Advocacy starts with Awareness. At Lux’s Purpose, we are dedicated to helping raise awareness and encouraging compassionate education in an effort to advocate for the rights of service dogs teams everywhere.
There is an unfortunate lack of awareness surrounding service dogs, and this impacts thousands of lives across the country.
As Lux’s Purpose grows, we intend to build a comprehensive educational hub to share important facts, clarify rights, share stories of handlers, and promote compassionate awareness. Our hope is to help promote understanding and support for both the public and service dog teams everywhere. Stay tuned as we add more resources and awareness opportunities!
DISCLAIMER: We Stand for Integrity
Lux’s Purpose is committed to advocating for legitimate service dog teams. We do NOT support the misrepresentation of pets or emotional support animals as service dogs. Doing so violates federal law, puts legitimate teams at risk, and undermines the trust and credibility of disabled handlers.
Under the ADA, a service dog is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Comfort or emotional support alone does not qualify.
Faking a service dog not only damages public perception—it makes life harder and more dangerous for those who truly rely on them. We ask everyone to stand with us in protecting the integrity of these life-saving animals and their handlers.
UNDERSTANDING THE LAWS SURROUNDING SERVICE DOGS
Service Dogs are protected by Federal Law.
A Service Dog is not a pet. They are a medically necessary support for a person with a disability. Service dogs must be individually trained to perform tasks directly related to the handler’s disability. They are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The work or task that a dog has been trained to do must directly relate to the handler’s disability. The rights of service dogs are also protected by the Fair Housing Act (FHA) & Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA).
PUBLIC AWARENESS: WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT SERVICE DOGS?
Awareness can make a life-changing difference.
DO NOT DISTRACT - It is important to never distract a working service dog. By talking to, engaging in eye contact with, or petting a service dog - you are distracting it from duties that can be life-saving for the handler. Service dogs are trained for very important tasks and what may seem to be a simple acknowledgment to some, can mean the service dog missing an alert or task that is vital to the well being of the handler. Many handlers also suffer from severe anxiety or PTSD, and a distraction can be detrimental. Always give service dogs and their handlers space and respect.
UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS - The rights of service dogs and their handlers are protected by the ADA. Federal law prohibits denying a service dog to accompany its handler into public spaces. With very few exceptions- if the handler can enter, the service dog can as well. Handlers are not required to show ID, registration, or certification. Although many choose to for visibility or safety, service dogs are not legally required to wear gear at all times. Under no circumstances should you ever ask a handler private questions about their disability. If there are concerns about public access, there are only two questions that may legally be asked:
Is this a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or tasks has the service animal been trained to perform?
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE -Service dogs are not the same as pets, Emotional Support Animals, or Therapy Dogs. Emotional Support Animals (ESA’s) are not covered by the ADA and do not have the same rights.
BE UNDERSTANDING & RESPECTFUL - Keep in mind that handlers with a service dog are already navigating the world with a disability. Their service dog has duties that help them to do so in a way that is safer, healthier, or more tolerable for their well being. Your respect and kindness are sincerely appreciated.
ATTENTION HANDLERS: YOUR VOICE MATTERS HERE.
Help us advocate for you.
We know that advocacy isn’t one-size-fits-all—and lived experience is one of the most powerful tools we have. If you’re a service dog handler, family member, or advocate and you’d like to:
-Share your personal story
-Suggest a topic or resource to include
-Help others by contributing your perspective
We would sincerely love to hear from you. As we grow our educational content and prepare to launch our blog, your insight will help us continue to build a space that informs, uplifts, and reflects the real experiences of this community.