[nagdu] GDB question: Ownership and vet Assistance

Tue Mar 3 19:08:46 UTC 2009

I have owned Echo for several years now, from GDB, and they never said I
no longer qualified for a vet stipend.  They even sent me a letter after
Echo retired, offering to continue the vet stipend as a kind of guide dog
pension.
But they have also asked that those who do not really need help with vet
bills refrain from using the vet stipend, so there will be more for those
who really can't afford vet bills, and I have honored this request for
quite a while.  So I haven't asked for the vet stipend any time recently,
but I'm sure if I needed it, it would be there, regardless of my ownership
of Echo.
Tracy

>
> Hi Linda,
>
> If you talk to Keith, I'll be interested to hear what he says. also, I
> think there must be some people on here who currently have gDB dogs who
> could answer this question. I was still working a GDB dog in December,
> 2007, when your friend got her dog, and I am just about certain that the
> school never changed its policy so that those who owned their dogs would
> not receive veterinary assistance. I do think it's possible that they have
> been cutting back some on vet assistance in general, but I am absolutely
> certain that owning Glaze wouldn't have factored into any veterinary
> assistance I received from GDB. As I said, we were told this several
> times. (grin)
>
> I'm changing the subject of this post in case all the GDB-affiliated
> people have been skipping some of these messages. I will also ask some
> people I know when I get back home and have easier access to other email
> addresses.
>
> Angie
>
> Sent from my Nokia N82.
>
> -original message-
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] O&M, Ownership, & Leader
> From: <lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com>
> Date: 03/02/2009 8:35 PM
>
> Hi Angie,
> My friends STILL insist that GDB will pay the stipends for dogs they
> continue to own and not have the stipends for those who chose the
> ownership
> option.  Whatever, (grin!).  I'll see Keith Tomlinson from GDB next week
> and
> I'll ask him! (smile!)
>
> I'm curious as to why you have heard one thing and my friends are telling
> me
> another thing, that's all. Now, I'm all curious and would hate to see
> people
> not own their dogs because they need the financial help from the school.
> At
> Seeing Eye, we're on own as to vet bills and we have real ownership - as
> you
> know with Yani. I rather have the full, real ownership anyday!
>
> I just think it is lousey if it is really true that to get the help with
> vets you have to let the school continue to own your dog.  One of these
> people is low-income and she told me that she wouldn't own the dog so she
> wouldn't lose the vet stipend.  She got her dog from GDB in December 2007.
>
> Linda and Landon
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Angie Matney" <angie.matney at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 5:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] O&M, Ownership, & Leader
>
>
>> Hi Linda,
>>
>> I trained with Glaze in January, 2001. The policy changed sometime
>> before
>> August, 2002. I know because I remember discussing it with someone who
>> is
>> now deceased. The school sent us a special tape about it, if memory
>> serves. I think maybe your friends forgot to listen to the tape. Grin.
>> I've done that. I bet a lot of us have. But this one was something I
>> page
>> attention to, because GDB's ownership policy was the one thing about the
>> school that disappointed me. At that time, I felt the same way Allison
>> said she felt about Occupaws. I was disappointed, but it wasn't a deal
>> breaker for me, because I knew my dog would emotionally belong to me.
>> Now,
>> I would find it extremely difficult to attend a program that didn't
>> allow
>> me to own my dog.
>>
>> Anyway, for various reasons, I remember the stuff associated with the
>> policy change very clearly. This info might also be on their web site. I
>> might look later.
>>
>> Angie
>>
>>
>> Sent from my Nokia N82.
>>
>> -original message-
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] O&M, Ownership, & Leader
>> From: <lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com>
>> Date: 02/27/2009 8:30 PM
>>
>> Hi Angie,
>> When did you get Glaze?  My friends have had dogs from GDB for as long
>> as
>> I've known them - 20 years.  It could be entirely possible that they
>> don't
>> read their GDB newsletters (grin!).
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Linda and Landon
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Angie Matney" <leadinglabbie at mpmail.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 3:53 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] O&M, Ownership, & Leader
>>
>>
>>> Hey Linda,
>>>
>>> I would suggest that your friends talk to the GDB people. I had Glaze
>>> when
>>> the policy was changed. It was interesting to see the transition. They
>>> made sure to emphasize in newsletters and things that there would be no
>>> difference in service if a
>>> graduate chose to own their dog.
>>>
>>> I don't think I asked GDB to pay any vet bills after I took ownership
>>> of
>>> Glaze, but I'm certain that I could have.
>>>
>>> Angie
>>>
>>> On Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:48:57 -0800, lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com wrote:
>>>
>>>>Thanks, Angie.  I just know what my GDB friends said about the program.
>>>> I
>>>>hope what you said is the correct thing! (grin!)
>>>
>>>>Linda and Landon
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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