[nagdu] dogs getting away

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Stepper,

Hey, good to see you here!

Thank you for sharing your painful story as a reminder to all of us.  I know
I'm guilty of getting busy and distracted and then noticing that we're in a
busy parking lot and I have no leash in my hand or under my foot while I
hand over money or just chat away with an acquaintance...  And panic!  Until
I say Mitzi's name and hear the reassuring jingle or touch her curly head to
find she's where she should be.  Another tragedy averted!  Because all it
will ever take is once.  One kitty, one dog in a car that is tempting enough
to override her training.  Shudder!

Now that I can feel and use my hands more normally, I'm better about not
dropping the dog, which is a big relief to me.  But your reminder to me is
apt, because it is time to give myself another review of proper safety
procedures to make sure they become solid habit.

Happy holidays!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Stepper
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2010 2:12 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] dogs getting away

Hello all.
Stepper here.
I haven't been on here for a long time, but after reading about dogs getting
away from us I remembered this.
Back in 1982 my Yellow Lab Hart got away from me, and it was my fault!
I was visiting a friend outside of Bend Oregon, and he lived on five achers,
with his house at the back of the property.
It was a good 300 to 400 feet to the road.
We went outside so he could reweave himself.
I had no leach, or line on him.
Why should I? We were in the country, way back from the road, and so on.
Ladies and Gentleman I didn't think a thing of it.
My friend said he spotted a rabbit, and Hart was off!
He ended up on the road, and was hit in the head by a passing car, but we
didn't know this at the time.
When hit, Hart didn't even go down.
Three months later, his jaws locked opened and he couldn't shut them. We had
to go to the vet and he put him to sleep as in snore, and used a broom
handle to pry his jaws open enough so they would unhook and he could close
his mouth.
The vet told me he had been struck in the side of his jaw hard, what else
could it have been.
This happened as far as his jaws locking open bad enough he had to go to the
vet school 
in Aim's  Aiwa.
The school said they had never done a surgery like this before, and didn't
know if it would hold, it didn't.
I held Hart in my arms on Thanksgiving day of 82 while the vet gave him the
fatal injection.
I learned a lesson I never forgot, ever!
I had another guide a Yellow Lab female named Bear. I had her for 15 years.
She worked for 12 of those years.
I then placed locks on my gates at home and used them without fail.
Unless I was within a secure fenced area I had checked myself or my family
member never let my dog off leach again.
I would never go to the door to let someone in, unless my dog was secure
first in one way or another.
Please, do not live this self-made nightmare just because, or something
could happen, and you just don't want to mess with it now.
This haunted me for years.
One more thing, and I  will stop.
I found that doing the extra to make sure my dog was secure just became part
of what I do and who I am, and no big deal. But I will tell you this, it
took, even after that, disciplining myself that there is no exceptions ever!
Thank you for listening.
Stepper12 at cableone.netr
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