[nagdu] Flying cats and other creatures

Tue Jan 27 23:03:15 UTC 2009

Well, you sure let the cat out of the bag.--smile.
I suppose you told us the plane truth about that.

All joking aside, you analizyed it well, the article was shaudily done.

Dan W. and the hounds  

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Ann Edie
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 5:01 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Flying cats and other creatures

Hi, Dan,

To my knowledge, there are less than half a dozen people currently using
guide horses or in the process of having a miniature horse trained as a
guide.

But, of course, that's not the only inaccuracy in this newspaper article,
which mashes together the questions of pets versus service animals, the
question of non-canine service animals, the issue of people fraudulently
claiming an animal is a service animal to gain entry into places with "no
pets" policies, the distinction between the Air Carrier Access Act and the
ADA, the issue of certification, and a few other details that I'm sure were
too much trouble for the writer to bother his head about.  The bottom line
is, as always, don't believe everything you read in the paper.

Best,
Ann

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Weiner" <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 3:20 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Flying cats and other creatures

> Oh, allergies, I've heard the allergy excuse from cab drivers until I'm 
> sick
> of it, honestly.
>
> Maybe those with allergies should inform the airlines that they can't be
> next to animals.
>
> Now, one sentence in the article makes me wonder.  It says that "many" 
> blind
> people are using guide horses, do we know just how many?
>
> Cordially,
>
> Dan
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Ginger Kutsch
> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 10:57 AM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nagdu] Flying cats and other creatures
>
> Flying cats and other creatures
> By Ken West
> Published: January 26, 2009
> Lynchburg News, VA
> http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/lifestyles/features/article/flying
> _cats_and_other_creatures/12799/
>
> The once "friendly skies" aren't so friendly any more. Families need to 
> take
> extra precautions when flying with children or older adults who have 
> health
> concerns. An example follows.
>
> After New Year's, my son and daughter-in-law were flying from Dulles to
> Portland. Patrick and Sarah are both medical doctors in Oregon. During the
> flight, Sarah's eyes began to swell. She took on asthma-like symptoms and
> experienced difficulty breathing normally. Although doctors, both became
> worried as her symptoms worsened without any apparent explanation.
>
> Upon "deplaning," the two watched in disbelief as the couple sitting
> directly behind them pulled two cats in cages from underneath their seats.
> Along with 15 percent of the American population, Sarah has a severe 
> allergy
> to cats. Unlike many Americans, she has immediate access to a colleague 
> who
> is an allergist.
>
> Nevertheless, the next day she was forced to greet her new AIDS patients
> while wearing a patch over one eye and with skin speckled with rashes. She
> imagined the patients were wondering if they should be the ones wearing
> plastic gloves.
>
> Not so simple
> My initial reaction was to wonder why cats were allowed on planes. 
> Quickly,
> I discovered that the issue is more complicated than I thought (see
> "Assistance Animals" below). While some airlines do not allow passengers 
> to
> carry pets in the cabin, others allow owners to pay a hefty fee to stow
> animals under their seats.
>
> What remains inexplicable is why airlines are not required to check with 
> and
> relocate people who may have allergies to animals.
> In addition, there are some people who simply don't like animals.
> On a long trip to Hawaii, I was forced to sit away from my family. I 
> looked
> at the person next to me. To my surprise, I saw four eyes staring back: 
> the
> passenger's and her dog's. It's not that I don't like dogs, but I do 
> dislike
> the permissiveness of many dog owners. I was not happy.
>
> Fortunately, the stewardess asked if I would mind trading seats with a
> person who had asked to be moved and was also not seated with a family. 
> But
> when I sat in my new seat, there was a man next to me who must have 
> weighed
> 400 pounds and totally covered the armrest between us, and more. I could
> only smile, thinking that the person who asked to be moved was now looking
> into a dog's eyes.
>
> Assistance animals
> The most intriguing argument about animals on planes concerns which ones 
> are
> truly assistance animals. We are accustomed to, and tolerant of, guide 
> dogs.
> However, the definition of assistance animals is expanding. National 
> Public
> Radio interviewed Rebecca Skloot, who writes about airlines and 
> restaurants
> and people who advocate they broaden their views of "assistance animals."
>
> Skloot told of a man named Jim Eggers, who has bipolar disorder.
> He is now allowed to carry his parrot named Sadie on planes and into
> restaurants. "Sensing that her owner is on the verge of a psychotic 
> episode,
> Sadie talks him down with, 'It's OK, Jim. Calm down, Jim. I'm here, Jim.'"
> (NPR)
>
> Many blind people have traded in traditional guide dogs for guide 
> miniature
> horses, which can legally help their owners through stores and 
> restaurants.
> Why? "Horses tend to live and work into their 30s, whereas a guide dog 
> will
> work six to eight years total," Skloot explained.
>
> As readers can imagine, expanding the definition of assistance animals
> creates challenges. People are not required to prove their animals are
> trained to help with their disabilities (which also do not require
> documentation). Unfortunately, some people take advantage of the loose
> regulations. Stay tuned.
>
> Common sense
> Few people would object to a person taking an assistance animal on board. 
> We
> would even have empathy for people carrying animals on board, which could
> not bear the temperature changes that might occur in a plane's cargo hold.
>
> However, I am amazed that airlines are not required to inform passengers
> that an animal will be near them and then to reseat people, if they have
> allergies or strong objections. Warning: If you or a family member has
> allergies, the skies are no longer friendly.
>
> Ginger Bennett Kutsch
> Morristown, NJ
>
>
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