[nagdu] What would you do?

[Julie J.]

*Ditto. Our dogs are a back up for drivers who don't heed signs and 
lights or for when the driver is being careful but we just are not 
visible for some reason or for some other freak accident, but you *do 
not* cross the street by just wondering out into traffic like that. The 
school needs to be notified, and the dog needs to be taken away if he is 
going to use him/her like that. *


This bothers me, a lot.  I don't know the man or the dog or the school 
or the situation.   How then, is it possible to determine that he's 
deliberately endangering himself and his dog?  I think as not only guide 
dog handlers, but as humans we should be supporting one another.   
Perhaps he is experiencing some new health issue, hearing loss, 
dizziness or  mental confusion. Perhaps he doesn't even realize he is 
experiencing this medical issue.  Perhaps he is doing the best he can 
with what he has.  Even if he is in a state of deep despair and is 
crossing deliberately at the wrong time, wouldn't it be kinder to see if 
he is open to resources that could assist him rather than punishing him 
further by taking the dog away?

Steve, I don't know what the best thing is to do.  I think if there is 
anyone aware of the situation that has any sort of friendship with the 
man that they might want to approach him from a place of kindness and 
concern to first see if the man is aware of the seriousness of the 
situation and then to help him get connected with resources that could 
help him.  If there is no one that knows the man well, perhaps a casual 
conversation around the man within his hearing but not directed at him, 
where you talk about how you cross streets or a street crossing goof you 
made and how you learned from it could help him.

We all make mistakes.  We all have things that are scary for us.  We all 
have things with which we do not excel.  However we do all have the 
capacity for understanding and compassion.

Julie