[nagdu] Animal Advocate Calls Blind Guide Dog Users Cruel &unfit

Sun Mar 8 17:52:44 UTC 2009

Animal Advocate Calls Blind Guide Dog Users Cruel &unfit, PETA,
Off-Base or Playing to Public Fear?
Donna W. Hill 
The American Advocate
March 07, 2009 
"We oppose most seeing-eye-dog programs," says Daphna
Nachminovitch, PETA's vice president for Cruelty Investigations,
in an interview with the LA Times´ "LA Unleashed." 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/01/when-we-first-r
..html

E mail PETA at: DaphnaN at peta.org 

Nachminovitch´s objections go beyond PETA´s distaste for breeding
programs. "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." PETA also claims that
schools force blind people to return their retired dogs. 

Nachminovitch doubts the fitness of most blind people to care for
their animals, "A deaf person can see if a dog has a medical
issue such as blood in her urine, a blind person living alone
cannot." PETA´s solution would return blind people to lives of
dependence; "The human community should do more to support blind
people, and give dogs a break. ."

Outraged guide dog handlers and puppy raisers from many schools
commented on latimes.com refuting every point. Letters to the
editor and Op-Ed pieces were submitted to the Los Angeles Times.
Some people, like Tampa-based clinical hypnotherapist,
professional musician and speaker Marion Gwizdala,, president of
the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)
http://www.nfb-nagdu.org/

wrote to Nachminovitch directly.

"The biggest problem we face as blind people," writes Gwizdala,
who holds a Master of Science degree in mental health counseling
and has been in practice since 1996, "is misunderstanding and
lack of information. It is unfortunate that you choose to
promulgate the myths that create barriers to our full inclusion
in society. "

Are Nachminovitch´s comments adding to an underlying bigotry
toward blind people? Unemployment among working-age blind
Americans is seventy percent. Blind Americans are also more
likely to be underemployed and living in poverty. Nonetheless,
there are blind lawyers, engineers, chemists, doctors, mechanics,
teachers, parents, etc. 

Why the disparity? Many believe that it all boils down to the
changing nature of what it means to be blind. Throughout history,
there have always been blind people who have insisted upon living
productive and independent lives. The ancient Greek poet Homer,
English poet John Milton and American author James Thurber were
all blind. Most Americans are familiar with the accomplishments
of Helen Keller. The fact, however, that she is the only blind
woman most people can name and that she died over fifty years ago
speaks volumes about the added obstacles society places in the
paths of blind women.

PETA's solution of having sighted people take over for guide
dogs, insulting as it is, simply mirrors the prevailing social
attitudes. Despite changes in legislation and a revolution in
technology which allows blind people to participate more fully in
all aspects of modern life, popular sentiment continues to paint
blindness as a sentence to dependence and uselessness. The truth
came out in a Louis Harris poll done in 1991. The National
Organization on Disability (NOD) commissioned them to find out
what America really thought about people with disabilities. The
survey summary, quoted from NOD's 1992 book "That All May
Worship," edited by Ginny Thornburgh, states, "The public views
disabled people as fundamentally different than the rest of the
population, feeling admiration and pity most often.
Embarrassment, apathy and fear are also common." 

We will probably never know PETA's true motivations for making
these statements. Nachminovitch's remarks are so all-inclusive,
so concise and so thoroughly off-base that it is hard to believe
they were not deliberately calculated to prompt donations from
dog lovers who are either unfamiliar with guide dog programs or
uncomfortable with blind people and misinformed about their
capabilities. It is possible, of course, that she nurtures a
habit of willful ignorance and is not inclined to investigate
anything she speaks about. In either case, PETA's bullying of
blind people seems a waste of resources. 

The thought that schools would force blind people to give up
their beloved helpers is anathema to many guide dog users.
Schools have retirement programs but they are voluntary. They
exist to take up the slack in cases where a blind person can
neither keep their retired guide nor find a suitable home among
friends and family.

"More often than not," Gwizdala continues, "our dogs live out
their lives with their blind caretakers. My previous guide dog
worked until he was fourteen years old and lived out the
remainder of his sixteen years with me."

Gwizdala, who is also the music director at New Life Unity Church
in Tampa, is working with Louiza, his twelve-year-old German
Shepherd/Collie mix. He performs under the stage name "Marion &
Martin" – a reference to his Martin guitar – and is recording his
second solo album, a collection of original songs, covers and
contemporary arrangements of traditional music in the new thought
genre. Visit Marion's web site at: http://marionandmartin.com

Cheryl Echevarria (42) of Long Island, New York is a certified
medical insurance specialist and medical biller. Maxx, her
three-year-old black Labrador retriever from the Guide Dog
Foundation for the Blind (Smithtown, NY), is Cheryl's first guide
dog. 

"Hold on there," she says in response to PETA's idea that guide
dogs aren't given any affection and are forced to wear their
harnesses 24/7, "Yes I use my dog when I walk to the bus and go
out shopping, or any place I go to be independent. But even when
I am at work, Maxx has a nice comfy spot under my desk. No, he
doesn't need to be tied down, and no, he doesn't sit there all
day with his harness on. I take it off and he sleeps or chews on
his bone until I need to go somewhere with him." 

Cheryl works at Sunrise Medical and was the first visually
impaired person to graduate from Branford Hall Career Institute
in medical billing. She is a member of New York's Association of
Guide Dog Users, and treasurer of the Greater Long Island chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind of New York:
http://www.NFBNY.org

She recently started a group for one of her favorite activities,
cooking. The Blind Cooks e mail list is a place where people can
exchange ideas about techniques, equipment, accessibility issues
and other topics of interest to blind cooks as well as
professionals in the culinary arts and those who wish to enter
the field. For more information go to,
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-cooks_nfbnet.org

Guide dog schools all teach handlers not to allow people to pet
the dogs when in harness. There is a difference between work and
play, and it is safer when people respect that. Guide dog
handlers regularly report that people approach them while the dog
is in harness and pet the dog without even saying hello. Most
people ask to pet an unfamiliar dog and respect the person´s
wishes. If they say no, they don't pet the dog anyway or assume
that no one ever pets that particular dog. The fact that this is
what happens when strangers encounter guide dogs is evidence that
blind people are not respected as independent adults.

"When we are home," says Echevarria, who has a twenty-year-old
daughter, three grown stepchildren and four grandchildren, "he
runs around the house like any dog. Plays in the backyard, and
gets spoiled by my husband and my daughter and any friends that
come in contact with us."

Cheryl, who is legally blind due to diabetic retinopathy, had a
kidney transplant from a living donor in 2005. She belongs to the
Diabetic Action network (DAN):
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Diabetics.asp?SnID=2100697185

DAN is a resource for all diabetics especially those with vision
loss. Blind diabetics can and do accurately draw up insulin and
monitor blood glucose levels.

Are blind people, many of whom monitor their own serious health
conditions like diabetes, unqualified to meet the health needs of
their dogs as PETA implies? The comments made to me by my first
guide's vet in Philadelphia echo across the decades. One of his
professors at the University of Pennsylvania's School of
Veterinary Medicine said that if a blind person brings in their
guide dog and tells you they think something's wrong and you
can't find anything, keep looking. 

For a less anecdotal and more current perspective, we need look
no further than the November 2008 report "Guide Dog Health
Survey" by the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF):
http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/pdf/GuideDogHealthSurvey-FI
NAL_12-12-08.pdf

MAF, which was started in 1948 as the Buddy Foundation to address
the health needs of the first guide dog, has since funded over
1,600 research studies benefiting animals around the world.
Concerned that health information for adult guide dogs was
scarce, they conducted a survey, not of veterinarians, spouses,
parents or the lady down the street but of guide dog users
themselves. It is the first of its kind and intended to serve as
a base-line for future surveys. Their care in preparing and
pre-testing an online survey that was easy for screen reader
users to complete was matched by not only the breadth of the
study but the many opportunities for guide dog users to comment
freely about their concerns and experiences. The 1,000+ survey
participants gave over 11,500 open-ended comments, prompting the
report's author, Patricia Olson, DVM, Ph.D. (MAF's
President/CEO), to write:

Block quote

Guide dog teams have been referred to as the gold standard for a
bond between a person and his or her dog. Handlers provide love
and care to their dogs; the dogs provide independence and loyalty
to their handler. The overwhelming response to the survey made it
abundantly clear just how much guide dog handlers appreciate and
love their dogs. Any work that allows these wonderful teams to
enjoy even better health and wellness is very important to MAF.
After all, it was important in our past to help Buddy and remains
important in our future to give all guide dogs better health.

Block quote end

Blind people share PETA´s concern for unwanted dogs. PETA,
however, doesn´t acknowledge that most guide dog schools have
already tried using shelter dogs. Too many shelter dogs failed
the programs, adding to the cost of training. Breeding programs
provide healthier dogs with the aptitude and temperament for the
work. Guide dogs perform advanced tasks, avoiding overhanging
obstacles, navigating public transportation and moving safely
through crowded pedestrian and vehicular traffic. They can find
specific locations, when trained with patience and praise. 

Here again, comments from MAF's survey underscore the validity of
dedicated breeding programs, "In fact, guide dog schools have
often been a model for evaluating health trends and reducing
disease through appropriate breeding."

A form letter from Heidi Parker, PETA´s Mail Coordinator, sent to
people like Gwizdala and myself, back-pedals on Nachminovitch´s
remarks. "Our comments were not meant to reflect badly on people
who use or train guide dogs." 

One wonders whether Ms Parker actually read her boss's remarks.
If she did, what else does she think Nachminovitch would have had
to say, if she had "intended" to reflect badly on guide dog
programs and those who benefit from them? . From the selfless
people who raise them as puppies – the family of the Hudson River
hero pilot Sully Sullenberger among them – to the volunteers in
the kennels and the trainers themselves, many dog lovers
participate in the care and training of guide dogs. If cruelty
was endemic in the programs, wouldn't someone have spoken out
before now?

Echevarria has some advice for the LA Times, "people who write
such articles should go to the schools and speak to the
professionals about the training." She also has parting thoughts
for PETA, "I hope you never go blind and need a dog. I also say
that you should learn from the experts before you open your
mouths and stick your foot in."

PETA has not seen fit to make a public apology, and the LA Times
has yet to respond. Print Share Email Your Name

Recipient's Name

Recipient's Email
  Donna W. Hill 
 Donna W. Hill is an author, singer/songwriter, recording artist,
speaker and avid knitter in rural Pennsylvania. Donna started her
music career as a street performer in Philadelphia´s Suburban
Station, a center city commuter hub, where she sang for thirteen
years. Hear clips from her third recording, "The Last Straw" at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill

Born blind from Retinitis Pigmentosa, she has a black Lab guide
dog named Hunter. He is her forth guide from the Guide Dog
Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, NY. She taught herself to
read Braille after graduating from college with a BA in English
Lit. She uses a computer with the popular screen reader, Jaws for
Windows.

Donna works to foster understanding of and improve opportunities
for blind Americans, as a volunteer publicist for the nonprofit
Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
http://www.padnfb.org

An 18-year breast cancer survivor who found both tumors herself,
she also promotes self-exam. Her articles cover a wide range of
topics including politics, literature and humor.

She is working on her first novel -- a fantasy. Her other
interests include playing piano and guitar, writing music,
knitting afghans for her local interfaith ministries and
traveling with her husband Rich and Hunter. She has also written
several editorials about the Harry Potter books for
Mugglenet.com.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/93706 

Ginger Bennett Kutsch
Morristown, NJ