Creature Comforts

I have never personally been against the idea of having service animals in public places, but after reading Rebecca Skloot's article "Creature Comforts", I was amazed by the capabilities of some of these animals and the vital role they play in their owners lives. I understand that there could be potential health risks involved with having certain animals in public spaces, yet I agree with Brea in that it is necessary to consider the privacy of the owner when questioning the legitimacy of their service animal. If one were to encounter a veteran in a wheelchair missing his leg, it would be considered rude and an invasion of his privacy to right away ask how he lost it. It is no different if a person with a service animal walks into a store and is immediately asked what is wrong with them and why they need the animal. I feel that no questions should be asked as long as the animal has some form of identification, such as a vest or tag on a collar, signifying that it is a service animal. In addition, I feel that it is wrong to state that an animal is not a service animal simply because it is not performing an obvious task. A friend of our family has a daughter who is a severe diabetic and has recently obtained a service dog that is able to detect changes in her blood sugar through scent and alert her before a diabetic episode occurs. Although the dog does not appear to be doing much other than following her around,this animal is necessary as it is able to and has saved this girls life. No matter what species it is, if an animal is capable of saving a human life I can see no logical reason as to why anyone would attempt to stop it.