ESCANABA — People interested in service animals can go to an event hosted by Yooper Service Dogs (YSD) on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to get more information. Information about service animals will be presented by guest speakers and YSD. The event will take place in room 952 of the Joseph Heirman University Center at Bay College in Escanaba. Everyone is invited to attend.

Representatives from Paws with a Cause, SuperiorLand Pet Partners, Leader Dogs for the Blind and Superior Alliance for Independent Living, will speak at the event, focusing on issues regarding service dogs and other options.

Katie Johnson, owner of YSD, understands the laws and what it takes for an animal to be trained as a service animal.

“There are many websites on the internet that are giving out incorrect information,” said Johnson, “I want people to come to our event and receive the correct information.”

Johnson will hold two classes that morning. In the first class, the difference in trained and untrained animals will be explained. Johnson will show how to locate online websites that provide correct information in the second class.

Other topics discussed will include, the costs of adopting a service animal, training your own animal, and therapy animals. There will be a panel discussion, and representatives from the presenting organizations will have one-on-one conversations with attendees at the end of the event.

Patty Cornish, of SuperiorLand Pet Partners (SLPP), will speak about therapy animals.

“A therapy animal can be a horse, pig, rat, dog or cat… many types of animals, they just need the right personality,” says Cornish.

A team for SLPP evaluates an animal for eight hours and checks temperament and obedience. Once the animal passes the training and evaluation, it is considered a therapy animal. Cornish takes therapy animals to nursing homes, hospitals, places with hospice, and mental health facilities. Cornish will go anywhere invited with her therapy animals.

“I was pleased when asked by Katie (Johnson) to speak at this event,” said Cornish.

YSD is a Michigan, non-profit, organization in Rapid River. When Johnson adopted her service animal, she started a facebook group, to share information with other service dog owners. She realized there was an opportunity to grow. Johnson provides training to the animal and the owner.

In a business that allows service dogs, Johnson’s service dog was attacked, two different times by untrained “service” dogs. Due to those experiences, she will not return to that business.

“Some service animals have not had the full training needed,” said Johnson, “Training, education and mediation, that’s what we do here,” said Johnson.