[nagdu] vet reports and other issues

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (IS)]

Oh wow, this is just awful. 
And, going with what Charleen said, that validation that you did nothing
wrong is hugely important. 
I think it's true in other areas too, areas where an individual does not
have a lot of experience. The difference though is that we are saturated
with "perfect guide dog" beliefs, and that there are so few people who
really know about guide dogs. 
Getting that validation is *hugely* important. 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of The Pawpower Pack
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 1:14 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
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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