[nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness

[Mark J. Cadigan]

thanks

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 9:33 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness


> Maybe Marion can't say which school this is, for fear of his comments (as 
> NaGDU president) being misconstrued or taken out of context or somehow 
> implying that NAGDU has a specific school endorsement or, I guess, 
> endorsing not going there. I, however, am under no such restriction. Th 
> school that he's speaking of, in this particular instance, is Leader. 
> Leader's ownership policy used to be ownership transfer upon graduation as 
> I recall, but they changed it, citing Craig what's his name who kicked his 
> dog to death and, one presumes, other issues, as the impetus for the 
> change. The change was to a two-year period of school ownership, after 
> which ownership could be requested by the graduate.
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Aug 20, 2010, at 1:30 AM, Mark J. Cadigan wrote:
>
>> What school are you referring to? I have herd references to this school 
>> from several people, but I can't figure out what school it is. Or are 
>> there several schools doing this kind of stuff. Saying the name of the 
>> school will not call down the fury of the guide dog police.
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marion Gwizdala" 
>> <blind411 at verizon.net>
>> To: "NAGDU List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 1:15 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness
>>
>>
>>> dear All,
>>>   Another very important reason for having your own harness is that the 
>>> school retains ownership of the gear. Now, most schools will not 
>>> arbitrarily reclaim their harnesses, but I have heard of a few people 
>>> from one particular school that did do such a thing and without just 
>>> cause. Since each of these people owned their dogs, the school could not 
>>> take possession of the dogs, but did repossess the harnesses. In one 
>>> instance, the school actually went so far as to go to the local police 
>>> department and assert that the dogs were no longer "certified guide 
>>> dogs" and, as such, had no rights of access. Fortunately, the police 
>>> knew better and advised the trainer of that, letting him know they would 
>>> protect the blind person's legal rights, if needed. This particular 
>>> school has since changed its ownership policy and now has demonstrated 
>>> that they are willing to repossess dogs without cause and without due 
>>> process!
>>>   BTW, in one specific case, the school could not repossess the dog 
>>> because, at that time,  the individual had ownership and the local 
>>> animal control, while making an unannounced visit, found no evidence of 
>>> abuse or neglect. In fact, the official report said there was plenty of 
>>> food in the house, fresh water on the floor, and the dog's nails were 
>>> painted! When I spoke with the investigator, he said, "The dog was 
>>> certainly neither abused nor neglected; however, the trainer was 
>>> certainly abusive to the individual!"
>>>
>>> Fraternally yours,
>>> Marion Gwizdala, President
>>> National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> National Federation of the Blind
>>> 813-626-2789
>>> President at NAGDU.ORG
>>> HTTP://NAGDU.ORG
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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>
>
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