[nagdu] legislation, education & sugar ray

Thu Jan 21 17:03:32 UTC 2010

Bunny,

Well said!  And congratulations on your results with Sugar Ray.  I didn't
know the history, and it was great to learn more about where he started to
get where he is now.  Great work!  I've spent the past year and a half
learning the trials and rewards of rehabbing a rescued dog from my
roommate's hound Daisy.  She had improved a lot under his care when Mitzi
and I blundered into their lives and were accepted as roommates by Daisy's
recommendation.  /smile/  Apparently, we were the only candidates who past
the Daisy test, meaning she didn't try to eat us the minute we walked in the
door.  In fact, she came and laid her head on my lap while DD and were
talking things over.  Mitzi did the same to him, of course.  So our fate
were sealed!  /grin/

Anyway, it has been wonderful to see her anxiety go down and her health go
up.  She has a nice, full, shiny coat now, to wear on her healthy, trim,
3-legged figure while she sings and bounces happily about.  She plays nicely
with others (that being me and my poodle), and has begun to offer up play
behaviors in our games.  /smile/  Her version of fetch and soccer still
involve tossing the ball to me, then baying at me to find it and toss or
kick it back.  /lol/  So I have a heck of a time finding the ball, since I
didn't hear where it went over all the echoes.  Still, she's learned to find
it again for me, most of the time.  She and Mitzi play catch with eath, too,
or give each other turns with the ball when I'm the one throwing or kicking.
Very cool.

Keep up the good work!  And keep on discovering and learning to enjoy your
new life.  

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Bunny Davidson
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 11:42 AM
To: National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] legislation, education & sugar ray

I agree with Marion that the law to carry a card would violate the rights of
the many owner/trainers of  guide dogs and service dogs -  I too am included
in that group, and i would have no way to get an ID card.  should i be
denied equal rights under the ada because i didnt get a dog from a school?

I for one, have had a lifetime of experience training and showing dogs as
well as working professionally in the pet care industry...all prior to 
becoming disabled..I chose to pull my last 2 dogs off death row at a pound
and rescue them, get them healthy and train them for service dog use.
BTW-thanks for the congrats note judi about sugar ray being S D of the
month.  Yes he is a completely different looking dog, way strong, healthy
and no
more cowering or object shyness (he used to panic at a door opening, a broom
being picked up etc).  He hasn't had any reoccurred of colitis or any other
health issues..
-and sunday at church when we were singing the closing song, he got a
compliment from the people behind us for his tail doubling as a metronome,
he wagged to the beat! lol...

I wonder what a person using a siezure alert dog says when they are asked
what trained specialized tasks the dog preforms for them? 
would the store owner or bus operator be able to properly decide the dog
barking and getting hyped b4 a siezure comes on is truly a specifically
trained task that assists the disabled person and would qualify as a true
service dog under the law..?  

I think no matter how well defined the laws are, there will always be
questions from the non service/non guide dog using public/workers/ police/
waitresses/ bus drivers...
I am a firm believer that not many people take the time to really read any
laws...and many will read into them whatever suits them..you can not
legislate ethics (those who pass of pets as guide or service dogs) , and you
cant legislate  kindness or common sense or empathy (those like in my
waitress experiences).

I think anna hit it on the head...make it too expensive (fines) for
buisnesses to NOT EDUCATE THEMSELVES on the ada and how to properly
communicate/inquire of folks with service or guide dogs that enter their
businesses...

Hey a couple times over the years ive been in stores and had rude and nosey
customers come up to me and tell me my dog wasnt allowed in store! while
staring at its SD vest & SD emblem sewn on it..or had folks yell from one
end of the isle ' arent you cute. come here boy! ..then they wistle or
clap...CLUELESS! LOL...

I thank god every day for my dog...he has given me my life back..not the
life i had before, but at least i dont hate my life anymore cause i live a
different way...
Even so sometimes i do get very depressed and discouraged at the new
challenges i face as a "differently abled" person..
I dont know what i would do if suddenly he wasnt "allowed" in public..

Bunny

_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390707/direct/01/
_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
.net