of him while i finished up. Tony was also my photographer in the brick station. once again taking breathtaking photos! Then i went to the senior photo station an was greeted by Lucas he has a great sense of humor he was also very considerate. Just before he would go to take the picture he would take out his phone and let you see yourself through the camera to fix your hair and whatever else! i loved that he was so creative and thought outside of the box! Next was Cap and Gown i was greeted by the amazing and super fun Javar! he was so incredibly patient, i didn't even know that that level of patients existed! he took some wonderful and beautiful photos of me and the one that included my siblings. Finally i went to the exposure station, where i got to work with the beautiful and cheery, Mia was the photographer and Troy was the bubble blower, who we soon fired and hired my little sister, apparently bubble blowing is a talent only kids possess. LOL! Mia was so funny i think i laughed the most with her and Troy, they were so fun to work with and the photos they took were so creative and fun! with many thanks, Nya Lawrence and Service Dog Buddy

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

So this is really awesome! These are Disney princesses reimagined as disabled and drawn with service dogs. The artist, Arien Smith, drew these in 2017, but they have become viral only recently. Arien features all types of dogs in his portrayals as a way to educate about disabilities and service animals. He also does other dog related art. Arien can be found on Facebook under Royal Service Dogs or the major barkana. His website is https://themajorbarkana.com .Hopefully more artists, or, you know, actual major film/tv/book creators begin to incorporate disabilities and service animals rather than pretending like they don’t exist (but that’s a different rant for a different day, 🙃).

Image descriptions: Disney princesses Cinderella, rapunzelle, tiana, sleeping beauty, belle, Snow White, and Pocahontas featured with various disabilities and service dogs of various breeds assisting them in daily lives. The last image in of a Facebook post that features the same pictures, but as line drawings, so they can be colored in.

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

its accurate

Service Dog Public Access Survival Guide

I’ve decided to put together a list of tips on how to handle public access with a service dog based upon my several years of working Faith. I hope this can help others when they encounter these situations!

❤️  People will stare. A lot. It’s something you’ll have to get used to. Oftentimes people won’t necessarily mean to stare, but there is a (probably very cute) dog in the grocery store and it’s different. The best thing you can do in these situations is just ignore them.

💛 People will often ask questions… biggest question you’ll get will probably be “what’s the dog for?” (or “why do you need a service dog?”). If you struggle to answer questions like this, practice at home if you need to; choose to be as open or as closed as you’d like. These people are not entitled to your private information. If you would simply like to respond “medical reasons,” then that is completely fine. I try to be more open to educating people about what Faith does for me. However, I’ve grown accustomed to speaking to the public about service dogs, myself, Faith, etc. You do whatever is most comfortable for you!

💚 If you find yourself in a situation where someone is denying you access, please try to kindly educate before arguing. I know what it’s like to have a bad day, walk into a store, and have a gatekeeper screaming in my face because I brought a dog in. However, I always to my best to handle the situation as calmly as possible. Oftentimes people don’t mean to deny your service dog access… they just aren’t educated on service dog law. Take a breath, and treat this as a good education opportunity.

💙 With that said, always have access to something with ADA law information on it. This could be personal service dog business cards, ADA cards, a printout, etc. Also, BOOKMARK THIS DOCUMENT ON YOUR PHONE! It has been an absolute lifesaver on so many occasions.

💜 You have a dog… which means people will naturally gravitate towards you in masses asking to pet him or her. This is a big thing to get used to as a service dog handler. You need to decide whether or not you will allow the public to interact with your dog. Personally, I don’t allow it as I can’t have Faith getting distracted. I also don’t want people to think they can pet other service dogs just because I told them they could pet mine. Whatever you decide, be firm but polite about it. If someone asks to pet your dog, kindly respond with “No. I’m sorry, she’s working right now.” and leave it at that.

❤️ Please be kind to kids. They are young and often don’t know any better. You want their experiences with service dog handlers to be positive… not thinking we are rude. I’ve taken the extra time to explain to kids “This is a helper dog. When she’s wearing her uniform *points to Faith’s vest* it means she’s on duty and doing a very important job for me. If you distract her, she could lose her job.” I’ve found this to be the kindest way to deter kids from giving service dogs unwanted attention, without them asking further questions.

💛 You may come across another dog/handler team in public.  I do my best to give them space and just leave them alone unless they approach me. I really try not to judge other teams or try to determine if they are “real” or “fake.” I know some handlers who can be super judgy when they see another dog in public, and trust me, it’s not worth the effort lol. Real or fake, just give them space and move on.

💚 If you do happen to come across a dog in public who is clearly misbehaving, showing signs of aggression, making a mess, or otherwise causing disruption; take it up with the store MANAGER (and do so as politely as possible with an ADA card in hand). I try not to approach the team or say anything to them unless absolutely necessary. Faith has been aggressively lunged at and attacked by dogs in public before, and it’s not worth the risk imo.

💙 If your own dog is having an off-day and just not behaving up to standards, please remove him from public access for the day. I know it’s hard. I’ve been there myself. However, it’s not fair to him, you, or those around you to work a dog who doesn’t want to behave. Postpone your shopping trip or leave him at home if need be. Just please don’t force him into public if he’s having an off-day.

💜 Lastly, know that you are representing not only yourselves as a team, but the entire service dog community when you are out in public. Most people have never seen a service dog before, and seeing you will leave a lasting impression. Make sure it’s a positive one :) Be professional, be polite, & be courteous of others around you.

~ Lex (& Faith)

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

exactly

How to pet a service dog

You don’t

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

REALLY SICK OF THE SERVICE DOG COMMUNITY SOMETIMES!

No, I dont mean I hate everyone.

I mean that I am angry and dissapointed.

I am angry and dissapointed because whenever we see another team we spend about 20 minutes sizing each other up, trying to determine fake from real.

We spend time having to feel suspicious of each other for fear that we will be accused of being fake, or that the other dog will attack us/bark at us/ etc.

I shouldn’t have to feel that every time I go out and see another team.

I want to be able to say hi, compliment the dog, talk about dogs for a bit, and then go on our ways happily without ever having to stop and figure out if I am going to get attacked by another “SD” whenever I see another team.

I want to be able to talk to another team without having to say context clues, just to make sure they are a valid team, or keeping a lookout for words like “registered” and “certified”. I hate that.

All this because people don’t understand the impact they have opn our community when they fake a disability, or a service dog just to take their dog everywhere with them.

Im sick of it, and its rediculous and needs to stop.

So PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE spread this, spread this message. We need to come up with a hand signalvalid team from here. I am done with this awful feeling of anxiety whene ver I see another dog in a vest, fear that my dog will make an error and then I will be accused of faking, fear that I will mistake another dog for a fake, fear that I will get attacked.

Service dogs are supposed to assist the disabled, and people need to get that through their damn thick skulls.

We shouldnt have to be wary or afraid when we see another team, and it needs to stop.

~~~let credit be given where credit is due!!! @charlietheherodog ~~~

from me=

this also goes to say that this trust that all service dogs are legitimate is broken by FAKES! which are becoming more and more common. not to mention dangerous. 

[apparentlyimginger-blog]

so this is my first post....i dont really know what to say except hello, i am Elaine i also go by Lane. this is my service dog Buddy. IK the most generic dog name right? well i guess i should go now because i dont really have much to say. if you have any questions about service animals, ESAs or therapy dogs just message me.