DO NOT PET () (2020)

"Throughout human history, dogs have performed service tasks for us. Some of the earliest documented cases occurred during the First World War, when, in the U.K. and Germany, guide dogs helped people with disabilities live fuller lives. Do Not Pet: A Service Dog's Graphic Tail follows the story of one such service dog, Ruby, who gave the author Joe Biel mobility, health, and companionship through the most difficult years of his life. This comic details their personal struggles with public awareness and accommodation and celebrates their remarkable interspecies bond."

"Service dogs, wheelchair-accessible buildings, and protection against being fired due to a disability-these basic rights are all a result of the American Disabilities Act, a U.S. federal law passed in 1990. Even though 1 in 4 people in this country have a disability, it took many years of street-level activism and political advocacy to bring the ADA and its precursors into existence. The second, standalone issue of Do Not Pet is the story of that fight in graphic form, introducing the disability rights movement's boldest leaders of the 70s and 80s, as well as some of the everyday people who joined the cause and benefited from the results."

Ruby, a service dog who gave author Joe Biel mobility, health, and companionship through the most difficult years of their life, had many things to learn during her humble beginnings. This comic details the process for training a medical alert service dog, as well as other types of service dogs, the responsibility of their handlers for these lessons, and how these incredible dogs learn their skills. Service dogs are heartwarming signs of success as well as each one is a thrilling story of a successful struggle for basic human rights, and a powerful lesson in what humans and dogs can achieve by working together.