[nagdu] Does a 'seeing-eye horse" go too far?

[Marion & Martin]

>>> Does a 'seeing-eye horse" go too far?
>>>
>>> By DAVID SCHECHTER
>>> WFAA-TV, March 20, 2009
>>>
>>> CAPTION: Tabitha Darling goes shopping with the help of her 
>>> seeing-eye
>>> pony.
>>>
>>>   FORT WORTH - If horses could talk, they'd surely say nice things
>>>   about Tabitha Darling. The horse she's currently training was abused
>>> by a previous owner.
>>>
>>>   "It's kinda like raising a kid," Darling explained. "You gotta teach
>>> them the basics, and on their level."
>>>
>>>   Once, she even trained a horse to work with the disabled, providing
>>>   confidence and independence. "I do think there should be an
>>> allowance for comfort and therapy animals, simply because who are we
>>> to judge when somebody needs something?" Darling asked.
>>>
>>>   Carolyn Finefrock is blind. She relies heavily on her dog, Ellie,
>>> who even picks up the important things she frequently drops.
>>>   Finefrock is concerned that an expanding list of service animals -
>>> from snakes to ferrets - are used by people who may not really need
>>> them. "Are they disabled enough to have the right? Are they disabled
>>> at all? Are they faking?" she asked.
>>>
>>>   Tabitha Darling is not just a horse trainer, however; she is also
>>>   legally blind. Though her vision is better than Finefrock's, Darling
>>> relies on the service and friendship of her pony.
>>>
>>>   CAPTION: Carolyn Finefrock wonders whether the definition of
>>> "service animals" is too broad.
>>>
>>>   On this day, Trixie is carrying Darling six miles to downtown Fort
>>> Worth.
>>> The horse has the route memorized, including a stop at the drive-thru.
>>>   "She gives me the independence in getting out there that I need,"
>>>   Darling said. "Because of that, my life is happier."
>>>
>>>   The use of service animals in public is protected under law. But as
>>>   the variety of service animals has expanded, the federal government
>>>   is considering limiting use to dogs only, as originally intended.
>>>
>>>   "It is a very touchy situation," said Charlotte Steward, an advocate
>>> for the rights of the disabled.
>>>
>>>   She is opposed to any changes. "If you need that to feel comfortable
>>> or sure in yourself, or to deal with your disability, why shouldn't
>>> you be able to?"
>>>
>>>   CAPTION: Tabitha Darling at the checkout counter.
>>>
>>>   "It's just like using a walker or a cane, in my opinion, to get
>>>   around in the community," Steward said.
>>>
>>>   It's one thing to debate what should and should not be a service
>>>   animal while it is working outside. But what happens when a disabled
>>> person brings an animal inside a business - and it's not a dog?
>>>
>>>   That's what many folks wonder when Darling rides Trixie inside a
>>> Fort Worth Target store.
>>>
>>>   Under the law, businesses must welcome all service animals or risk a
>>> discrimination lawsuit.
>>>
>>>   CAPTION: Tabitha Darling and Trixie leave the Target store in Fort
>>> Worth.
>>>
>>>   The government says limiting service animals to dogs only means more
>>> predictability for stores and continued public acceptance for those
>>> who need animals the most, like Finefrock, who relies on her service
>>> dog. "It would be better than letting people abuse it and put it at
>>> risk for everyone else that have real, legitimate disabilities," she
>>> said.
>>>
>>>   But is there someone who can say the way Trixie - a horse - opens up
>>> Tabitha Darling's world is not legitimate?
>>>
>>>   E-mail dschechter at wfaa.com
>>>
>>>
>>>   http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/wfaa0
>>>   90320_w
>>>   z_serviceanimals.541d8299.html
>>>
>>>
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