Exotic Pets: Animals that Serve Guide Animals

I think it is time for a big thank you to the animals, companion animals; including exotic pets that serve and exotic pets that save. There have been many stories about animals saving lives in many different ways and circumstances. There are also a fantastic number of different exotic animals, or exotic pets that work diligently as service animals. I think the time has arrived to say a big thank you to these animals that serve and save.

This week we will discuss service animals, specifically exotic pet service animals. These various service animals allow people to live much happier, more independent, fulfilling, and more productive lives than they typically would have. Next week we will look at animals that save!

At one time you would only hear about guide dogs that assisted the seeing impaired or even hearing impaired. Now there are service animals of the exotic animal variety; service monkeys, service ferrets, miniature service horses, and many others.

Service animals provide for the many needs that people with disabilities cannot do without assistance, giving them a sense of worth, and providing the ability to have independence.

Many exotic animals live much longer lives than dogs. It basically costs the same if you’re training a miniature horse, monkey, or dog. However, the lifespan of a small horse or monkey is much longer than a dog. A seeing impaired person may go through five to seven guide dogs while only one miniature horse would be needed.

There is a guide miniature horse named Panda who assists Ann Edie safely down the street, even guiding Edie’s hand to the walk sign call button. Some of these reasons that miniature horses are more desirable than guide dogs, exceptional vision, and better range of sight because of the location of the eyes allowing the small horse to see 360-degrees. Miniature horses have a calm disposition as well as easily trained.

Check with the Guide Horse Foundation The Guide Horse Foundation

Another exotic animal service animal is the service monkey or companion monkey. Monkeys make outstanding helpers for people that have limited mobility. The monkey helping with in-home assistance has allowed many people with spinal cord injuries and many other mobility troubles to live with dignity, pride, and most crucial independent of other people.

The monkey also makes an outstanding companion for people with mobility impairments.

Since the crackdown on exotic pet laws, primates are no longer able to be imported into the United States.

The Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers has been helping people with mobility issues since 1979. They provide training, and keep close tabs and provide assistance for the companion monkey along with constant monitoring of the health of the monkey including, nutrition, behavioral, and medical needs. They give the capuchin monkeys, the training, and assistance free of charge. They are only able to do this because of generous donations and the help from volunteers.

For more information on service monkeys, guide monkeys, or companion monkeys contact the Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers. Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers

Ferrets are also used as service animals. They are able to sense in advance a seizure. They also give a person a calming effect avoiding seizures. Learn more about ferrets as service animals.

Animals as service animals have amazing potential; especially exotic animals as service animals. They technically are not an exotic pet but a companion animal. As far as I am concerned any animal that loves us and lives with us is a companion and not a pet.

My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides