JEFFERSON COUNTY — Dogs are man’s best friend, but the Jefferson County Sheriff is reminding residents that while it’s great to be friendly to pups, giving attention to service dogs while they are working can be harmful to the dog and to his or her handler.

Sheriff Jeff Bullard says he has had a resident ask him to get the word out on this issue. He says giving attention to a service dog can distract the dog when they need to have 100% focus on their partner.

Bullard says the best thing to do when you come in contact with a service dog is to pretend the dog is not there.