This image shows the floor of the New Hampshire House Chambers At the front, Representative Patrick Long stands at a large wooden podium or speaker’s desk, elevated above the others, overseeing the proceedings. Several other individuals are seated at desks in front of him, working with papers and computers. On the right side of the image, two people sit on a bench against the wall, appearing to listen attentively. More people are seated in rows facing the front, resembling an audience or assembly members. The room is formal, decorated with large framed paintings, tall white walls with ornate molding, and elegant light fixtures. The floor is carpeted in a dark blue pattern.

NH Floor Speech

In the last session in the New Hampshire legislature, there was a bill to create a service dog week that I worked on submitting with Senator David Watters, it was called SB 198  and it was sponsored by eight senators and four representatives Watters (D), Birdsell (R), Lang (R), Perkins Kwoka (D), Avard (R), Fenton (D), Pearl (R), Altschiller (D), Bixby (D), Comtois (R), Kelley (R), Wheeler (D). This was Representative Patrick Long’s (D) floor speech in support of it, but unfortunately it still did not pass.

“Mr. Speaker,

I rise to support recognition of service dog week. Service dogs play a vital role in helping disabled people, including many of my fellow veterans, navigate numerous different types of challenges, allowing them to have more independence and more fulfilling lives. Most people are aware of the traditional role of seeing eye dogs, but are not familiar with the great variety of roles service dogs work in today. Annual recognition of service dogs and their trainers would help some disabled people learn about what help may be available to them, and connect with trainers or organizations which can help them get an appropriate service dog. Additionally, increased public knowledge of the high standards expected of service dogs’ behavior may reduce the occurrence of service dog fraud, which tends to involve poorly trained animals not meeting the standards of real service dogs.

I would bet most of us here don’t know all of the tasks a service dog can be used for. beyond guiding the blind, they can pull wheelchairs, retrieve objects, alert to certain sounds, such as a doorbell or alarm, provide stability so that mobility-impaired people can catch their balance, remind people to take their medication, interrupt self-destructive behaviors, seek help for medical emergencies like seizures or diabetic attacks, press buttons, turn on lights, detect substances their owner is allergic to. Some can even call 911! These aren’t things most of us learned in school, and even if we did, dogs have probably learned to do new tasks since we were younger. An annual week is important to keep the public informed about what help may be available, as we come up with new tasks for service dogs to do. “