[nagdu] Newspaper Column About Service Dogs

Criminal Justice Major Extraordinaire orleans24 at comcast.net
Wed Jul 17 00:32:21 UTC 2013


I found this article to be a good one and worth reading.
Makes me appreciate Odie more not only as my medical alert/modernized guide dog,but also a good friend.
Bibi and son Odie
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 11:06 AM
Subject: Newspaper Column About Service Dogs
International Assistance Dog week, August 4-10, was created to recognize the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs that help individuals mitigate their
disability-related limitations. The goals are to: Recognize and honor
hardworking assistance dogs; raise awareness of assistance dogs; educate the public about the work these specially trained animals perform; honor the
puppy raisers and trainers of assistance dogs; and recognize heroic deeds
performed by assistance dogs in our communities.
International Assistance Dog Week was started due to the efforts of Marcie
Davis, a paraplegic for over 35 years and CEO of Davis Innovations, a
consulting firm based in Santa Fe, N.M. Davis is the author of "Working Like
Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook," and is the host of the Internet radio
program, "Working Like Dogs."
Assistance dogs transform the lives of their human partners with
debilitating physical and mental disabilities by serving as a companion,
helper, aide, best friend and close member of their family.
For over 75 years assistance dogs have worked successfully in public. They
have won the public's acceptance by achieving high behavioral and training
standards, which set them apart from pets and other animals.
It is estimated that over 20,000 people with disabilities in the United
States use assistance dogs. For many individuals these disabilities are
invisible. Therefore people who are accompanied by an assistance dog may or may not "look" disabled, and under the ADA an assistance dog is not required to have any special certification.
Most agencies provide a laminated identification card that states the names
of the assistance dog and the recipient, and shows a picture of the dog.
Assistance dogs are allowed to accompany their human partners to places of business, including restaurants and shops. Under state law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, they are guaranteed equal access to any and all
establishments and accommodations. No extra charge can be levied because of the dog.
Guide dogs, which many people are familiar with, assist people who suffer
from vision loss. They perform tasks like leading these individuals around
physical obstacles such as street crossings, doorways, elevators and
stairways, and to destinations.
While guide dogs are relatively common, the other types of assistance dogs
may not be as well-known.
Service dogs assist people with disabilities with walking, balance,
dressing, transferring items from place to place, retrieving and carrying
items, opening doors and drawers, pushing buttons, pulling wheelchairs and
aiding with household chores such as putting in and removing clothes from
the washer and dryer.
Hearing alert dogs alert people with hearing loss to the presence of
specific sounds, such as doorbells, telephones, crying babies, sirens,
another person, buzzing timers or sensors, knocks at the door or smoke, fire and clock alarms.
Seizure alert dogs alert or respond to medical conditions such as heart
attack, stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, panic attack, anxiety attack,
post-traumatic stress disorder and seizures.
Medical aert dogs alert to oncoming medical conditions, such as heart
attack, stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, panic attack, anxiety attack, and
post-traumatic stress disorder.
Since the 18th century, individuals with visual impairments have utilized
dogs to improve their mobility. The precipitating event in history that led
to the
establishment of the first recognized training program for guide dogs was
World War I. The first formal school for dogs to assist people who are blind
was reportedly founded in Pottsdam, Germany, to serve blind war veterans.
Dorothy Harrison Eustis, a German shepherd breeder living in Switzerland,
heard about the school and visited it. On November 5, 1927, Ms. Eustis
published an article in The Saturday Evening Post describing her visit to
the school and introducing the idea of guide dogs.
Morris Frank, who was blind, heard about her experience with guide dogs and
contacted Ms.Eustis to inquire about obtaining a guide dog to provide him
with independence. Ms. Eustis trained Buddy, a female German shepherd for
Mr. Frank.
"The dog is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his
life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last
beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion," she
said.
In return, Mr. Frank worked to establish the first dog guide school in
Nashville, Tenn. Incorporated on January 29, 1929, it was called The Seeing
Eye.
The idea of working dogs coming to the aid of individuals with physical
disabilities other than blindness has been attributed to Dr. Bonnie Bergin.
In 1974 while on travel in Turkey, Dr. Bergin observed an individual with
paralysis using a donkey to assist him with transportation. Based on this
symbiotic partnership, Dr. Bergin developed tasks and associated command
structures for dogs to provide service to individuals with disabilities.
Next month I plan to talk about the work going on in our Valley concerning training these wonderful service dogs.


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