[nagdu] vet reports and other issues
Linda Gwizdak
linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Tue May 19 00:23:06 UTC 2009
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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