[Blindtlk] Another Question for the Guide dog Users

[Sherry Gomes]

Hey Diane,

I can only speak to one school, but yes, from time to time, a person will
decide, for a variety of reasons that a dog is not the right solution for
them.  When this happens, the dog is returned to the school, put through a
training evaluation, and if it can still work, it is put back in a training
string and reissued.  People have varying feelings about getting a reissue
dog.  I got my first guide dog in 1975, and my current guide is the first
reissue I've ever had, though I always said I'd be willing to have one.  In
this case, the woman who had my dog was elderly with a high level of
remaining vision and found she left her dog home a lot.  On her own, she
decided to send her back to the school.  I had just retired my previous
guide, and I have very special needs due to other disabilities.  When this
dog came back, they evaluated her and decided she would be a good match for
me.  She was three when we began training, and I can't tell you enough how
delighted I was training with a seasoned dog, one who had already been
through it, already been out in the world as a guide.  Just the one year
difference made a huge impact, though this girl was probably born with an
old soul.  In the future, if they told me they had a choice of two dogs for
me, both equally suitable, but one was a reissue, I'd take the reissue in a
heartbeat.

all that, probably more than you care to know, but to tell you that yes,
dogs are often reissued, and it can end up being a wonderful situation for
both sides of the partnership.

sherry


-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Graves, Diane
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 7:15 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Another Question for the Guide dog Users

Hi Marion,

I'm  sorry. Not sure what happened there. It was being a bit stubborn when I
was trying to send it so maybe something was out of sync. I'll paste it here
again, and hopefully it will go through this time. Here it is:

As many of you know, I have been toying with the idea of trying a dog for a
long time. I just keep weighing the pros and cons, and haven't yet decided
which side to come down on. (smile)  Unfortunately I was not able to attend
the division meeting in Orlando. I just have one quick question for you.

Suppose I decide to take the plunge, and then a few months down the road
realize that this wasn't a good choice for me and I want to go back to being
a cane user? What happens to that dog. Is the dog just wasted, when it could
have gone to someone who was more sure? Can a dog be reclaimed and given to
another user? What would the options be? I certainly don't want to be
responsible for wasting a valuable animal that I know costs thousands to
train.

Any insight or info would be appreciated.

Diane Graves
Civil Rights Specialist
Indiana Civil Rights Commission
Alternative Dispute Resolutions Unit
317-232-2647
 
"It is service that measures success."
George Washington Carver
 
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-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Marion Gwizdala
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 8:59 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Another Question for the Guide dog Users

Diane,
    For some reason, the messages in the body of your email do not show up. 
There are attachments, but I am very cautious about opening atachments 
without messages in the body.

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Graves, Diane" <dgraves at icrc.IN.gov>
To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 7:38 AM
Subject: [Blindtlk] Another Question for the Guide dog Users


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