Every August 4th is observed as Assistance Dog Day. It’s a holiday that celebrates the dogs that help people with debilitating illnesses or disabilities perform their day-to-day tasks. Service dogs have a long and distinguished history in the United States, going all the way back to when they were used to help veterans after the conclusion of the Civil War.

Since that time, they have been used to help people perform their daily tasks, although it should be said that they weren’t officially recognized until the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Even so, service dogs have helped hundreds of thousands of people, and that’s why we should all take the day to give these dogs the respect they deserve.

The History of Assistance Dog Day

Guide dogs were systematically trained during the mid-18th century in Paris, and the first manual for training guide dogs was created by Johann Wilhelm Klein, the founder of the Institute for the Training of the Blind in Vienna, in 1819. As we stated earlier, assistance dogs have been used since the Civil War in the United States and have been used ever since.

In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act officially recognized service dogs, which gave the people who relied upon them firmer legal standing for being able to employ them in public locations such as stores, malls, and other public places. At the beginning of the 21st century, International Assistance Dog Week was created to recognize the hardworking assistance dogs that help to mitigate their owners’ illness and/or disability-related limitations.

Out of this week-long celebration came International Assistance Dog Day. This day has been celebrated as a part of this week-long observance ever since. Marcie Davis, a paraplegic for over 35 years and CEO of Davis Innovations, is responsible for creating this holiday and week.

Observing Assistance Dog Day

During this week, there are special events that help to raise awareness about service dogs and educate the public about them. There are also special events that help to honor the people who raise and train service dogs.

People can spread the word about this holiday all over the internet simply by using the hashtag #AssistanceDogDay. Let’s all work together to raise the profile of these amazing animals and celebrate the importance they have in their owners’ lives. Assistance dogs do more than people give them credit for, and that’s why they deserve all of the accolades we can give them.