#service+pets

I love my service animal very much. He helps me with my PTSD and anxiety. He’s a psychiatric service animal, but a Yorkie. Most people are super happy to see a cute small dog. But often, we get weird looks and people will even talk down to us because they think he’s a pet trying to pass as a service animal (presumably because most service dogs are larger breeds). I go almost everywhere with him (there’s no telling when I’ll have an episode, and its best to have him with me). His presence alone is also very calming. Legally I can bring him anywhere and he can do whatever I do. But many places will try to regulate how I use him. For example, at the food store, sometimes they will berate me for having him in the cart (specifically, in my purse, which is in my cart). A cafe once told me I couldn’t have a small dog bed under the table for him (he was on a leash, sitting in his bed). He always wears a vest because I’m tired of people making assumptions, even though legally he doesn’t have to be labeled. But even with the vest, people ask if he is “really” a service animal, or try to say that since he isn’t actively helping me (I have an episodic illness), that he shouldn’t be with me.