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South Colton man's service dog nominated for American Kennel Club award

Posted 8/5/15

SOUTH COLTON – The service dog of a South Colton man has been honored with a nomination for an American Kennel Club Award for Canine Excellence. Rocket vom Haus Juris – also known as Rocky -- is …

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South Colton man's service dog nominated for American Kennel Club award

Posted

SOUTH COLTON – The service dog of a South Colton man has been honored with a nomination for an American Kennel Club Award for Canine Excellence.

Rocket vom Haus Juris – also known as Rocky -- is the service dog of Jon Sabin, who suffers from brain seizures, often several times a day.

Sabin has trained Rocky, who just turned nine years old, to turn him on his side if he is having a seizure to prevent suffocation, and will hit a button that calls Sabin’s father, who lives nearby.

Rocky has also been the focus of several acts of discrimination as Sabin has brought him into stores, hospitals and other places as a service dog, a designation that has been challenged from time to time by members of the public who saw a dog in a setting they thought was inappropriate. At one time a federal agency was brought into the picture to settle interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and another time, mediation of a disagreement between Sabin and a South Colton general store owner brought an accommodation after an initial bad reaction by the store owner.

In Rocky’s behalf, Sabin has received a “richly deserved Certificate of Recognition” from AKC, a letter accompanying the certificate said.

The AKC ACE awards have been created to honor deserving canines in several categories, including law enforcement, search and rescue, and exemplary companion and service dogs.

Winners and those given honorable mentions will be announced at the end of the summer. Awards for dogs in five categories include an all-expense paid trip to the AKC Eukanuba National Championship in Orlando in December, 1 $1,000 donation to the pet-related charity of the dog owner’s choice, and an engraved medallion.

Sabin, a military service veteran who has worked as a private detective and a dog trainer, said he does not know who nominated Rocky for the award.