[nagdu] GDF's ownership policy clarification

[Jenine Stanley]

Julie asked me to clarify GDF's ownership policy as there seems to be some
misunderstanding. 
 
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