Four years ago, he suffered a stroke.

        Today, the Lebanon resident still endures seizures, tremors, blackouts. He is disabled at 44.

        For a while, he was afraid to go places, afraid of collapsing in public and being helpless. Then, three years ago, he obtained Lieutenant, a service dog, and his confidence returned.
       

Strong and smart

        Lieutenant is a golden-haired Labrador-Great Dane mix. Strong enough to help Mr. Jackson steady himself while walking; smart enough to warn him before a seizure.

        “When I come to, his leash is still in my hand and he's staring at me. That's a nice feeling,” Mr. Jackson says.

        Lieutenant never leaves his side. That's a problem with some people.

        Twice Mr. Jackson has been thrown out of Tristate emergency rooms because of the dog. In one instance, Mr. Jackson was ill and had to be treated at another hospital. In the other case, he was there to support his daughter who had been assaulted. The president of that hospital wrote him a letter later apologizing.

        Mr. Jackson says he has been ejected from dozens of places, including a courthouse and his favorite stores and restaurants, because employees or customers balked at his service dog.

        A customer and employee once tried barring him from a discount store, and then they warned him he might find a rifle pointed at his back. Mr. Jackson was so unnerved he sat on a paint can in the home improvement section to calm himself.

        Usually Mr. Jackson stands up for Lieutenant.

        When questioned, he hands store employees and security guards copies of the federal code and Ohio statutes that discuss such animals. He carries his dog's state certification, and the dog wears a tag identifying its special role.
       

Law supports the dogs

        The Americans with Disabilities Act gives disabled people the right to be accompanied by their assistance dogs in places of public accommodation.

        Disabled persons need not be blind or deaf. They can have any disabling condition severe enough to limit one or more major life activities; their dogs must be trained to help with that condition.

        Business owners can still exclude dogs that behave aggressively or are disruptive, but that's rare. From puppies, these dogs are chosen and trained, usually for six months to a year, always to be in control.
       

Specialty training

        Even the experts are impressed by the dogs. Joan Froling, who completed a study for the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, estimates there are 20,000 service dogs worldwide. They perform more than 100 functions for their disabled partners.

        They brace their partners to stand or walk. They fetch medicines and insulin kits. Some are trained to lie on a respiratory patient's chest to produce a cough and help them breath.

        The dogs can carry loads of up to 15 percent of their body weight. They remove VCR tapes, take laundry out of the dryer, open and close doors, cabinets and curtains, and tug off their partners' socks without biting their feet.

        Lieutenant does some of that, but mostly he keeps Mr. Jackson safe and on an even keel.

        “When I'm stressed I make bad judgments,” he said. “He pulls me away from negative situations.”

        Call Denise Smith Amos at 768-8395, or e-mail damos@enquirer.com

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