'Southern Winter 2019

Service
DOGS 101
After an E-term class on the sociology of therapy and service
animals, a group of Birmingham-Southern students were inspired to
educate others on the different types of support animals, and now
their work is being seen nationwide.
The BSC students wrote, directed, and starred in a video, published
and filmed by the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and
Disability (NCHPAD). The final video, which explains the difference
between service dogs and emotional support animals (ESAs), was
released this September in honor of National Service Dog Month.
After extensive training, a service dog completes tasks that assist
and protect the handler, an individual with disabilities. This bond
forms the long-term “team” of a handler and his or her service dog, a
connection that can often be misunderstood and legally complex.
Dr. Meghan Mills, assistant professor of sociology, developed
her E-term class around the misunderstandings of support animals
and the legal intricacies behind each type of animal. Her research
focuses on these issues, and Mills herself is accompanied by her
own service dog, Arrow.
“I think it’s an important social issue as more people use service
dogs and as more laws change,” she says. “I’d definitely say that the
prevalence of service dogs is increasing. There’s more interest in how
they can help different disabilities.”
When Mills first came to BSC, she pitched the idea for the class.
She partners with Hand in Paw, a nonprofit organization that trains
therapy dogs, allowing students to work with dogs in the class.
Students take part in training exercises, observe therapy animal visits
at Children’s of Alabama and The Exceptional Foundation, and hear
more about Mills’ own research on the sociology of service dogs and
disability law.
For junior religion and sociology major Olivia Seckinger, learning
the difference between the types of support animals was extremely
impactful. The animals that college students have for emotional
support in their dorm rooms do not have the training that therapy
dogs and service dogs must have. These differences are what she
focused on as the student director of the NCHPAD video.
“We wanted to create something that could benefit everyone
outside of our campus, but this is also a huge issue on our campus,”
Seckinger says. “Not many people know the difference between
these kinds of support animals. We wanted the video to help
students at BSC.
Seckinger wrote the script for the video, which features two
teams of handlers and service dogs: junior Austin Cooper with Fitz
and Hannah Collier ’19 with Arrow. Collier worked as Mills’ TA
and knew Arrow well enough to complete tasks with him. Amelia
Guarino ’19 and her emotional support cat, Colby, are also featured.
The video follows students and faculty who learn how to treat
service dogs and presents the proper etiquette surrounding teams.
Service dogs only complete tasks for their handler, and, unlike what
most people believe, there is no legal registration that has to be
shown for a service dog in a public place.
“I was interested in the difference between service dogs and
emotional support animals and how they help people, especially
since some people lie and use it as an excuse to have a pet on
campus,” Seckinger says.
Dr. Meghan Mills
and Arrow
In her course and her research, Mills explores how the increase in
handlers with support animals comes with an increase of people who
lie about their needs. The false representation, in turn, leads to a greater
amount of questioning towards service dog handlers and discrimination
of those who truly need them.
“I’m interested in visible versus invisible disabilities as a sociologist.
Some people get more questions of legitimacy,” Mills says. “Falsely
presenting pets as service animals because of convenience can be
detrimental to real teams.”
Seckinger says that she’s seen a noticeable increase in the amount of
support animals on campus, especially ESAs who stay in residence halls.
Depending on the disability, service dogs and ESAs can be helpful for an
individual’s wellness, and more professionals are recognizing that.
“When barriers exist in the campus environment that present
challenges for students accessing academics, programming, activities,
events, and living in the residence halls, then utilizing service animals
and assistance animals may be valuable for students,” says Angie Smith,
coordinator of academic
accessibility services.
Outside of the classroom,
Mills continues to bring
awareness to these social
Watch “Service Dogs 101”
at nchpad.org/videos
issues due to this growing frequency of support animals. She leads
professional development and legal education sessions through
Children’s of Alabama and St. Vincent’s Birmingham, since medical
professionals need to be aware of the facts but can sometimes be the
least aware. Mills leads Arrow in a demonstration and speaks about her
personal story, all as volunteer work to educate the community.
“It’s harder because they’re dogs, but service dogs are medical
equipment. You wouldn’t pet or greet a wheelchair,” she says. “You have
to see the person before the animal.”
To learn more about having a support animal on BSC’s campus, reach out
to Angie Smith at awsmith@bsc.edu or accessibility@bsc.edu.
FALL/WINTER 2019 / 5