Becky Canale: Hi! I am Becky Canale, National Client Services Coordinator at Paws With A Cause.

Today, I am discussing the basics of what assistance dogs can do for people with disabilities. There are many types of assistance dogs.

Guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired; hearing dogs, for the deaf and hard of hearing; Service dogs, for people with disabilities other than those related to vision or hearing loss, and seizure dogs for people with epilepsy.

There are many benefits of assistance dogs. Among these benefits are the amounts of energy that a dog can save a person by completing tasks that would otherwise be fatiguing or challenging.

A dog can create a financial savings on paid attendants, as the dog's assistance can decrease a person's need for outside help or assistance from a family member. An assistance dog can increase a person's independence by being able to complete tasks that would have normally needed human assistance.

The presence of a dog can decrease the negative stereotypes that normally occur with a person with disabilities. When a person is out in public with a dog, the focus is on the dog versus the wheel chair or the disability.

As you can see, there really is no limit to what an assistance dog can do for you.