# Cookie – PTSD Service Dog (ADA Information)
**Dog Name:** Cookie
**Breed:** Maltipoo
**Handler:** Sung Kim
**Location:** Syosset, New York
**Primary Role:** PTSD Nighttime Alert & Abnormal Breathing Alert Service Dog
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## What Cookie Is Trained To Do
Cookie is a **task-trained service dog** who helps her handler manage symptoms of **Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)**, especially during sleep.
Cookie performs the following **nighttime alert tasks**:
1. **Nightmare & Abnormal Breathing Touch Alert**
When her handler shows signs of distress during sleep – such as nightmares, pauses in snoring, irregular breathing, or tense body movements – Cookie approaches and **physically touches** her handler (with her paw or body) to interrupt the episode and help restore awareness.
2. **Escalation Bark Alert**
If physical touch does not wake the handler or the breathing still appears abnormal, Cookie escalates her response by **barking** to ensure the handler fully wakes up and can return to normal breathing.
3. **Proximity Monitoring During Sleep**
Cookie naturally moves around the bed area and adjusts her position during the night so she can stay within range to notice changes in movement and breathing. This allows her to respond quickly if PTSD-related symptoms appear.
These tasks are specifically intended to **mitigate disability-related symptoms**, not just provide emotional support.
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## ADA Service Dog Status
Under the **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)**, a service dog is defined as a dog that is **individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability**.
Cookie meets this definition because:
– Her handler has a disability covered under the ADA (PTSD).
– Cookie is **individually trained** to perform specific tasks (nighttime touch alert, escalation bark alert, and monitoring) that help reduce the impact of PTSD symptoms, especially during sleep.
Because of this, Cookie qualifies as a **service dog under federal law**.
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## Public Access Rights
Under the ADA:
– Cookie is allowed to accompany her handler in **most public places**, including restaurants, hotels, stores, and transportation, as long as she is under control and housebroken.
– Staff **may not require** certification, an ID card, or medical documentation as a condition of entry.
– Staff may only ask the **two permitted questions**:
1. Is this a service dog required because of a disability?
2. What task has the dog been trained to perform?
A simple and accurate answer for Cookie is:
> “She is a PTSD service dog trained for nighttime alert tasks, including touch alerts and escalation bark alerts during nightmares or abnormal breathing.”
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## Behavior & Control
Cookie is trained to:
– Remain calm and under control in public settings
– Stay close to her handler
– Avoid disruptive or aggressive behavior
If Cookie were ever to be out of control or not housebroken, the ADA allows a business to ask that the dog be removed. The handler would still be allowed to remain without the dog.
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## Contact
**Handler:** Sung Kim
**Primary Location:** Syosset, New York
**Emergency Contact:** 718-483-5160