[nagdu] Guide Dog Handler Bill of Rights

[Peter Donahue]

Hello again everyone,

    I also had a guide dog school refuse to take back a retired guide dog. 
When I retired Tim SE suggested that if I couldn't keep him myself that he 
should be rehomed in Texas rather than returned to New Jersey for placement 
in a retirement home. My sister took him. He was able to live out the last 
few months of his life in the lap of luxury. Just had to share that 
interesting little twist on the return and repossession of guide dogs by 
training programs. Everything worked out in the end.

Peter Donahue


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 8:46 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Handler Bill of Rights


I know of instances where a person got a dog from a program, brought
it home for six months and the partnership didn't work out.  The
handler honestly felt that the dog was not happy as a guide at all,
was unsafe, and would be better off as a pet.
She owned her dog so could make that judgement.  Some would argue that
the dog should have gone back so that the "professionals" could
evaluate him.  However I have seen more than a few "professional" dog
trainers with some pretty serious kennel blindness.  I think that most
handlers know the dog and can honestly say whether a dog should be
retired, go back to the program, or be kept in the home as a pet.  I
honestly think most handlers have the best interest of the dog at
heart and that they will do the right thing.

If I went to a program, I would expect a very rigorous application
process, complete with references both personal and professional,
medical evaluations and interviews.
I would expect for my behavior both before and after I got the dog to
be evaluated and observed while I was at the program.
Then I would expect that upon completion of the program I am given
full and complete ownership of the dog with follow up services only
initiated upon my request.
If there are allegations of abuse or neglect I would expect them to go
through proper channels such as the local animal control organization.
I am an adult, I deserve to be treated as such.  In my view,
withholding ownership makes it clear that the program does not trust
me, or my handling skills which makes me wonder why the application
process is so strict if they're still not going to trust me.

I have not found  a program which I can live with.  I'm Deafblind and
communicate using American Sign Language, so my program choices are
already limited.  Programs like TSE don't accept deafblind people if
they don't have cochlear implants and weren't former students before
the hearing loss.
The only programs that I know of for sure who will instruct deafblind
people using ASL are Leader Dogs and Guiding Eyes, both of whom have
unacceptable ownership policies.
So even though I don't have a program dog, I still have a vested
interested in this issue because eventually, when I'm old, I will not
want to run around training puppies.
It is my hope that more programs will follow the example of The Seeing
Eye and offer no strings attached ownership upon completion.  I don't
even mind paying toward the dog if this could happen.  Hopefully some
day.

Rox and the Botanical Barkers:
Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"The only problem with troubleshooting is, sometimes, trouble shoots
back."
http://www.pawpowercreations.com
pawpower4me at gmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl

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