Participants will help service animals get the feel of riding a bus from the ARTIC to Downtown Disney and Anaheim GardenWalk
ORANGE – All the best-behaved breeds will board the bus this Saturday, April 7 when the Orange County Transportation Authority hosts the semi-annual Service Animal Training Day.
The day of training gives trainers and their service or therapy dogs the chance to ride the OC Bus system to get familiar with large crowds, loud noises and unfamiliar sights and sounds while boarding and riding the bus.
Saturday’s training event will be held at the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, making stops at Downtown Disney and Anaheim’s GardenWalk, which includes shops, restaurants and entertainment destinations.
OCTA has offered service annual training for more than 20 years, now hosting two events per year in the spring and fall.
Roundtrip buses will run every 20 minutes from ARTIC to Downtown Disney and the Anaheim GardenWalk. Participants can ride the designated route for free and for as many times as they’d like to get familiar with boarding, riding and exiting a bus.
The ARTIC bus terminal is at 2626 E. Katella Ave. in Anaheim.
Afterward, participating trainers and their dogs will receive a special OCTA Transit Training patch, a token of appreciation for participating in the event.
For many service animals in attendance, this is their first experience riding public transit and navigating through a bus terminal.
Skills to be practiced by the animals during the event include:
- • Stepping from the curb to the bus • Walking on the wheelchair ramp • Lying down under a bus seat.
The buses available for the event will be solely used for participants who sign up. Taxis and ACCESS buses will also be available for practice boardings.
OCTA encourages participants to hop aboard a Metrolink train to practice the feel of riding a train, as well. Standard Metrolink fares apply.
For more information, visit www.octa.net/animal.
