[nagdu] rejected by the lions club?

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Mon May 3 18:00:19 UTC 2010


Jessica,

Yeah, getting the dog out to a lot of places during socialization is vital
and not as easy as it sounds.  /grin/

I was fortunate to live near bus routes during Mitzi's youth, although it
was a long time before she was ready to ride the bus.  We had really good
walking routes there, too, and a nearby dog park with a really good crowd,
where we could both socialize and find buddies to go places with while she
learned to ride in cars.

I ended up having to hire cabs for some travels and to get her used to
proper car manners.  And pay clean up fess a couple of times, I'm afraid,
even though they insisted that I didn't.  There are things you just don't
get clean enough with your oops kit, and so I paid the same extra that I
learned they charge drunks for their added, er, deposits.

The cab riding -- with extra cleaning expense and overdone guilt tipping as
well -- was pretty hard on the budget, but I considered it a necessary
training expense.  My friends all work and have busy lives, but they were
always great about including Mitzi in trips by bus or by car so that I could
give her exposure and some light prep training while I did whatever I was
doing with my friends.  That was cool, but I still had to make special trips
for specific training.

And it *does* get expensive.  I was never able to find assistance for
training expenses or any expense, and hadn't planned on it.  It would have
been really, really nice, though.  /smile/

For now, have fun getting to know your curly cute thing.  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jessica Pitzer
Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 6:18 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] rejected by the lions club?

He's 15 weeks yesterday, so almost 4 months, he's obviously not ready
for guide training, but we need to go places, tons of places for
socialization, I have a family member who is willing to help but she
also works so I want to find volunteers to.
I asked them for volunteer help, monetary help, donations, whatever.

On 5/2/10, Neil Vosburgh <ndvosburgh at comcast.net> wrote:
>     Hi Every one:  This is Neil Vosburgh, and though I personally would
not
> be an owner/trainer I commend anyone who does that, more power to them.
As
> to the rejection response from the Lions Club, I believe they are
concerned
> about risk to the owner/trainer and to the public at large.  I'm afraid
they
> are thinking from a more negative perspective.  As for anyone who is blind
> and trains/owns a dog, I wish them the best.  All of us are confronted by
> those who say a particular thing can not be done because I believe
> primarily, they can not see themselves accomplishing whatever the thing
is,
> and so doing, they place their own belief that it can not be done.  So
much
> for the supposed "Experts."   Thanks for your time.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jessica Pitzer" <rolosgirl at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 3:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] rejected by the lions club?
>
>
>> Go for it. For me so far the costs have been shipping for the dog,
>> equipment, food, soon I will be paying vet care, training, etc. I was
>> just asking for a little help whether it be money or time, even if
>> they'd just help us go for walks, take us places for soialization etc.
>> Jessica
>>
>> On 5/2/10, Albert J Rizzi <albert at myblindspot.org> wrote:
>>> Well, first we have someone who understands some of what goes into some
>>> people's choices  in their options for mobility. We also have another
>>> misinformed individual who knows nothing of the handlers who prefer to
>>> owner
>>> train their dogs. We also have a person who has a strong affiliation
with
>>>
>>> a
>>> school that the Lion's Club committed raises funds for. So, perhaps
there
>>>
>>> is
>>> an opportunity to educate miss rosemary on the fact that some people are
>>> very adept at training their dogs and that as a president of a chapter
>>> she
>>> needs to be better informed before she offers advice or as I have
>>> interpreted the tone, condemnation for those who choose to owner train.
I
>>> would be happy to suggest forwarding this email to our lion's list serve
>>> and
>>> ask them their opinion, and I would even offer to write her, for I
myself
>>>
>>> am
>>> a lion and would welcome the opportunity of opening her eyes to the
>>> truths
>>> about guides and options with everything that is Lionism. She is just
>>> unaware and ignorant of what is possible in this regard, and may
>>> obviously
>>> be getting her skewed  opinion  from the organization  which she and her
>>> club give so much money to and get so much publicity from for doing so.
>>>
>>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>>> CEO/Founder
>>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>>> New York, New York  10004
>>> www.myblindspot.org
>>> PH: 917-553-0347
>>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>>> is
>>> doing it."
>>>
>>>
>>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Jessica Pitzer
>>> Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 3:53 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: [nagdu] rejected by teh lions club?
>>>
>>> Hi all,
>>> following is an email I received in response to an email I sent to my
>>> local lions club about asking for help with some of the costs of owner
>>> training. I'm.. not quite sure how to feel right now except baffled as
>>> we have some many owner trainers and I just embarked on this journey
>>> myself.
>>> Thoughts?
>>> On 5/2/10, Rosemary Richert <rosemary at richertnet.com> wrote:
>>>> Hi Bert,
>>>>
>>>> It is highly unusual, and questionably irresponsible, for someone to
>>>> train
>>>> their own guide dog.  The state only recognizes service animals which
>>>> have
>>>> been professionally trained.  Any other such dogs may be banned from
>>> places
>>>> which would otherwise allow access to service animals.  Necessary
>>>> training
>>>> of the dog is very comprehensive and time consuming.  And,
subsequently,
>>>> training of the blind person with the dog is, also, very comprehensive
>>>> and
>>>> time consuming.  For the person's training, alone, three weeks of
>>>> on-site
>>>> training with the animal determined best suited to their needs is
>>> required.
>>>> The blind person needs to prove their orientation and mobility skills
>>> before
>>>> even being accepted into a training program.  Without proof of the
>>> adequacy
>>>> of those skills, they will not be accepted.
>>>>
>>>> I served on the Board of Directors of Leader Dogs for the Blind for
four
>>>> years, and am the person who convinced the facility to become trainers
>>>> for
>>>> the blind/deaf community...to the best of my knowledge, it remains the
>>> only
>>>> facility with qualified instructors of deaf/blind individuals.  I tell
>>>> you
>>>> this, so that you may understand that I have a credible background in
>>> these
>>>> matters, and know whereof I speak.  I would strongly caution your Lions
>>>> club, or any other Lions club, about considering involvement with a
>>>> person
>>>> who thinks they can train a guide dog for the blind on their own.
>>>> Involvement under such circumstances could come back to haunt an
>>>> otherwise
>>>> well-meaning club.  It would make much more sense for this person to be
>>>> screened as to qualifications; and, if qualified, be sponsored to a
>>>> recognized service do training program.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for your kind consideration.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> God bless.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> With Lionism at Heart, C
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> PDG Rosemary
>>>
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>>
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>
>
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