[nagdu] Introducing Us Finally

[Ava Foster]

Hiya /smile/. I've sort of been lurking here for a while, sometimes
posting but figure no one has a clue who I am. My name's Ava, I'm 31,
and partnered with my 2nd owner-trained dog. After a car accident back
in 2001, I lost most of my peripheral vision and my central vison was
mostly just colors and very shaky. I was blessed to have a pet dog who
took to the job like she was born for it. A service dog trainer (not a
guide dog trainer) helped me with some things, and family and friends
with others. That was Jet, my big Rough Collie (24" tall, 31" long!)
who retired early due to spay incontinence (she was hyper-sensitive to
the meds). While working wth Jet, I developed Meniere's Disease, and
began to quickly lose my sense of balance and hearing. So while my
daytime vision eventually improved - mostly - my night vision was left
more or less useless. I now am partnered with Cocoa, a 23" tall, 67lb
yellow Lab, who was trained with the help of a service dog program as
a hearing dog first, and then owner-trained as a guide. She luckily
took to it too, once she realized she could not sniff everything...and
everyone /smile/. Jet passed in 2010. Ava is now 8 years old. I will
never owner train again. I am honestly too afraid laws wll be passed
requiring some type of school certification. I know I won't qualify
for a guide dog, since I only use Cocoa's guide skills when it is
dark, unless my daytime vison also becomes legally blind again as it
was after the accident. I have recently lost a lot more color vision.
Anyway, this is our intro! I used to belong to NFB but stopped when my
vision improved; I felt guilty for staying a member I think! * Ava and
Cocoa the Great!