WHEREAS, Service dogs are extraordinary animals that enable their human companions to live their fullest lives; and

WHEREAS, There are approximately 500,000 service dogs in the United States; and

WHEREAS, It takes roughly 18 to 24 months to train a service dog; and

WHEREAS, Service dogs wear a harness or vest that identifies their role; and

WHEREAS, The training and testing to become a service dog is difficult, with only about one-half of the candidates succeeding in meeting the stringent standards; and

WHEREAS, California benefits from the assistance of K-9 officers, search and rescue dogs, and many other service dogs that serve their communities; and

WHEREAS, Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for people in their careers and everyday lives, and they can be trained to retrieve objects, assist with balance, give seizure or diabetic alerts, or assist those with psychiatric disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Service dogs improve various aspects of the quality of life of people with physical or psychiatric disabilities or chronic health conditions, such as their psychosocial health, work- or school-life participation, life satisfaction, independence, and self-esteem; and

WHEREAS, Service dogs also serve our nation’s wounded warriors suffering from conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury; and

WHEREAS, Studies have shown that these incredible animals offer great benefits to their owners, including reduced anxiety, lower blood pressure, and faster recovery from medical events; and

WHEREAS, Studies have shown that service dogs not only decrease the frequency of their owners’ medical episodes, such as hypoglycemia, but also positively impact their owners’ physical health, well-being, and activity level; and

WHEREAS, In the United States, over 61 million individuals live with disabilities, yet less than 1 percent have the assistance of service dogs; and

WHEREAS, Despite a significant need, the average wait time to obtain a service dog is about three years; and

WHEREAS, September is celebrated as National Service Dog Month each year to honor the contribution skilled K-9 partners offer to their owners; now, therefore, be it