[nagdu] Another Reason for Having Your Own Harness

[Brent Reynolds]

On 2010-08-20 dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net said:
    So, update me which schools do actually transfer ownership upon
    graduation. The only ones I'm finding thorough research are the
    Seeing Eye and GDF, Guide Dog Foundation?
----SNIP----

Hi, Dan,
The Seeing |Eye has granted full ownership of the dog upon the students'
leaving the school at completion of the training.

Some time around 1998 or 1999, Leader Dogs for the Blind initiated an
ownership policy essentially similar to that of The Seeing Eye, but I
believe they may have modified it since then.  Since you got your dogs from
there, maybe you could fill us in on the nature of any type of ownership,
real or pseudo, that you got when you left with your most recent dog.

Unless they have changed it in the last few years, the "ownership" contract
from GDF (Guide Dog Foundation) is a conditional one.  You can apply for
ownership a few months after you go home with the dog, I'm not sure how long
a time that is.  My understanding is that this ownership is conditional,
giving the school the right to repossess the dog under certain conditions.

Guyding Eyes for the Blind has an ownership policy similar to that of GDF,
and Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) also has a conditional ownership a for
which a grad can apply six months or a year or so after returning home with
the dog.

One member of the GDUI list who got a dog from Southeastern Guide Dogs
within the last two years or so, said tthat school grants full ownership
upon finishing the training and going home with the dog.

Any ownership contract that comes with conditional clauses that gives the
school the right to repossess the dog if you do certain things, or don't
meet certain conditions as to how you care for the dog, is not, in my
opinion, a true ownership agreement.

In 2002, 2003, and maybe in 2004, there were at least three incidents where
used Seeing Eye harnesses appeared for auction on Ebay.  At least one of
those incidents was where a man had died and a relative put the harness up
for auction.  The school worked to get Ebay to pull the auctions and
contacted the people involved to try to convince them why it was not a good
idea to do that.  We all know of cases, and many of us have actually met
people who have asked where they might get such a harness, since they would
love to pass their sweet little angel pup off as a service animal so they
could be allowed to take it anywhere and everywhere without question.

The last time I was at The Seeing Eye was the end of August through the
first half of September, 2004 when I got Mychal, my |big yaller burd dawg."
The school had just instituted a policy whereby they retain ownership of the
harness, something other schools have always done.  Previous to 2004, The
Seeing Eye's policy was that, if you don't need the harness any more, they'd
love to have it back, since they could use it as training gear.  Some dogs
do have a chomp on that nice smelling leather occasionally, until they are
taught that such behavior is not exactly desirable and that it might have
some temporarily unpleasant consequences.  I still have harness gear going
back into the 1980's when I had my third dog, Glory.

In that 2004 class, we were told about the incidents of harnesses appearing
for sale on Ebay, something some of us already knew, since the saga was duly
reported on several of these guide dog lists, I think, including this one.

We were told that our new harnesses would have the phrase, "Property of The
Seeing Eye," along with a serial number, stamped on the underside of the
back strap.  Then, the class supervisor gave us a spiel something like this,
(paraphrasing):

We woill sign a short statement which gives us the traditional full legal
ownership of the dog and the school retains ownership of the harness.  We
agree not to use it on any dog other than our own Seeing Eye dog, and that
we won't let anybody else use it on their dogs.  If we want to keep it
around as a keepsake, that's just fine.  If we want to nail it up on the
barn wall like a bar decoration, that might be ok, too.  However, we agree
that we won't offer it for sale anywhere, and if we no longer want the
harness, we agree to return it to the school.

I have read since then on at least one list where one person said that upon
retirement of the dog, she was told that she should return the harness to
the school.  I'm not completely clear on that one, though I will probably be
finding that out fairly soon.  There was nothing in the short half-page
ownership agreement I signed in September, 2004 stating that I must
absolutely return the harness to The Seeing Eye.

Maybe some of us should call all the schools and see if we can get a clear
handle on the nature of the policies relating to ownership of the dog and
the harness gear.

Brent Reynolds, Atlanta, GA  USA
Email: burddawg at bellsouth.net  Phone: 1-404-814-0768