[nagdu] different schools

[Jenine Stanley]

Thanks Albert and Marion. Here's the main part of my original message on
GDF's ownership policies as a clarification. 

First let me say that GDF, and I think I can speak for most other guide and
service
dog schools, does not want to take your dog away from you. We want teams to
succeed,
work safely and stay healthy for a long time. We will do whatever it takes
to keep
a team together. No school wants to reclaim a dog, especially under severe
conditions.
That said, GDF does own the harness and all graduates sign an agreement
stating such
and that GDF has the right to remove the harness should we feel the team is
not safe.
GDF approaches ownership from the application process onward. To say there
is one
set policy would not quite be accurate. Each person's situation is reviewed.
We have
several different levels of "ownership". These policies are subject to
change so
please contact us for the most recent policy. Please understand that we do a
great
deal of customization within these general policies as well so the answer to
a question
may very much depend on the individual being discussed.
1. Full Ownership: This means exactly what it says. Upon graduation you own
your
dog legally. We do ask that if you need to retire the dog within the first
24 months,
you strongly consider returning it to us for evaluation.
If there is cause to reclaim a dog, abuse, unsafe working methods, etc., we
do not
have the legal authority to remove the dog. We must be ordered to do so by
some legally
responsible body such as a judge or animal control officer. This situation
is extremely
rare. It is however the exact same set of circumstances under which any
school offering
full ownership may reclaim a dog, including The Seeing eye.
In simpler terms, if you own your dog through GDF, we cannot come to take
the dog
unless doing so under the direct orders of some legal body.
2. Custody:
People may opt to allow GDF to maintain custody of the dog for the first
24months.
Permanent custody may also be an option if desired. Under this type of
agreement,
the school may directly reclaim the dog if it feels the team is unsafe or
the dog
is being abused or neglected. We do not require any other legal authority.
Why might someone choose custody? Most people who do so say that they want
to make
sure the dog comes back to us should anything happen during those first 24
months.
Say someone is living alone, may have family members pressing to get the dog
upon
retirement, etc. This option allows the school to legally take possession of
the
dog according to the person's wishes. Also, for many of our dogs trained to
assist
with other disabilities, the time spent training that particular dog is a
significant
investment. If it does not work with one person, the school would like the
ability
to re-evaluate the dog for other work.
3. Delayed Graduation:
For some people getting a guide dog is a big step. They may have had
situations in
their past that caused us to question their ability to handle a dog. Rather
than
summarily rejecting someone, we may offer delayed graduation. This means
that the
training department will work with the person to develop individual goals
that must
be met before full ownership is granted.
I hope this cleared things up a bit. If anyone has questions about our
ownership
policy, please write me off list at
jenine at guidedog.org
. GDF grads may call the Consumer Services Office for more specific info.

Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com