Annual event helps service animals and handlers get acquainted with public transit
Sept. 20, 2012
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority and Knott’s Berry Farm have teamed up again in a unique opportunity to help service animals and handlers get accustomed to navigating public buses.
The training day is set for Saturday, Oct. 6 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Fullerton Park and Ride, 3000 W. Orangethorpe Ave. in Fullerton. Handlers can begin checking in at 7:30 a.m. to receive their Knott’s wristbands. From there handlers will have unlimited practice boarding, riding and exiting an OCTA bus with their service animals. The round-trip training bus will depart every 20 minutes and will follow a special bus route for training day attendees.
“OCTA is proud to sponsor an event that opens the doors to independence for so many people who rely upon public transportation,” said OCTA Chairman Paul Glaab, also the mayor of Laguna Niguel. “This is a one-of-a-kind experience that will allow handlers and service animals to feel secure in a real-world setting and we are pleased to continue offering this program.”
Handlers and service animals will have access to enter the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in order to train around large groups of people and various unfamiliar sights and sounds. Admission to the park does not include access to rides and attractions.
This is the fifth year that OCTA and Knott’s Berry Farm have provided this successful training opportunity, enabling service animals and their handlers to make riding a bus a familiar and relaxed experience.
To date, the event has helped train nearly 850 service animals.
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