The Right Steps

05/31/2026

💞❤️OMG 💞❤️ Sweetest Video Ever of these 2! 😍😍

They were in the mudroom & I caught them in the special moment. 😀

05/31/2026

The boys had a romp tonight, it has been a very rainy day.

Cooper is a very good sport & a Saint.

It is hard to believe at 7 months, the last time weighed, they were equal at 63lbs! 🫣😱

Hard to believe. 🤔😳

05/30/2026

1st Kodiak Pool Ball Fun Time, next Tree Tug Time, followed by Nap Time. 💞

05/30/2026

05/30/2026

Kodiak - 7 Months - 2nd Fear Window - Hanging out in a busy parking lot watching the world go by & getting rewarded for curiosity without barking.

Also, a user friendly exercise with my current back & knee injuries/pain.

💞 Such a GOOD Boy! 😍

05/30/2026

“Certified ESA” does NOT automatically mean your dog has public access rights.

I recently had a conversation with someone who genuinely believed that because her emotional support animal had documentation and a certification online, that meant she could now take her dog into stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and other non-pet-friendly places.

This misunderstanding is becoming way too common. Let’s clear this up because there is a HUGE difference between Emotional Support Animals and Service Dogs and confusing the two hurts everyone involved, including disabled handlers.

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) provides comfort simply through companionship. ESAs can absolutely be life changing for people struggling with mental health conditions, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. Their role is valid and important.

However, legally, an ESA is NOT the same thing as a task-trained service dog.

In the United States, service dogs are individually trained to perform specific tasks that directly mitigate a person’s disability. Examples of these tasks may include: alerting to seizures, guiding visually impaired handlers, retrieving medication, cardiac alerts, interrupting psychiatric episodes, allergen detection, mobility assistance, and more.

That specialized training is what gives service dogs public access rights under the ADA. An ESA does not receive public access rights just because it provides comfort, has a vest, has paperwork, or was “certified” online.

This is where people get confused:
There is actually NO federally recognized service dog or ESA certification in the United States.

Most of those websites selling certificates, ID cards, and registrations are marketing tools not legal documentation granting public access.

For ESAs, documentation may help with certain housing accommodations under the Fair Housing Act, but it does NOT override no-pet policies in public spaces like grocery stores or restaurants. I think a lot of people truly do not realize this distinction, especially because social media has spread so much misinformation around “registering” your dog.

Yet, the consequences are real. When untrained or undertrained pet dogs are brought into non-pet-friendly public spaces, it creates safety issues for actual working service dogs and the disabled handlers who rely on them every single day.

This conversation shouldn’t be about “whose disability is more valid.” It’s about understanding the law, respecting boundaries, and protecting accessibility for the people these protections were created for.

There’s nothing wrong with having an ESA. There IS a problem with misinformation surrounding public access rights.

05/30/2026

PSA from The Canine Connection’s founder, Sarah: Be sure you have a care plan for your pets!

This isn’t our usual post of happy dogs and people but it’s a really important one. Life is unpredictable and we want to remind you that you need a care plan in place for your pets should you become incapacitated and/or unable to be home.

Last night, I (Sarah) took a tumble that left me in excruciating pain and unable to bear any weight on my right leg. When things had not improved by this morning, it was clear that a trip to the ER was necessary. Fortunately, it appears that nothing is broken, just a bad sprain. Whew! I am home, but will be in a brace and on crutches for a while.

But here is what was foremost on my mind this morning as I prepared to go the ER…. In the event of a prolonged absence or something truly incapacitating, who would take care of my animal family? I am very fortunate to own a dog resort and have a team of experienced dog people around me, but some members of my animal family are very medically fragile and require specialized daily care.

My beloved senior, Rudy, takes multiple meds a day, at specific times, and also requires subcutaneous fluids due to kidney disease. Are there clear, written directions for his treatment and capable people in his village who could take over?

My cat, Leo, has small cell lymphoma and is on a schedule for chemo and other meds. As with Rudy’s complex situation, could someone pick up and continue on with his treatment? (Yes, on the medical front, it’s a sad and challenging time for my animal family.)

My foster dog, Cheeto, is with me precisely because he is… challenging. He is very concerned about strangers. I thought about the layers of back-up needed to ensure a “Friend of Cheeto” would always be available should someone need to enter my home. I think he needs more friends.

The Aussies… comparatively easy peasy but still a few important needs and quirks to consider should someone need to step in for their care.

Of course, there are all of the other things that are part of planning for the unexpected beyond our pets, advanced directives and all the rest. But along with that, planning for our pets can be critical for their well-being and for our peace of mind.

So, if you haven’t already, please invest some time and thought into creating your emergency pet plan. And be sure to share it with those who need to know it. I know I really need to tune mine up (and looks like I’ll have a bit of down time to work on this over the next few days!)

And a couple of other things… be sure you have a “go bag” for each of your pets should you ever need to evacuate with them. And, while none of us wants to consider that our pets might outlive us, please make plans for their placement in the event you aren’t here for them.

Thanks for being proactive with your pets, everyone. I hope you never need to rely on your emergency plans.

Finally… a shout-out! But for the pain that brought me to the Enloe ER this morning, the experience was wonderful - the Enloe Health team was professional, prompt, kind, and caring. I am very grateful for Enloe’s presence in our community.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming 🐶🐾🎾.