Gibson Maryellen, Williamson Linzi, Dell Colleen Anne
Department of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, Canada.
Department of Psychology and Health Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, Canada.
Animals (Basel). 2023 Oct 3;13(19):3091. doi: 10.3390/ani13193091.
Service Dogs (SDs) are an increasingly common type of working dog supporting people with disabilities in Canada. One of the groups being paired with SDs is Veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs). In past research, Veterans have expressed stress over negative interactions with people in public spaces because an SD brings attention to their disability. There is a dearth of research exploring perceptions of SDs in public settings.
A total of 485 Canadians were surveyed via an online questionnaire about their demographic information and beliefs about SDs in public spaces. Data were analyzed using robust ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to determine which demographic features, if any, contribute to perceptions.
Generally, the Canadian public holds highly positive perceptions of SDs being in public spaces. Our analysis found that women, people who currently have pets, and Indigenous people were more supportive of SDs in public spaces than others. People with certain cultural heritages were less receptive.
These findings are an important beginning contribution to the growing SD and Veteran health field.
服务犬在加拿大是一种越来越常见的工作犬，为残疾人提供支持。与服务犬配对的群体之一是被诊断患有创伤后应激损伤（PTSI）的退伍军人。在过去的研究中，退伍军人表示，由于服务犬会引起人们对他们残疾的关注，他们在公共场所与他人的负面互动中感到压力。目前缺乏关于公众对服务犬看法的研究。
通过在线问卷对485名加拿大人进行了调查，询问他们的人口统计信息以及对公共场所服务犬的看法。使用稳健普通最小二乘法（OLS）回归分析数据，以确定哪些人口特征（如果有的话）会影响人们的看法。
总体而言，加拿大公众对公共场所的服务犬持有高度积极的看法。我们的分析发现，女性、目前养宠物的人以及原住民比其他人更支持公共场所的服务犬。具有某些文化背景的人接受度较低。
这些发现是对不断发展的服务犬和退伍军人健康领域的一项重要初步贡献。
