Disclaimer - I don't own The Healing Power of Dude.
Prompt: Give a 'dead' fandom fresh content. Take a fandom that currently* hasn't had a new fic update in 3+ months and write something for it.
* As long as you start writing your fic before someone updates in the fandom, it still counts for this prompt.
* Multi-fandom collections and crossovers also don't count towards whether the fandom is active or not.
Added Note: The last story posted for The Healing Power of Dude was April 2020, so it's been three years since this fandom has gotten a new story, but for this story I wanted to address the unresolved ending as the first thing to pop into my head was, "that can't be legal" and so I did a bit of research and found it depended on whether Dude was a service dog or not, which given the fact we see him being trained as a service dog at the beginning, and we get sage advice from another dog - the answer is yes. But there is a definite confusion on this matter because non-service dog emotional support animals aren't allowed.
Dude, the Law!
"Excuse me," a hand shot up from the sea of people at the school board meeting.
"Yes?" the school board member in the middle asked. "Do you have something to say regarding our current topic on tonight's agenda?"
"No," the middle school student said.
"We've got quite a few important topics to get through tonight," the school board member on the far left of the five said. "So if there is time…."
"Far more important than our school not complying with the law?" the girl asked. She leaned forward into the mike she spoke into. "I would think getting our school into compliance with the law would take priority, right?"
"Well, yes," the far-left board member said.
"What is your name, the far right asked.
"Valerie," the girl said. "But I'd like to hand this over to my friend, Amara, as she's more familiar with this topic than I am."
"That's right," a rather large boy said.
"Simon," an Asian girl said, glaring at the boy, before moving forward in her wheelchair as the mike was handed to her.
"Hello. What are you here to discuss?" said the school board member on the near left patronizingly.
"I wish to discuss the fact Roosevelt Middle School is not in compliance with the laws regarding students with disabilities," Amara said.
"Roosevelt Middle School doesn't have proper wheelchair accessibility?" the middle school board member asked.
"No," Amara said firmly. "I'm actually here to discuss a matter involving one of my classmates."
"They're not here tonight?" the near left asked, her face twisting slightly.
"My friend cannot be here tonight because he has a social anxiety disorder, but why should he not feel like he's welcome here at this school board meeting when the school board already banned his service dog from our school," Amara said, resulting in hushed whispers.
"Actually," Principle Myers said, standing up. "The ADA rules that an emotional support dog is not the same thing as a service dog. Thus, they're not afforded the same consideration."
"While that is true," Amara said, glaring at the Principle as did Simon and Valerie, "let's clarify first and foremost that while the ADA differentiates between an emotional support dog and a service dog that provides emotional support, we, as a society in general call both emotional support dogs."
"And the difference?"
"The difference lies in the fact the former is simply a dog that brings comfort while being held, while the latter is a dog specifically trained to react to their owner's anxiety attacks, which is exactly what my friend's dog does, but the ADA has certified this dog as a service dog. Thus it is against the law to bar the service dog from the school," Amara said.
"It should also be noted," Simon said.
"Simon," Amara said.
"No, I got this because it involves food," Simon said. "I want to note that Principle Meyers banned Dude from the cafeteria, so we've been forced to eat in an empty classroom because my friend can't enter the cafeteria without his Dude. So that should really showcase not only what Amara just said that the dog does, um," Simon paused.
"That he performs a necessary service to his owner," Amara said, giving Simon a look for interrupting.
"Yeah, that," Simon said. "But the one thing I remember when we were going all over this legal stuff is that you can't ban a service dog from a food establishment for the same reason you'd ban other dogs. Which is for making sure there is proper food sanitation because that dog performs an important service, but if I were in N…." He started saying, only for Amara and Valerie to give him a look. "My friend's shoes and I got banned because my service dog got banned because animals aren't allowed when the law says there is an exception to service dogs; well, boom—I'd be pissed."
"Only our friend doesn't get pissed," Valerie says. "He shuts down."
"Yeah."
"Yes, well," Principle Meyers says. "There are exceptions to this rule in the law, such as the service animal providing a disruption, him not being properly leashed, but the reason the school board sited removing him was the fleas."
"Which you can't prove was from Dude rather than a student who got the fleas from the pet?" Valerie said.
"We checked Dude for fleas," the principal said. "And none of the other students who were infected had pets. I know because I checked."
"That's statistically improbable," Amara said, giving the principal a funny look. "There were at least two dozen students, but to have fleas, they must have been in the same place."
"Around, Dude?"
"And there still would have been someone there with pets," Amara said. "But more importantly, just because Dude had fleas, doesn't mean they came from him. He could also have gotten fleas from whoever brought them to school rather than being the source."
"That," Principle Myers started saying.
"It's a conspiracy!" Simon said.
"Well, there is the issue of him never being on a leash."
"Which, as Principle, it is your job to remind him of," Amara said.
"I did," the principal said. "I gave him a long list of rules the first day he managed to get inside the school with Dude."
"How long?" Amara asked.
"Fifty-three."
"Excuse me," the school board member of the near right said, their tone far from pleased. "And where on this list was the rule about ensuring the dog was properly leashed?"
"Number thirty-one."
"Yeah. You only got to eight," Amara said.
"Not to mention fifty-three rules is a very long list to get through for a student without an anxiety disorder," the school board member from the mid-right said. "Plus, I remember you bringing this to us." They turned to the middle school board member. "Don't you remember? The flea outbreak at Roosevelt Middle School?"
"Yes. Didn't we say the dog was to stay off school property until the flea outbreak was handled? As even if the dog hadn't brought the fleas onto school property, he ended up with the fleas because, as a dog, he's at higher risk than the students, thus placing the student and his family at higher risk when there is an outbreak?"
The school board member on the mid-right leaned forward. "We're sorry Principle Myers didn't communicate that the ban from the school property was only temporary, but he is allowed back when that is taken care of. Leashed, that is."
The one in the middle looked right at Principle Myers. "That includes the cafeteria, although if the students would rather use an empty classroom, that classroom should still be made available to them. Under supervision proper, of course. Is this understood, Principle Myers."
"Yes," and then, muttering to himself. "What empty classroom?"