If you have a service dog, have a Plan B

Another learning experience related to owning a service dog...
Charles had minor outpatient surgery Wednesday morning, and although the surgery went fine, by the afternoon Charles was experiencing Autonomic dysreflexia and was transported by ambulance to the ER at UAMS. Because we didn't have advanced warning, we didn't have a plan in place for what to do with Rufus. Usually we would lean on our across the street neighbor (an absolute angel from above), but she was out of town. Since we didn't know how long we would be gone, Kelly didn't feel comfortable leaving Rufus crated. Rufus is not often left by himself and Kelly was concerned about Rufus getting anxious if left by himself. So Charles went by ambulance while Rufus and Kelly traveled by car.

Here's the thing: ERs are inherently dirty places. And so are hospitals. It takes a lot of work to keep the patients from catching germs. In hindsight, this is not a good place for a service dog to be. Lucky for us, Joe (the amazing trainer) came to the hospital at about 10:30pm and scooped up King Rufus. You've never seen a dog more excited to see his trainer! (He's always excited to see Joe, but this time it was probably augmented by his interest in escaping the doldrums of the hospital.)

Once we get home, we'll consult Joe to find out specifically what we should have done differently in this situation. And we'll also make sure that we always have a Plan B (and C) for taking care of Rufus during emergency scenarios. If you are lucky enough to have a service dog, we'd encourage you to be sure you've thought about the same.