[nagdu] PETA opposes the use of guide dogs

[Merry Schoch]

Below are my comments:
Ms. Nachminovitch,

Your comments on the Los Angeles Times blog L.A. Unleashed is full of myths 
and misconceptions.  It is unfortunate that you have such views, and I am 
curious how such ideas have been created for you to promulgate such myths. 
I am hoping that individuals who read this blog do not buy into these 
untruths.  I find you comments very offensive; however, ignorance and lack 
of experience of certain situations can cause one to promulgate such 
atrocities.

I  have not only been a puppyraiser I am also a guide dog user.  My first 
guide is 12 years old, and he will be with me until he expires.  He lives 
with two other dogs, and when he was working he had many hours in the day in 
which to play and relax.  One of his playmates belong to my husband, and she 
is a guide dog as well.  She will be 12 years old in a few months and will 
also be with us until her life has ended.  Some individuals may not be as 
fortunate as us by being able to keep their retired dogs, but these 
individuals do not need to be bashed when they are giving up a guide that 
they have loved for many years.

I invite you to visit guide dog users and guide dog schools from across this 
nation.  We will meet in Detroit in July.  Please go to www.nfb.org and find 
details regarding our national convention.  You will learn so much about 
guide dog schools, the dogs, and the users.  Most of all, you will learn the 
immense capabilities of the blind regardless of the mobility tools they 
choose.

Sincerely,
Merry Schoch


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Meghan Whalen" <meghan at n-republic.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 8:54 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] PETA opposes the use of guide dogs


> Oh my goodness.  After I can reassemble myself from exploding, I may have 
> to write something here, though Margo said all there really is to say, and 
> I fear she said it much more politely than I could at the moment.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 6:24 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] PETA opposes the use of guide dogs
>
>
>> >From an interview with Daphna Nachminovitch, Vice-President of Cruelty
>> Investigations for PETA, in the Los Angeles Times blog L.A. Unleashed 
>> (posted 1/10/09):
>>
>> [NACHMINOVITCH:] There will never be a perfect world, but in the world 
>> we're in now, we support some working dog situations and decry others. 
>> Hearing dog programs that pull dogs from animal shelters and ensure that 
>> they are in safe and loving homes have our stamp of approval; they live 
>> with the family for their entire life, they learn interesting things, 
>> enjoy life, and love helping. On the other hand, we oppose most 
>> seeing-eye-dog programs because the dogs are bred as if there are no 
>> equally intelligent dogs literally dying for homes in shelters, they are 
>> kept in harnesses almost 24/7, people are prohibited from petting or 
>> playing with them and they cannot romp and run and interact with other 
>> dogs; and their lives are repeatedly disrupted (they are trained for 
>> months in one home and bond, then sent to a second, and after years of 
>> bonding with the person they have "served," they are whisked away again 
>> because they are old and no longer "useful"). We have a member who is 
>> blind who actually moved states to avoid "returning" her beloved dog. We 
>> feel that the human community should do more to support blind people, and 
>> give dogs a break. A deaf person can see if a dog has a medical issue 
>> such as blood in her urine, a blind person living alone cannot, and so 
>> on.
>>
>> Read the whole article (with the option to leave a comment) here:
>>
>> <href="
>> http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/01/when-we-first-r.html>
>> You can e-mail Daphna Nachminovitch at DaphnaN at peta.org
>> , or call her at 757-622-7382, extension 1338.
>>
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>
>
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