[nagdu] Guide dog dragged from SkyTrain sufferedserious injuries

Mon Oct 4 15:15:31 UTC 2010

Strange and unforeseen accidents are a fact of life, even for sighted folk. 
Though tragic, these accidents, some occurring to seasoned dog guide teams, 
have a stark lesson and reminders for the rest of us.  I've had a couple of 
close incidents over the last 35 dog years, no doubt some of my own 
inattentiveness, miss-reading cues of my dogs, or just plain momentary 
bone-headedness.  Fortunately, none of my situations resulted in any serious 
injuries to human or dog.

Doug Parisian
4-951 Westminster
Winnipeg, MB R3G1B7
204 231-4813
Email: eggmann at mts.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 07:26
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog dragged from SkyTrain sufferedserious 
injuries

> why are we blaming or assuming what happened. The dog was hurt, we will 
> never know what happened.
>
> The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> http://Echevarriatravel.com<http://echevarriatravel.com/>
> 1-866-580-5574
> Reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
>
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel 
> CST-1018299-10
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel 
> Inc.
>
> join my yahoogroup
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>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Steve Johnson<mailto:stevencjohnson at centurytel.net>
>  To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
> Users'<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>  Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 8:21 AM
>  Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog dragged from SkyTrain sufferedserious 
> injuries
>
>
>  Mark, good point..  If this individual is experienced in using this 
> system,
>  they should have known.  When in a crowded situation like this, I 
> generally
>  to short leash and keep my guide by my side.  Sounds that there is a
>  possibility that the handler was not fully aware of her dog's 
> where-abouts.
>  Indeed though as Cheryl pointed, it is too bad, but the underlying 
> question
>  is whose responsibility did it fall back on; SkyTrain or the handler?
>  Probably not enough information to make that call as we can only make
>  assumptions based on the little information we have.
>  Steve
>
>
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> 
> [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>  Of Mark J. Cadigan
>  Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 7:13 AM
>  To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>  Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog dragged from SkyTrain suffered serious
>  injuries
>
>  My question is, why did the dog get off? If that train system is anything
>  like the T it is probably extremely crowded and, people push and shuv to 
> try
>  to get off. The dog very well could have gotten pushed off the train by
>  mistake.
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
>  From: "Ginger Kutsch" 
> <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com<mailto:gingerKutsch at yahoo.com>>
>  To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>  <nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>>
>  Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 7:00 AM
>  Subject: [nagdu] Guide dog dragged from SkyTrain suffered serious 
> injuries
>
>
>  > Guide dog dragged from SkyTrain suffered 'serious injuries'
>  > Passengers on the platform jumped into the track to rescue the
>  > dog
>  > By Tiffany Crawford, Vancouver Sun October 3, 2010
>  > http://tinyurl.com/277d3uj<http://tinyurl.com/277d3uj>
>  >
>  >
>  > Iris Thompson's guide dog, Palm, in recovery. The 5-year-old
>  > labrador had a shattered nose, cracked ribs, and a punctured lung
>  > after being dragged by a moving SkyTrain at Lougheed Station on
>  > Thursday. People on the platform watched in horror after the
>  > doors closed on the dog's leash, and the dog was dragged into a
>  > pole at the end of the platform. Palm then fell into the tracks.
>  >
>  > Photograph by: Screengrab, Global BCA blind woman's guide dog who
>  > was seriously injured after being dragged by the SkyTrain will
>  > recover but likely will not be able to work with the blind again,
>  > a TransLink spokesman said on Sunday.
>  >
>  > Ken Hardie said the incident happened around 10:30 a.m. Thursday
>  > when the SkyTrain stopped at the Lougheed Station platform and
>  > for some unknown reason the dog disembarked the train while the
>  > woman did not.
>  >
>  > Riders watched in horror as the door closed and the dog started
>  > running along the platform to keep up with the train before she
>  > fell and was dragged along the platform.
>  > "It was terribly traumatic," said Hardie. "The poor dog was
>  > pulled off the platform and onto the track. In the process the
>  > dog struck a post."
>  > The leash was thin, he said, and it snapped just as the train
>  > left the station.
>  > Hardie said there are automatic sensors that cause the train to
>  > stop if someone or something is on the tracks at the station but
>  > because the dog didn't hit the tracks until just beyond the
>  > platform, they didn't go off.
>  > People immediately called SkyTrain security and the train was
>  > stopped, said Hardie, adding that concerned citizens then jumped
>  > onto the tracks to fetch the badly injured dog.
>  > They heaved the dog off the tracks and sat comforting her while
>  > they waited for help to arrive.
>  > The dog's owner got off at the next stop and was helped home by
>  > SkyTrain employees. Staff also took the dog to the veterinarian.
>  > Hardie said the dog suffered a broken nose among other "serious
>  > injuries" but said he is expected to survive.
>  > "It may not work again as a guide dog but we don't know if that's
>  > due to its actions of leaving the train too early or because of
>  > the injuries."
>  > The woman has filed an incident report, but Hardie could not say
>  > whether she was seeking compensation from TransLink.
>  > He said a full review will be conducted, which may include an
>  > additional investigation with a provincial safety regulator to
>  > see whether the system worked properly.
>  > ticrawford at vancouversun.com<mailto:ticrawford at vancouversun.com>
>  > - - -
>  >
>  >
>  >
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