[nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness

Fri Aug 20 22:10:14 UTC 2010

Hi Mark,

You can contact the school(s) you are interested in attending and simply ask
what happens after graduation and once someone graduates from their school,
who owns the guide dog? They will either tell you or avoid the question. If
they don't want to answer, you can figure the answer is one they think you
won't want to hear!

Let me know if this makes sense to you, and what your thoughts are, OK?

Best,

Cathryn Bonnette

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Mark J. Cadigan
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 9:46 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness

I don't currently have a guide dog, but I am going to be applying to a 
school in the near future. I would definitely like to avoid the schools with

a very custodial attitude. In researching schools what should I look for? 
The school is not going to state on there website that they do X Y and Z 
wrong, and, no one wants to say the name of a school when they have a 
problem with them.
Very confused,
Mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 7:41 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness

> Mark,
>    all of the schools retain ownership of the tack; however, some are more

> custodial than others. What those who are deciding to get dogs should 
> consider is the ownership policies of the school. If the school does not 
> transfer ownership upon graduation, one should question why this is so! If

> we, as blind people, have the capacity to raise children without, why do 
> schools feel as if we are unable to properly care for our dogs and, thus, 
> need to "supervise" us and have control over our lives in this way?
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion Gwizdala
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 1:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness
>
>
>> 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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