Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Vanity tag?

Yesterday Trooper received further documentary legitimization of his status as a service dog: a special tag from the City of Evanston emblazoned “Service Dog #21”.

Wow. Isn’t that just like one of those State of Illinois vanity auto license plates with a one- or two-digit number proclaiming its owner to be a VIP?

Not really. There are probably scores, maybe even hundreds, of service dogs in this Chicago suburb of some 75,000 residents. Most of their clients are probably unaware that Evanston issues such special tags—and waives the $10 fee for the regular dog license, whose tag also came in the mail.

Two weeks ago I went to City Hall to obtain the ordinary license, and before I stepped to the city clerk’s window thought maybe the clerk would waive the modest fee if Trooper was a service dog. Wouldn’t hurt to ask. Sure enough, there’s machinery for that, even though the clerk told me it’d take two weeks to send out for the special tag, made by a third party.

On the reverse side is Trooper's name and our phone number.

A small thing, literally, but helpful ammunition if Trooper’s public presence is ever challenged by stuffed-shirt jacks-in-office.

Number 21. This is one Very Important Dog.

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