[nagdu] Blind Teacher's guide dog Attacked

[Tami Kinney]

Sorry you had to experience that. Was your dog okay and able to work
again? It is indeed very sad, and very traumatic to the handlers as well
as to the dog. I'm stunned how many guide dog users in this area appear
to have PTSD from an attack on their guides, past and/or present. I've
been plumb lucky so far, and it makes my hair stand on end knowing
that. /shudder/

So still in these articles from all over the country, what I am failing
to hear is what are the consequences to the owners of the dogs that
attacked? I hear that here, too, in the local news coverage. A lot of
emotionalism, people feeling bad in some way or another, there must be
more laws, etc., etc. Not squat about how the owner of the dogs that
attacked is going to pay for the damage and suffer some form of punitive
consequences for not taking responsibility for a large dog with the
tools to cause a lot of damage if it is not properly socialized, trained
and managed. If people who can't take responsibility for their choices
on their own know that if their choice in a dog -- large or small --
will come back to them in a way they don't like, then perhaps they might
be more motivated to take responsibility to prevent that before it
happens? If the worst that happens to them is that they just need to
find a new dog when theirs suffers the consequences of their
mismanagement, then that's no big deal to them. I'm generalizing a lot,
but I've known enough generally irresponsible people over the years and
listened to them talk to realize that at some level they don't care who
gets hurt so long as it's not them. Be it drivers who take the wheel
thinking that they can do anything so long as no one is watching,
because it would be bad if they got a ticket, to dog owners, to petty
thieves or chronic moochers... So long as there is not consequences to
them, they really are not concerned. Give that sort a big dog, and...
It's not the dog that is the problem. It is the owner.

Er... Now that I've got the soapbox all warmed up, anybody else what a
turn? /grin/

Tami

On Mon, 2011-10-03 at 08:44 -0500, marilyn wrote: 
> Hi Everyone,
> It is very sad that guide dogs get attacked. My first guide dog and I were attacked by a Sheppard and it was the worst feeling you can imagine. You feel so helpless. Its bad enough when one dog attacks but two. 
> As far as the term Seeing Eye Dog many people don't realize its the name of a guide dog school. People call many times my guide a seeing eye dog and I correct them by saying she is a guide dog from GDF. Seeing Eye is the name of a school in NJ. 
> Marilyn and Anna
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