[nagdu] NFB and Dogs

[Cindy Ray]

The NFB's attitude toward has done a total turn about. It may well have been more the individuals than the organization, and, of course, when the Iowa Orientation Center was started, that was clearly a plan that would not include dogs. If you think about how long ago that was, the use of dogs hadn't been nearly as wide spread as it is now. We all know that we don't like to see poorly behaved dogs and people who appear to be incompetent handlers to us; I think that is true anywhere, especially where people know about dogs. I think the fact that we have now this larger and more powerful division in NFB that deals with the needs and rights of guide dogs, the fact that there is now a relief area at the NFB National Center, the numbers who are coming to convention with dogs speaks volumes about the attitude. That isn't to say everyone's attitude has changed, but as we are changing what it means to be blind we are also changing the attitude about the use of dogs. There have been other evolving attitudes. I think that people who say that the NFB doesn't like dogs are spouting off old news and, perhaps somewhat inaccurate news at that. This may vary some in affiliates. When I moved back to Iowa with my dog, a dog which I did not have when I left here, I expected to have a problem with that. I was even told that I couldn't expect people to "make over" my dog. Well, people in Iowa and in the NFB liked dogs as much as the next person, I wasn't treated much differently from anyone else, at least not because of the dog <Grin> and my dogs and I have been welcomed at NFB functions. I think we all have to shout it from the roof tops: dogs are welcomed in the NFB!

CL