Earlier this month, I met with local service dog advocates to discuss practical ways Rockville could better support service dog teams. I am proud that one of the ideas we discussed accomplishing in that meeting, creating a Rockville Service Dog Advocacy Task Force, is now moving forward.

On Wednesday, Rockville’s Human Rights Commission formally established the new Task Force to focus on ways our City can better support service dogs and the people who rely on them. Based on the research we have done to date, it appears to be the first local-government task force in Maryland dedicated specifically to service dogs and their partners.

Service dogs provide critical independence, mobility, safety and support for people with disabilities. However, service dog teams can still encounter challenges in public places, businesses, programs and other parts of everyday life. There is an opportunity for Rockville to listen directly to those who rely on service dogs and identify practical ways we can make our community even more accessible and welcoming.

That goal was one of the primary topics of my meeting with service dog advocates earlier this month during National Service Dog Month, which the Mayor and Council also formally recognized in Rockville on Monday.

I am especially grateful to Rebecca Murphy and Kelly Citrin for their leadership and initiative in helping establish this Task Force. Rebecca also serves as Co-Chair of Rockville’s Human Rights Commission, which advises the Mayor and Council on human rights issues affecting our residents.

The Task Force will provide an opportunity to hear directly from service dog users and advocates, identify challenges they experience in our community, improve public awareness and education, and consider practical recommendations for how Rockville can better support service dog teams.

I plan to work closely with the Rockville Service Dog Advocacy Task Force as this effort moves forward. I want Rockville to be a community where people who rely on service dogs can fully participate in City programs, use our public spaces and businesses, and move throughout our community knowing that their rights and needs are understood and respected.

This is an important step, but it is also just the beginning. I look forward to working with the Task Force, the Human Rights Commission, City staff, residents and advocates to identify concrete ways we can make Rockville even more service-dog friendly.