Kelsey Moncayo looks down at her guide dog, Cali. Cali helps Moncayo
with her day to day activities and helps her cope with her PTSD.
Esteban Cortez / The Collegian

Every morning, a German Shepherd attends a political science class at Fresno State.­ Cali, the guide dog, arrives early to every lecture and sits quietly in the front row.­ She remains focused and alert.

Cali is one of the many guide dogs that can be seen daily on Fresno State’s campus, walking with their handlers and lying beside students in the classroom.­ Health codes generally prohibit dogs from such locations, but these are not typical dogs and their jobs are quite important.

Service dogs are trained to assist people with a variety of disabilities such as blindness, immobility, diabetes, epilepsy, autism and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).­ A dog’s unique sensibilities combined with special training can alert a person to danger they might not detect themselves.

Kelsey Moncayo, a pre-veterinary major, suffers from PTSD and severe panic attacks.­ These conditions can put her into disassociate episodes, similar to being in an unconscious state.

“I’m awake, but not consciously there.­ I can hallucinate and not know what is real,” Moncayo said of her panic attacks.

She has had a service dog, Cali, for the past three years.­ Cali, a German Shepherd-Greyhound mix, can sense these episodes and then respond accordingly with a barking signal to bring her back to reality.

Cali helps Moncayo in many ways.­ She leads her to safety by navigating through a crowd, to an exit and then home.­ Cali can even help prevent these episodes from happening by discerning specific triggers and then signaling Moncayo to vacate the area.

She will even serve as a cushion at times, standing in a way that will block others from standing too close to Moncayo, which she calls basic blocking.

Moncayo feels that service dogs are very important and helpful.­ She believes Cali has saved her life.

“My disorder began six years ago. I couldn’t be in large crowds, I was skipping class, had insomnia and a university life was impossible to consider.­ Now, I am attending a school with 21,000 students.­ My grades have improved, I sleep, have friends and a social life.­ Before Cali, my world was very small,” Moncayo said, with a smile.­ Her attacks have also significantly declined.

“She has a natural ability and is super special. She’s like an extension of myself, like family.­ The most beautiful part of a service dog is not just the service, but the bond,” Moncayo said, looking down at Cali, who was lying perfectly still beside her.­ “People cannot respond to my needs the way she can.­ She is not just willing, she is happy to help.­ Even in my mood swings, she gives me unconditional love,” Moncayo added.

Cali received training through classical conditioning while wearing a vest.­ The vest signifies to Cali and to others that she is on duty.­ It is best not to distract a working dog; doing so could put the dependant individual’s life in jeopardy.­ Asking before touching is a good rule of thumb.

“When her vest is on, she knows not to sniff,” Moncayo said, referring to the dog’s constant state of awareness and obedience.

Max Soler, a political science major and dog lover, has a class with Moncayo.­ Although they’ve never spoken, he said, “I don’t know why, but I often look to see if the two of them are there that day.­ I’ve wondered what her disability is because it’s not obvious.­ Then I think how wonderful it is that a person with a disability is able to come to school, all because of this dog.”

Many service dogs, like Cali, were once homeless or neglected pets. Many guide dogs come from shelters before they are trained by their new owners with the aide of qualified organizations.

Others have been bred specifically to fulfill this special purpose.­ Ajax, the yellow labrador guide dog of linguistics graduate student Holly Jenson, was bred to be Jenson’s eyes because she cannot see.­ They’ve been together for only two-and-a-half months.

“There was a long waiting list to get him,” she said.

For 24 years, Jenson used a cane, which made navigation difficult.­ Her flow of travel has been much smoother now with Ajax.­ Also, she claims the cane, came with a stigma.

“He [Ajax] has changed the way people perceive me,” Jenson said, “They can relate to the dog.­ He’s popped the bubble that I lived in.”

Jenson and Ajax are still getting to know one another, but Jenson has already developed strong notions about their friendship.

“I believe God created dogs to be our helpers,” Jenson added.­ “The book of James says that ‘everything good and perfect comes from above.’­ I believe dogs are good and perfect.”

Both Cali and Ajax get time off from duty.

“When we get home, the harness comes off,” Jenson said of Ajax, “I don’t want people to think that guide dogs are always on the job.­ He has play time, but it is structured.”

Moncayo added, “When at home, Cali is independent and has her own attitude like a human.­ Sometimes she doesn’t want to do something I tell her to do.­ She likes to chase bugs and play fetch.”

Cali’s ears turned back at the mention of this.­ She looked up at Moncayo after this remark. But realizing that no fetch would happen at the moment, she returned her chin to a resting position on her front paws.

Although service dogs are common on campus, the exact number of students with them is unknown.

“Students are not required to show documentation or proof of a service animal according to the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Jeanette Johnson, the disability management specialist of Services for Students with Disabilities said.

Stevee Lopez, a student assistant at the Madden Library, said a man came into the library last week holding a Chihuahua.­ When she advised him that the dog was not allowed in the building, he claimed it was a service dog.­ Lopez did not question his claim.

“We can’t ask why, but dog owners should be required to carry documentation,” she said.

The vagueness of the service animal law says they may be used for “any disability,” with no documentation, which does give leeway to fraudulent abuse.­ Moncayo fears increased discrimination against her and her dog because of this abuse.­ Since her disability is not visible, she is often thought to be deceitful by those around her in public places.

“It’s a felony to fake. It’s a big deal,” Moncayo warned.

“I think the public perception of service animals is that they are trained to work with people with physically apparent disabilities, when in actuality many are trained to perform tasks for many disabilities, visible or invisible,” Johnson said.

“These animals provide a very valuable service to our students and other members of the campus community,” she added.