[nagdu] On, Canada - Oshawa family horrified after service dog attacked

[Jewel S.]

I'm sorry, but what? They tether the boy to the dog by the waist? So
now dogs are becoming hand-holders? I find this "service animal" to be
rather insulting to people who have autism. I worked with several
children who had disorders on the autsm spectrum (autism, Asperger's,
PPD-NOS) and found no reason to "tether" any of them to myself or
anything. Yes, the children were prone to suddenly notice something
and run toward it, but there are solutions to that besides tethering
the child to a dog. How about holding the child's hand? Or if the
child has sensitivity to being touched, as one child I worked with
did, how about an audio signal. When I worked with one six-year-old
who had autism, I bought two whistles (I actually got three, because
the two-year-old wanted one). I started with a simple "I blow, you
blow, and vice versa" game. Then we turned it into a hide-and-seek
game that he would hide and I would blow my whistle. He would blow his
whistle and I would find him, and vice versa. Then I used the whistles
to signal to him that I wanted to know where he was and that he was
all right. For example, he often preferred to play alone in his room
with the door closed, but he sometimes got in trouble doing that...who
would allow a 6 year-old alone with the door closed? Well, I did. But
he knew that if I blew the whistle, he needed to blow his so I knew he
was in his room and doing fine. If he didn't blow his whistle after a
minute or so, I'd go to check in on him. Sometimes, I found him asleep
and other times I found him about to get into something he shouldn't.
At the playground, there was no fence to keep the children away from
the road. This little boy had a tendency to run toward the road, but
when I saw this, I would blow my whistle. He would stop, blow his
whistle, then look at me. This would break his train of thought just
long enough for him to realize that he needs to get back on the
playground.

Anyway, the point is, there are better ways to deal with a child who
likes to run off than tethering the child to a dog. I don't see how
tying the child to a dog is an appropriate parental practice. I'm
sorry for the dog, but maybe it's a good thing the dog may not do this
"hand-holding" anymore. Companionship is fine, but don't tie your kid
to a dog!

~Jewel, who was a nanny for five years and has been doing childcare
since she was a pre-teen

On 8/12/10, Ginger Kutsch <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Oshawa family horrified after service dog attacked
> City says investigation is ongoing
> Aug 12, 2010
> durhamregion.com
>
> OSHAWA, ON, CANADA -- It was just over a month ago that the
> McQuade family welcomed Scotland into their lives.
>
> The black lab is specially trained to be a companion to
> nine-year-old Caden -- who is autistic -- and help keep him safe.
>
> Now the Oshawa family is worried a recent attack may have
> unravelled Scotland's training.
>
> Karen McQuade says her father-in-law was walking Scotland on a
> bike path near Wilson Road and Attersley Drive on the evening of
> July 25, when two large dogs escaped from a nearby backyard and
> attacked.
>
> "They jumped the fence and just ran at him. They pinned Scotland
> to the ground and were going for his throat," Ms. McQuade says.
> "My father-in-law was kicking them to try to get them off but
> they wouldn't budge. Finally he just started screaming for help."
>
> A neighbour was able to get the dogs off and Scotland escaped
> with a few cuts and an abscess on his back.
>
> Ms. McQuade says she can't bear to think about what could have
> happened if her son was with his canine companion that night.
>
> When the pair are out together, Caden is typically tethered to
> Scotland by his waist, to prevent the youngster from suddenly
> running off.
>
> "It's horrifying to think about," Ms. McQuade said.
>
> While Scotland hasn't suffered any permanent physical harm, the
> family is concerned about the psychological impact of the ordeal.
> He is trained not to be distracted by other dogs when he and
> Caden are out walking together, a skill the attack might have
> compromised.
>
> The family has been told by the Lions Club of Canada -- the group
> responsible for training dog guides -- to keep a close eye on
> Scotland in the coming weeks.
>
> Ms. McQuade wants the public to hear their story so people will
> take more care when it comes to leashing their dogs or containing
> them on their property.
>
> Kevin Feagan, the City's manager of municipal law enforcement,
> said an investigation into the incident is ongoing. City staff is
> still waiting on a police report and statements from two
> witnesses.
>
> "We haven't been able to confirm where the two dogs live," he
> noted. "Once we have that information, we can do more."
>
> Consequences in these situations range from a muzzle and control
> order, to "destruction" of the offending animal.
>
> If the dog in question is a pit bull -- and City officials think
> one of the dogs that attacked Scotland might be -- the Dog Owners
> Liability Act also comes into play.
>
> Ms. McQuade is hoping for swift justice.
>
> She says Scotland has made a huge difference in Caden's life in
> the short time he has been with the family, and doesn't want his
> attack to go unresolved.
>
> "He helps keep Caden safe, he helps him with anxiety, he helps
> him sleep through the night," she says. "He's a good dog, he
> didn't deserve this."
>
> Anyone who has been bitten or attacked by a dog is encouraged to
> report the incident as soon as possible by calling Service Oshawa
> at 905-436-3311.
>
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-- 
~Jewel
Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com