[nagdu] Pit Bulls could once again live in cities with bans

Thu Aug 26 13:40:44 UTC 2010

Well said, Jewel!  And I'm with you on chihuahuas.  The only dog attacks
I've faced so far have been from those.  We have some good chihuahua buddies
who are very sweet, but killer attack chihuahuas drive me up the wall.
There was also the attack cat that wouldn't let us pass to continue down the
sidewalk.  Then actually got Mitzi on the rear end when we finally got
around it.  Right after a haircut, naturally.  Very strange.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jewel S.
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 7:19 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Pit Bulls could once again live in cities with bans

Is it disturbing to insist on having a doberman pinscher for a service
dog? Is it disturbing to insist on having a German shepherd? I just
don't see how it can be any different for a pit bull. I have known
some awesome pit bulls and I have known some horrible ones. I have
known the same for many breeds of dog...the worst on the latter side
was a ten-year-old chihuahua....*shudder* I had some "nice" bites on
my ankles and hands from that dog. Let's ban chihuahuas!

I do not believe one breed should be banned over another. If a ban is
placed, it should be only in an apartment complex and on all large
dogs...large dogs just don't belong in tiny apartments all day while
people are at work (service dogs, going out with their handlers all
day, are different, of course).

This man should not have had to fight for his service animal to be
permitted. The law specifically states that service animals arae to be
permitted wherever the public is. And please don't think that just
because the man's condition is PTSD that the dog is an emotional
support only dog....PTSD is a serious condition. The dog may warn him
of people walking up behind him (I knew a guy with PTSD who, if
apprached from behind, could very likely grab the person and fling
them to the ground before even realizing it), warn the handler of
incoming panic attacks so he can remove himself from the situation
either temporararily or permanently, and could possibly be able to
prevent panic attacks with various methods (licking face or hands,
paws on the lap or hip, etc.). Unless you know what the dog
specifically does, please don't assume that it is an emotional support
animal.

Finally, I don't see where he "insisted" on having a pit bull. It is
the dog he chose for his service animal, or a school chose for him. He
may have chosen the dog for temperament, personality, or anything else
and may not have even considered the breed an issue at the time. Let's
not assume that he thinks his dog *has* to be a pit bull, please. If
you had a pit bull guide dog, wouldn't you be insisting equal access?

My two (or four) cents,
Jewel

On 8/25/10, Sherrill O'Brien <sherrill.obrien at verizon.net> wrote:
> This insistence on having a pit bull is disturbing.  This sounds like an
> emotional support dog to me.  Aside from making this guy feel secure
> wherever he is, is it mitigating a physical disability?  We don't have
> enough information here to know for sure.
>
> Sherrill
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]On
> Behalf Of Ginger Kutsch
> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 8:56 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: [nagdu] Pit Bulls could once again live in cities with bans
>
>
> Pit bulls could once again live in cities with bans
> written by: Jeffrey Wolf Kevin Torres
> 9News.com
> http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=149806
> <http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=149806&provider=t
> op&catid=188> &provider=top&catid=188
> DENVER, COLORADO  - Glenn Belcher and his dog Sky enjoy walking
> and playing in Cheesman Park, but Walker couldn't get his dog
> there without a fight.
>
> He filed an injunction and a lawsuit with the city, letting him
> bring Sky, who is a pit bull, anywhere.
>
> "I'm more responsible of this dog than most parents are with
> their children," Belcher said.
>
> He is a Gulf War veteran and suffers from post traumatic stress
> disorder (PTSD). For the past two years, Sky has served as his
> service dog.
>
> "He's my medication and I have a prescription written for him,"
> Belcher said.
>
> That prescription comes from the Denver VA Hospital. Very soon,
> others with disabilities will also be allowed to have pit bulls
> as service dogs in other cities that have bans like Denver.
>
> "That's the type of dog they've chosen to have and they should
> have every right with their disability to have whatever dog they
> feel is best suited for them," Jennifer Edwards, an attorney with
> the Animal Law Center, said.
>
> Tuesday afternoon, the Denver City Council discussed a ruling
> from the federal government that says they have to allow people
> with disabilities the right to have pit bulls as service dogs if
> they choose.
>
> "I think the consensus is: you have to do something. You can't
> ignore the fact that the Department of Justice has signaled that
> if a person with disabilities claims as their service animal a
> kind of dog you've banned in a municipal ordinance, that you're
> going to have to accommodate that person's wish to have that
> animal as a service animal," David Broadwell, an assistant city
> attorney, said.
>
> The city says it could be difficult to manage.
>
> "Clearly there has to be an observed linkage between the person's
> disability and the service being provided by the dog. It will
> either be evident or it won't," Broadwell said.
>
> The Denver City Council will discuss the issue again next week.
>
>
> (KUSA-TV C 2010 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
>
> In your voice
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>
>   attherally wrote:
> I love my pit bull!!
> 8/25/2010 5:34 AM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend   Permalink
>
>   denvertouch wrote:
> Simply Pathetic. I would a PITBULL with newborn children over
> nearly every other breed of dog. PEOPLE have TRAINED these
> animals to be killing machines....they were not created that way.
> 8/25/2010 5:06 AM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend (3)   Permalink
>
>   Taurus2 wrote:
> I'll be they make great service dogs. Pit bulls are extremely
> loyal,happy and friendly dogs. It's the idiots who raise them to
> be otherwise that are to blame for any viciouseness they display.
> 8/25/2010 4:06 AM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend (3)   Permalink
>
>   DCrook wrote:
>
> Right turn, Clyde!
>
>
> 8/25/2010 1:16 AM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend   Permalink
>
>   kingofkings80011 wrote:
> You know what.... I have a two year old Blue nose Pitbull and Lab
> mix and I live in Aurora Colorado. My dog never once bit anybody
> nor displays any angry behavior. I know people say it's the
> owners who torment these dogs to make them killing machines,
> which is true in most younger owners(meaning gang bangers), but
> there's people like my father that says just because there a
> Pitbull he is gonna kill someone! There are people in power that
> thinks like my father and says to just get rid of them because
> they all have a bad name because people wants to have a weapon
> killing machine! I say re-do the ban on all dogs, and if anyone
> comes across "any type" of dog to call animal control and have
> them removed. I hope they really do left the ban for all people
> to have pitbulls again in cities. I mean they made pot legal, why
> not this!
> 8/24/2010 11:46 PM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend (2)   Permalink
>
>   strkssd wrote:
> i love this story. Someone standing up for the pit bulls, and
> showing what good they can do if trained properly. I love it!
> 8/24/2010 11:08 PM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend (4)   Permalink
>
>   thejeepuwant wrote:
> omgomgomg~wtfwtfwtf :D
> 8/24/2010 10:54 PM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend (4)   Permalink
>
>   omgomgomg wrote:
> So then, what ARE the statistics for monkey driven tank attacks?
> I guess I was hasty in saying that they were less likely to
> happen.
> 8/24/2010 10:37 PM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend   Permalink
>
>   BrutalMaster wrote:
> mmmmmm
> 8/24/2010 10:33 PM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend (1)   Permalink
>
>   topscratch wrote:
> To omgomgomg and bizzman662;
>
> You both are very funny. Ridiculous, but funny. The Justice
> Department actually addressed monkey's and wildlife in the
> decision.
> http://network.bestfriends.org/campaigns/pitbulls/pages/americans
> -with-disabilities-act-title-ii.aspx
>
> I guess tanks might generally be safer, but that also depends on
> when you started counting fatalities related to them. Certainly,
> less people have died as a result of tank attacks in Denver, but
> worldwide, perhaps you should talk to a veteran of our military.
> Particularly if you are going to insult their intelligence.
> 8/24/2010 10:28 PM PDT on 9news.com
> Recommend   Permalink
>
>
>
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-- 
~Jewel
Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com

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