A WHEELCHAIR-bound woman has put out a plea out to shoppers - please don't touch my service dog.
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Anna Benakich, who lives in Cleveland, said she spent more than $20,000 getting her dog trained to help her open doors, pull her wheelchair and do the shopping.
But she is apprehensive about going out into public places for fear people will pet her dog and coax him away from her.
On a recent trip to a Cleveland grocery store, Ms Benakich was reduced to tears when a man took offence when she told him not to pat the dog.
"Due to my severe physical limitations, I needed two hands to reach up to pick up a heavy bottle of juice," she said.
"So I asked my service dog to sit up close to the juice fridge next to my wheelchair while I reached up and tried to balance the bottle.
"This man came from behind me and I saw these hands grab the dog's head, pull him forward and then start patting him.
"I dropped my basket, slapped the hand off my service dog's head and turned around and told the man not to touch him because he's a service dog.
"The man got annoyed and told me I was rude."
Ms Benakich, who has owned hte dog for four years, said she was often contending with people pulling the dog's tail, which jeopardised her safety as the dog helped pull her wheelchair.
She said people often called the dog and he would lunge towards them, pulling the wheelchair with him.
The dog wears a vest which clearly identifies him as an "assistance dog " and asks people not to touch.
The state govenrment is reassessing the Queensland Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 and is considering eight recommendations including developing a strategy to educate the community about how to deal with people with guide, hearing and assistance dogs.
The legislation is expected to provide greater awareness of people with a disability who rely on service dogs and strengthen their rights of under the Act.
