[nagdu] Picture of Latrell and Keebler with us in New York Times column

[Ed and Toni Eames]

At 03:55 PM 8/21/2009, you wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>A New York Times reporter phoned last week and 
>interviewed Ed.  Below is her column with a 
>marvelous picture of us and the dogs.  We lived 
>in New York City for years and never made it 
>into the Times.  It's a thrill to get there now!
>
>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/health/22patient.html?_r=1&ref=health
>
>
>
>>Ed and Toni Eames and their guide dogs, 
>>Latrell, left, and Keebler, at their home in 
>>Fresno, Calif. Mr. Eames is president of the 
>>International Association of Assistance Dog Partners.
>>
>>Published: August 21, 2009
>>W. Konrad
>>
>>Because she suffers from a rare genetic 
>>disorder, 17-year-old Siobhan O’Connor walks 
>>with braces and cannot speak. Her assistance 
>>dog, Gaynor, helps Siobhan keep her balance and 
>>navigate crowds when she leaves her Santa 
>>Monica, Calif., home. The dog can also pick up 
>>dropped items or open and close doors.
>>
>>“Gaynor has been a tremendous help for my 
>>daughter physically, and a great bridge 
>>socially,” said Siobhan’s mother, Linda Karr O’Connor.
>>
>>That is why Ms. O’Connor was so surprised 
>>when the company that administers her 
>>employer’s flexible spending health account 
>>rejected her claim for hundreds of dollars of 
>>veterinary bills and other maintenance costs 
>>for Gaynor. (A flexible spending health care 
>>account lets employees use pretax dollars to 
>>pay for qualified medical expenses.)
>>
>>Service dog expenses are medical costs approved 
>>by the Internal Revenue Service, and Ms. 
>>O’Connor had filed similar expenses under her 
>>flexible spending plan in the past without problem.
>>
>>But her employer had recently switched plan 
>>administrators, and the new company balked at 
>>paying the claims. Only now, after dozens of 
>>letters and phone calls, is the check supposedly in the mail.
>>
>>“It took an amazing amount of effort, but I 
>>wouldn’t give up,” Ms. O’Connor said. 
>>“I felt like it was almost a form of 
>>harassment or even discrimination against my disabled daughter.”
>>
>>The O’Connors’ situation illustrates the 
>>financial burden that people with assistance 
>>dogs may face. Wonderful as the animals are, it 
>>can be costly to buy, feed and care for them. 
>>No health insurance policies cover these costs.
>>
>>More people are likely to enter this thicket in 
>>coming years. Although few firm numbers are 
>>available, people in the profession say the 
>>number of assistance dogs in use in this 
>>country has continually grown, as experts have 
>>been able to train dogs for more types of 
>>tasks. Besides traditional activities, like 
>>guiding the blind and acting as hearing dogs 
>>for the deaf, the animals are increasingly 
>>being used to help people in wheelchairs and 
>>children with autism. Some dogs can even warn 
>>people with diabetes that they have low blood 
>>sugar or people with epilepsy that they are 
>>about to have a seizure. Still others help 
>>patients who are suffering from brain trauma 
>>and other cognitive disorders function better in the everyday world.
>>
>>Service dogs have proved so successful for 
>>wounded Iraqi war veterans that legislation has 
>>been introduced in both the House and the 
>>Senate to start a comprehensive 
>>government-sponsored assistance dog program specifically for vets.
>>
>>There are dozens of established nonprofit 
>>organizations, including Canine Companions for 
>>Independence and the Guide Dog Foundation for 
>>the Blind, that provide service dogs free of 
>>charge to those who need them. But the wait can be long.
>>
>>Plenty of other programs, especially those 
>>specializing in the newer uses of assistance 
>>dogs, will charge you part or all the cost of 
>>raising and training the dog — which can range from $15,000 to $50,000.
>>And whether the dog is donated or purchased, 
>>once the animal is home, it becomes the 
>>owner’s responsibility to feed and groom it 
>>and keep it healthy. Food and routine 
>>veterinarian bills on average add up to about 
>>$1,500 a year, said Jeanine Konopelski, 
>>director of marketing for Canine Companions for 
>>Independence. And “if a dog becomes ill or is 
>>hurt, vet bills can go much, much higher,” she said.
>>
>>Ed Eames, president of the International 
>>Association of Assistance Dog Partners, a 
>>nonprofit advocacy organization, said, “We 
>>hate to see people missing out on this 
>>incredible aide because they can’t afford to 
>>take care of an assistance dog.” Mr. Eames 
>>and his wife, Toni, are both blind and both use guide dogs.
>>
>>“And remember,” Mr. Eames said. “This is 
>>not a wealthy group. Seventy percent of disabled people are unemployed.”
>>
>>Fortunately, there are programs aimed at 
>>helping to defray the costs of caring for an 
>>assistance dog. The following advice can help 
>>people take advantage of the resources 
>>available and get the most for their money.
>>
>>CHOOSE CAREFULLY. “There are some phony 
>>programs out there, so you have to be 
>>careful,” Mr. Eames warned. “You’ll pay a 
>>lot and end up with a poorly trained dog.”
>>
>>Look for established programs with a history of 
>>successful fund-raising and large budgets. The 
>>Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, for 
>>example, spends about $55,000 to breed and 
>>train each of the 130 guide and service dogs it 
>>places each year, and has an annual budget of $8 million.
>>
>>Assistance Dogs International 
>>http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/ and 
>>the International Association of Assistance Dog 
>>Partners http://www.iaadp.org list various 
>>organizations that train all types of service dogs throughout the country.
>>
>>Check to make sure the program you pick 
>>provides dogs and equipment like special 
>>leashes free and also covers the costs of training the human partner.
>>
>>CREDENTIALS COUNT. You want your dog to come 
>>from a program accredited by Assistance Dogs 
>>International, especially when participating in 
>>a program where you are paying some or all of 
>>the costs. This credential ensures that the 
>>program is adhering to industry training standards.
>>
>>Dogs from accredited programs are also more 
>>likely to behave well in public, making it 
>>easier for people to go to places that are 
>>often dog-unfriendly, like restaurants. Being 
>>denied such access is a common problem for people using assistance dogs.
>>
>>PICK THE RIGHT TRAINER. Recently, it has become 
>>more common for human partners to train their 
>>own assistance dogs, usually with the help of a 
>>professional trainer. This can be expensive, 
>>however, with no guarantee of results, warns Mr. Eames.
>>
>>Trainers charge anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 
>>for each dog. If you go with a private trainer, 
>>look for one who has previously worked for one 
>>of the main assistance-dog training programs.
>>
>>GET HELP WITH VET BILLS. Many veterinarian 
>>chains, animal hospitals, teaching hospitals 
>>and local vets offer discounts on services for 
>>assistance dogs. Ms. O’Connor, for instance, 
>>receives a 10 percent discount on vaccinations 
>>and other services for Gaynor from her veterinarian.
>>
>>For large vet bills, say for a surgery or major 
>>illness, check back with the organization where 
>>you got the dog. Many programs have emergency 
>>vet money available. In addition, the 
>>International Association of Assistance Dog 
>>Partners lists many veterinarian hospitals that 
>>offer free critical care for ill or injured 
>>assistance dogs and also runs a fund for people 
>>in financial need who face large vet bills.
>>
>>CHECK FOR TAX BREAKS. If your medical expenses 
>>equal more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted 
>>gross income, you can write off those expenses 
>>on your income taxes, including the cost of maintaining a service dog.
>>
>>And many companies do allow this expense on 
>>their flexible spending accounts — without the 
>>impediments Ms. O’Connor faced. Check 
>>with  your employer’s benefits department.
>