[nagdu] Service Animals in Health Care Failities

Sun Aug 30 23:23:42 UTC 2009

Nicole,
    Your message raises another question for me. What is the type of area at 
your doctor's office in which you are restricted from taking your dog? I 
feel it is important for everyone to know that, according to the Centers for 
Disease Control's guidance on this, there are very few areas in which a 
service animal "poses a direct threat that cannot be mitigated by a 
modification of policies, practices, and procedures". These places are those 
in which everyone must take "universal precautions, i.e., wear gloves, 
gowns, & masks. It is not reasonable to expect a service animal to undergo 
such precautions. The entire document is attached to this message.

Fraternally yours,
Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nicole B. Torcolini" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2009 3:34 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Requirement of a Harness


> For those times that Lexia is out of the harness, but I still need people 
> to
> know that she is a guide dog, she has a vest that I bought and sewed two
> patches on; I don't remember what the patches say.  .  An example of a 
> time
> that I would use it is I take her to the doctor with me and have to leave
> her with someone because she can not go into a certain area.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Julie J
> Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2009 8:04 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Requirement of a Harness
>
> Marion,
>
> *let's consider our stays in hotels. During convention, I always give my 
> dog
> a day off in the middle of the convention. However, our policy requires us
> to not leave our dog unattended in the rooms. Therefore, I allow my dog to
> accompany me out of harness. From your perspective, would this be 
> unethical?
>
> *
> For me this is not something I would do.  When I went to convention with
> Belle I did give her time off, but I did have her harness on while I used 
> my
> cane and took her along on leash.
>
> *suppose I want to relieve my
> dog. Should I be required to harness my dog to take her out if I do not 
> wish
> to work her? * Again for me it would depend on where I was, how far it was
> to the place to relieve her and what I would have to go through to get
> there.  At a large, no pets hotel, with a long way to go to get outside, 
> yes
> I would probably put the harness on whether or not I was working her or
> using my cane.
>
> *And, if while I am out, I decide to stop into the restaurant to get a
> couple of cups of coffee to take back to my room for merry and me, should 
> I
> be restricted from entering into the restaurant if my dog is not in 
> harness?
> * Restricted, I don't know.  Again I would not be comfortable taking my
> guide dog into a restaurant out of harness.
> *Does my dog pose any greater threat to those in the restaurant if she is
> not in harness?* No, not at all.  But I don't think that is the issue.
>
> *    While I am at work and the dog is lying under my desk, should I be
> required to keep my dog in harness to satisfy some ethical consideration? 
> *
> no.  That is your space.
>
> *Some schools and even more users train their dogs to guide on leash 
> without
> the harness.  Again, if I am at work and wish to get a drink or step 
> outside
> for some fresh air, should I be required to put the harness on my dog?*
> Required? no, I don't think so, but again I think I would put the harness 
> on
> to do these things.  I also teach my dogs to leash guide, but even if I am
> using leash guiding in a public situation, I still have the dog in 
> harness.
>
> I don't think it's an easy distinction to make, when to put on the harness
> and when not to.  I think Ann Edie said it all better than I could ever
> explain in her post from last week or the week before.  I don't think that
> we should be required to have our dogs in harness in particular 
> situations.
> I do think we need to make every effort to make sure that the public knows
> that our guide dogs are guide dogs.  I think this is best done by having
> them wear their harnesses.  Incidentally I also think that other types of
> service dogs should wear a vest or other identifying equipment, not 
> because
> it is required, but because it is an easy way to identify them as service
> dogs.   It's like a name tag.  Sure people can do a job without a name 
> tag,
> but doesn't it make things easier for the public when you can be easily
> identified?
>
> I definitely don't think we need more rules about when or where or how to
> handle our guide dogs, but at the same time I think we need to do 
> everything
> in our power to help the public understand what is what so that no one 
> feels
> that more rules are in order.
>
> Of course this is JMHO
> Julie
>
>
>
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