I had the privilege of speaking with Army veteran Curtis Jennings this week. I am always honored when I can spend time with folks who have so selflessly served our country, especially those who have sacrificed much to do so. Curtis is one of our wounded soldiers whose injuries will be with him for the rest of his life. He suffers both physical and psychological injuries, having suffered a traumatic brain injury while overseas.

Fortunately, the “medicine” he takes for both is the best on four legs. His injury messed up his system so that traditional medicines do not work right for him. His “medicine” is a highly trained service dog Koble, a beautiful and intelligent Belgian Malinois that to most of us looks like a German Shepherd. (Police often use this breed as K-9 officers as well.) Koble provides a variety of services for his master, ranging from scouting out a room to make sure it is safe to bracing himself to provide physical support when Curtis needs it.

Of course as a dog lover, my first instinct when I met the team (and they definitely are a team) was to pet the dog. I asked if I could pet Koble, and Curtis said no, he is working. I respect that.

Unfortunately, many people do not even ask. They just go up and start petting a dog, even if it is a working service animal like Koble. That can have disastrous results, as Curtis knows firsthand. Unfortunately, his first service dog had to be retired after someone just went up to the dog and started messing with her face, I’m sure not intending to do harm, but the effect was the dog was unable to perform her duties after that. She still lives with Curtis, but he had to get another service dog.

And that in itself is a daunting undertaking. There can be a waiting period of three years or so, and it can cost thousands of dollars to train a dog like Koble, a cost most veterans cannot afford. Curtis was fortunate to receive his dog donated by Paws 4 Soldiers, but unfortunately that organization recently dissolved because it ran out of funding. There should never be a lack of funding for our soldiers who deserve every type of service we can give them, whether it is more physicians at our VA hospitals and clinics (our local clinic is too often without a permanent doctor) or service animals to assist wounded soldiers with physical and other injuries. There should be service dogs available for any wounded soldier who needs one.

To add insult to injury, literally, too many folks like Curtis who have service dogs are mistreated, denied service or viewed as an oddity to be followed around a store and stared at. This has made Curtis feel so uncomfortable sometimes that he doesn’t want to go out in public. He has even had to file complaints with businesses that refused him service or harassed him because he had a service dog with him. A fast food restaurant recently refused to serve him, for example, even though he tried to explain to the cashier and then the general manager why he was allowed with his dog in the restaurant, according to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) law.

Curtis has had to become an educator and his own advocate in places where the business owners and staff should know better. He has enough to deal with, without having to defend himself as well.

I hope that by his willingness to share his story, folks were reminded of the ADA law and will not give him trouble in the future.

As he reminded us all, a service dog is allowed anywhere its owner is as long as the service dog is leashed and behaving. (A store owner can ask that a service dog leave if it is acting up.) The dog does not have to wear a vest or ID. The only questions the owner has to answer is if the dog is a service dog and what duties it performs (like detecting a seizure, for example.)

The rest of us need to be more thoughtful about folks we see in public with service dogs. As Curtis pointed out, people do not go up to a person in a wheelchair and “pet” the chair. His dog is his wheelchair, his physical aide. And although a dog is not a robot or motorized vehicle, a service dog is on duty and working when it is out with its master, and the rest of us need to respect that.

Don’t try to offer the dog treats.

Don’t gawk and stare at the person with the dog.

Don’t try to pet the dog.

Give the service dog and his owner the respect they deserve, and if you see Curtis and Koble out and about, thank them for their service.

That’s the least we can do.