First Public Service Dog Census Launches

Editor: How many service dogs are there in the US? You say you don't know? Well, apparently no one does, so Marc Battaglia is out to change that!

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June 2008

The first public census of Service Dogs officially launches with the goal to count every Service Dog in use in the United States.

http://www.censusproject.org

http://www.usservicedogregistry.org

The Census is open to all Service Dogs and their handlers, regardless of certification or training status. Individuals using a Service Dog for any disability covered by the ADA qualify for this count. (Please see http://www.ada.gov/animal.htm) A service a dog is any canine trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. Therapy dogs and other working dogs provide many great benefits but are not covered by the ADA law and therefore not eligible to be included in the Census.

The purpose of the Service Dog Census Project is to provide detailed statistical data about the large number of Service Animals currently working in the United States. The data can be used for various positive purposes including advocacy, media references, university studies and public support. "The response has been phenomenal," says Marc Battaglia, Executive Director of the Census. "Even during our beta-testing phase we had people registering from New York to California. We've received e-mails from people thanking us for initiating this project."

Eighteen years after the U.S. Department of Justice passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which ensures the rights of disabled people to access public areas with their service animals, many still have to explain their medical history and educate the public about their rights. Blayne Douglas, who works at a deaf counseling, advocacy and referral agency in California often runs into acceptance problems with his Hearing Dog. "The lion's share of my day is educating the public about the use of Hearing Dogs. I'm always surprised by the number of people who think only Guide Dogs for the blind count as Service Dogs," says Douglas. "I've even experienced doubt by business owners who hesitated in providing us access because they didn't understand."

The United States Service Dog Registry collects the data for the Service Dog Census Project. To participate in this Census please go to usservicedogregistry.org.

Brief biography of Marc Battaglia, Executive Director, Service Dog Census Project

The Service Dog Census Project is headed by Marc Battaglia who leads the four person team in his spare time. (Spare time meaning 2:00 in the morning.) Marc was diagnosed with epilepsy in 1999 after suffering from it since childhood. "I don't really like to talk about it, and that's part of what is important about how this Registry and Census are being conducted. It's private," Marc explains. "You shouldn't have to explain your medical history to everyone."

During the daytime, Marc Battaglia is the Associate Creative Director for an advertising agency where he works with his German Shepherd, Indiana, by his side.