[nagdu] Guide Dogs And VA Facilities--what?!

[Cindy Ray]

If it says what it says, then there is room there for owners who are training their own dogs to be disallowed. Fifteen VA facilities may have nothing to say about it, and then a 16th one doesn't let, say, Julie J. into their facility with her dog because that dog did not come from a program. I think they need to be clear on letting all service dogs in, and the only qualification should be that you are able to demonstrate what service your dog provides.

Cindy Lou

On Aug 8, 2012, at 2:14 PM, Dailyah Patt wrote:

> Hi Vanessa
> Hi Vanessa.  Hi Buddy.
> 
> Two things...Anybody with a Guide from any of the IGDF member programs is fine.  The other, which is a much larger "thing" to keep in mind - This bit of icky regulation change isn't as bad as it would seem to be on the surface.  Yes, it's a slippery slope headed some directions that aren't at all friendly to owner trainers, but but but...it does not specifically DENY access to owner trainers.  It just says that the dogs from the big programs that are already doing the self-policing and self regulating type stuff MUST be allowed, while not saying that Owner Trained Dogs also MUST be allowed.  So, there's nothing stopping VA buildings (that I've found) from deciding to go ahead and allow Owner trained dogs.  (I hope that makes sense.)  Of course, the Mobility, Alert and Hearing Dog communities have been shrieking about this thing for weeks since a WHOLE lot more of those dogs are owner trained compared to the number of owner trained Guide Dogs.  The
> conclusion many of us have come to is that we're all best off presenting the VA with lovely owner trained dogs and trying to pressure them into allowing those dogs.  
> 
> Dailyah
> 
> P.S.  I just woke up!  I hope that the above is coherent and clear!  Haha
> 
> 
>> ________________________________
>> From: Vanessa Lowery <vlowery at dhr.state.md.us>
>> 
>> 
> That might be a question that both NAGDU and GDUI need to ask the
>> Veteran's administration.
>> 
>> Gonna share this with the GDUI leadership list.
>> 
>> Leaving out any info that identifies you, Buddy.
>> 
>> thanks for the info.
>> 
>> Vanessa Lowery, LGSW
>> 
>>>>> Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name> 8/8/2012 1:06 PM >>>
>> Someone just brought the following to my attention. What does this mean
>> for owner/trained guide and service dogs? Moreover, what does this mean
>> for the future of what constitutes a service dog?
>> 
>> From
>> http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc112/h1627_enr.xml#toc-H547AD04B80A24ADCBB02C96CBF22D067
>> 
>> 
>> SEC. 109. USE OF SERVICE DOGS ON PROPERTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
>> AFFAIRS.
>> 
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