Being the dog-lover that I am, I have to try SO HARD not to pet a service dog when I see one. I want to pet them SO BAD, but I know they're just trying to do their job and I'd be a little irritated if someone came up and pet me while I was trying to work too!
But what are you supposed to do if a service dog approaches YOU...without its owner? Until recently, I probably wouldn't have done anything. I'd probably try to walk away to avoid wanting to pet it.
Well, apparently that's NOT what you should do!
A tumblr post on the topic has recently gone viral on Twitter
Tessa Connaughton, a 20-year-old from California, has an English/Bull mastiff mix service dog to help her with anxiety as well as her recent seizures. Recently, Tessa fell and her pup, Raider, assumed she was suffering from another seizure, so he shot into action and ran for help!
When Tessa got back up, she ran after her dog, only to find a women swatting at Raider to go away. That's when she realized it's important that people know how to react when a service dog approaches them without their owner.
If a service dog without a person approaches you, it means the person is down and in need of help
Tessa says you should let the dog lead you to where their owner can be found because they're just trying to find help for their human!