Sept. 19 (UPI) — The White House has proclaimed Friday to be National Service Dog Day, saying the animals offer an important source of comfort and an essential resource to help with everyday life. “Service dogs continue to provide valuable aid and support, improving people’s lives — and even sometimes saving them,” President Joe Biden said in a release. “On National Service Dog Day, we recognize the proven benefits that service dogs bring to so many people across our Nation.”
The release says the United States did not fully recognize the importance of, nor protect, service dogs until 1990 with the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, legislation that Biden co-sponsored when a Senator from Delaware.
“For people with disabilities and those struggling with their health, service dogs can help them perform everyday tasks, alert them of oncoming medical episodes or remind them to take medication,” Biden continued.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has provided pet insurance to more than 1,400 military service members to be sure their service animals have the medical and healthcare they need.
The Department of Transportation also established the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, affirming the right to travel with a service animal.
Service dogs are known to provide psychosocial health and well being to their owners, especially people with physical disabilities or chronic conditions, according to the National Institutes of Health.
There are at least a half million service dogs working with partners in the United States, according to the NIH.