[nagdu] vet reports and other issues

[Linda Gwizdak]

Hey, Rox, what program was that you described in your post? I want to be 
sure I never go there?!!  I hope they've been disbanded by now!


Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 10:13 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] vet reports and other issues


> Hi Linda and all,
> I'll tell you a bit about some experiences with the program where I  went 
> for my first two dogs.
>
> I went to a program who had mandatory follow-up at the time.  I became 
> very ill with a brain tumor and mentioned the fact on my follow-up  visit. 
> At that time surgery was a very strong possibility.  I had  several 
> friends willing to care for my dog at that time.  However my  field rep 
> told me that she felt it was in the best interest of the dog  to be be 
> removed back to the program should I need surgery.  It didn't  matter that 
> I had chosen reliable and responsible people to care for  my dog.  The 
> field rep was going to take her.  I was terrified.  When  I received this 
> dog she was very under weight, had parasites and was  eating a food that 
> my instructors in class said that she was "probably  allergic to."  I was 
> afraid to send her back there after I had gotten  her at a healthy weight 
> and parasite-free and eating food which didn't  make her ill.
>   I very luckily did not need surgery and shortly there-after applied  for 
> ownership for my dog.  I asked for my ownership papers no less  than four 
> times, on for different instances.  They kept mysteriously  getting lost 
> in the mail.  I called another trainer and she made sure  I got the 
> papers.
> I filled them out so I legally owned my dog.
>
>
> When she needed to retire I called the program.  She was around six- 
> years-old at that time.  She had severe degenerative joint disease and 
> did not have use of her left front leg.  The program wanted to bring  her 
> back to the school for evaluation for possible re-issue even at  her age. 
> There is no doubt in my mind what so ever that they would  have taken her 
> if I had not owned her.
>
> During my relationship with this program I felt very threatened by my 
> field manager.  She would frequently say demeaning things about other 
> graduates and it was very clear that she felt like we, the grads,  should 
> be "grateful" for what we had and that gratitude should  manifest itself 
> in letting the program have a great deal of control  over the dogs and 
> grads.
>
> She never took my harness or threatened to take my dog after the first 
> time when I almost had brain surgery.  Justified or not, I felt very 
> threatened.  I have not returned to that program.
>
>
> Rox and Laveau, Guide dog, CGC
>
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