Lon Hodge and his labradoodle, Gander, go everywhere together.
Sometimes they go to the movies. Other times they go to events around the country to educate people about service dogs and laws pertaining to them.
Hodge and his service dog brought their message to campers from the YWCA Lake County and the Waukegan Park District at an event highlighting therapy and service dogs sponsored by Clerk of the Circuit Court Keith Brin.
Through Operation Fetch, Hodge speaks to groups across the country about service dogs and invisible disabilities.
“This guy’s like an oxygen tank or a wheelchair or a cane,” Hodge, who splits his time between Great Lakes and Colorado, told the children, referring to Gander. “He’s medical equipment. He’s meant to do jobs like picking stuff off the floor. He can open doors. He can turn on lights.”
Hodge, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and rheumatoid arthritis, said he was experiencing night terrors and nearly 55 panic attacks a day before he acquired Gander. He underwent three months of training with Gander, but he described his first four months of having a service dog as torture.
Hodge was not used to having people flock to meet his new, furry friend and having to answer questions about bringing a dog into public places such as stores and restaurants. He said that is part of the process, though, and that he became better at handling such situations.
“They don’t teach you that in service-dog school,” said Hodge, who has now been with Gander for three years. “There’s nothing out there to help you through that, so that’s one of the reasons we started doing what we’re doing: going around the country and talking to people so that people understand, and somebody else doesn’t have to go through what I went through.”
More Top Picks Best Electric Skateboards For Beginners
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires businesses such as restaurants and movie theaters to allow people to bring their service animals with them, but not everyone is versed in the law, he said.
“The trouble is when people get kicked out of somewhere, 90 percent of the time it’s because someone’s never had contact with a service dog,” Hodge said.
Michael Jayko, director of behavior specialists at Your Dog’s Guru Inc., explained how service-dog training is unique because the goal is to train them to seem invisible in public spaces where dogs are normally not allowed.
“Service dogs are focused on the handler, and therapy dogs are focused on everyone,” Jayko said.
Gander doubles as a service dog and a therapy dog, visiting veterans hospitals with Hodge, an Army veteran. Last year, Gander was named the American Kennel Club Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence service dog of the year.
“He’s different — not because he’s mine — he really is different than other service dogs I’ve met,” Hodge said. “He’s crazy intuitive. I’ve watched him do things intuitively with people that has blown my mind.”
Gander has become somewhat of a celebrity along the way, with 239,151 likes on his Facebook page as of Monday evening. His notoriety helps the pair raise money for causes and organizations, especially those that help veterans.
“You have to give it away to keep it. So I live by that,” Hodge said. “I mean, somebody gave me back my life, so I have to pay it forward the best I can.”
Twitter @angelicalavito