[nagdu] Ownership of guide dog

[GARY STEEVES]

Hello:

I'll weigh in on this briefly. Honestly I'm having problems keeping up with the traffic on the list so I'm always a bit late. :)

The school I used in Canada maintains total ownership of the dog. Anyone who knows me know that this annoys me and I've tried to get them to see the benefits of ownership and the message that their policy really gives about their thoughts on the capabilities of people who are blind. I have mentioned before that I found my school to be rather paternalistic.

So only two weeks after Bogart came home he had some sort of fit. My trainer happened to be here working with us which was very helpful. Of course, we couldn't get a cab to take us becuase Bogart was being carried and they didn't believe he was a service dog. A fellow who had stopped to help us ended up driving us to my vet where they wouldn't see him because, although we had set up an appointment for later that week, we weren't yet a client. The animal emergency hospital is kitty corner so we took him there. After testing they found nothing wrong with him at all. By this time he was fine. 

It was very stressful because we had to wwait over night for blood tests. If there was anything majorly wrong my trainer was going to take him right back to the school. In the end, the blood tests told us nothing, good or bad, everything was basically normal. This was great news but I still wasn't sure what the school was going to do with regards to  taking Bogart back since they had ownership and could just take him back. In some ways I guess I gained a bit of respect for them when it was totally left up to me to decide what I was comfortable with. In my mind, this could be a one off (which it seems to have been) or the beginning of something bad. I told them I knew how to deal with if he had another fit but I'd hate for him to be retired without us knowing if he really was ill. 


I'm a very independent and strong minded person so they respected my decision but I wonder if I was a person who was  less secure, indepednent, capable or whatever one would describe many of us as, if they would have not given me the choice to keep Bogart. I was amazed how, only after 6 weeks,  how attached I was to the stubborn boy. 

Another funny response I got from one of my trainers once when  I asked for tips on getting Bogart to heal better on leash. She actually asked why would he be on leash. I had to explain that I walk him every night and morning around my neighbourhood on leash so he can do doggie things. I can't believe they don't teach people how to walk their dogs using their cane as well. They told me that some dogs don't react very well to the cane swinging about but they should work on it.I don't have to swing on Bogarts side, I assume he has that sort of covered. :)

Anyway, short email turned long. 

Gary


----- Original Message -----
From: Brenda <bjnite at windstream.net>
Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 7:20 pm
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Ownership of guide dog
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>

> Hi Cindy
> Actually I think you agree with me.  I don't like the idea 
> of a dog being returned just because it is under 5 if the 
> handler dies or is not able to work the dog as a guide.  I 
> realize maybe someone else could benefit from the guide but the 
> dog is not just a piece of equipment.  If people have 
> issues about returning equipment for closure reasons, how much 
> harder to be forced to return the dog because of health or loss 
> of life.  I agree with Marion's wife Mary that I would just 
> have to pray I would not die or get sick prior to the dog 
> turning 5 years old.  Probably would not happen, but I will 
> have to think seriously about this before applying in a few 
> years.  I really like GDF other than that issue.
> Brenda
> 
> On 3/14/2012 9:24 PM, Cindy Ray wrote:
> >Brenda, I respectfully disagree. First of all, there is no 
> guarantee that the dog will go out again. If not, then why 
> shouldn't the family enjoy the dog. If they can't or don't want 
> to have it, then I think that's fine, but the dog is certainly 
> not the same as equipment, or maybe I've misunderstood what you said.
> >
> >Cindy
> >
> >
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