Claudia tells Micah her plan

He appears to be nothing more than an adorable eight-pound bundle of fluffy white fur, but Micah Matisse (named after the prophet and artist) is a highly trained assistant known as a 'service dog.' Many of us assume service dogs are limited to 'Seeing Eye', or leader dogs that guide the blind. However dogs may be trained to assist the deaf, those confined to wheel chairs or hospital beds, or those with neurological problems such as seizure disorders, Parkinson's Disease and brain injury. Like many working dogs, Micah wears a uniform--a tiny red vest with the words "Service Dog" stitched in gold to make it easier for people to recognize that he is a working dog, not a pet.

Micah goes rollerblading

Like all service animals, he has a long list of attributes-- intelligent, loyal, watchful, obedient, and silent while working (unless he needs to alert me.). Because I do not need Micah who is a Maltese to lift, carry or physically move me, his tiny size is immaterial. Actually, it is a plus since he fits easily under a restaurant table and his breed is likely to live and work longer than a Labrador or Golden Retriever. His primary duty is to keep me attentive and focused, providing many cues for me that I would otherwise receive from my alarm and recorder. However, Micah is more consistent than mechanical devices that must be activated by me, and he allows me to expend less energy to accomplish a wide range of tasks

Because I travel frequently to lecture and sleeps while awaiting flights, it is Micah who wakes me up and makes sure I board the plane. He takes me for a two-mile walk each day, in whatever city we are visiting, and takes me back to our hotel room without getting us lost. He can return me to any location--my car, a meeting place, or my chair in a restaurant or conference hall. He reminds me to take my medications at night, and keeps me from straying away when I am with a friend in a crowded mall. This isn't magic. Utilizing his special canine abilities, he has been carefully trained to do these tasks.

Micah makes it possible for me to engage in one of my sports--rollerblading. Before Micah accompanied me, I was inattentive while skating along the bike path and likely to cause collisions and have narrow escapes because I failed to notice oncoming people. Now, Micah rides with me in his backpack where he nudges me each time someone approaches. With him along, I have a heightened alertness and am able to stay out of others' way.

Micah is, by Federal law, allowed to me to any public place. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides all disabled persons the legal right to take their service dog into every place open to the general public including restaurants, malls, airplanes, post offices, beaches, and hotels.

When in these working situations, Micah wears his uniform and carries documentation of his status. Of course, it is I who carries Micah's service dog papers. At eight pounds, he is a bit small to carry his own.