[nagdu] nasty, deadly, dog encounter

[Lyn Gwizdak]

Hi Bibi,
Every time I hear stories like this one, I'm glad the DOJ changed the 
assistant dog regs to exclude these "emotional support dogs".  So many are 
not trained to do a thing - not even to behave appropriatesly in public or 
around other dogs.

Last week, while at a craft class at a blind center, I heard growling and 
snarling coming out from under one of the tables.  Then I saw the dog - a 
little terrier-type dog that I never saw before.  It sure as hell wasn't a 
guide dog!  The only ones in that class with guides are my friend Lisa and 
myself.  Our two dogs were lying quietly against the wall together.  that 
terrier started growling becauase it saw our dogs from under the table.

I rose a bit of a ruckus and told that lady to get that dog under control 
and pets weren't supposeed to be in the building.  The lady finally got the 
dog under control and all was fine.

Later, after class, I saw a blind center staff person and told her about the 
incident.  She said she never saw that lady or dog before either. I told her 
about the dog's behavior.  The staffer said that there was nothing she 
couold do about it because of ADA.  I told her that the ADA rules changed 
and that the staffer could ask that person to take the dog out of the 
building if it coouldn't behave properly.  She said she was unaware about 
the ADA change and was happy she could now do somethiong about that dog 
should it be there again and misbehave.  She was surprised about the rule 
change and thanked me for bringing it to her attention.  I learned about it 
a couple of years ago when someone posted it to this list!  Anyway, we'll 
see if there's any more problems with that dog when I go back to class next 
week.

When I go to my doctor, sometimes a patient is there with this Yorkie in her 
purse and it will bark at Landon but the lady takes it outside if her 
corrections to the dog doesn't stop the barking.  I have no idea if it is 
just her pet or an emotional support dog, but i say nothing because she 
tries to make the dog behave and it does.  I don't say anything if people 
try to make the dog behave right away.

I'm sorry that you didn't get support when you encountered that dog in your 
therapist's building.  Hey, if that should happen again, just start yelling 
and make a scene and, hopefully people will come out of the offices to see 
what is going on! LOL!!

Lyn and Landon
"Asking who's the man and who's the woman in an LGBT relationship is like 
asking which chopstick is the fork" - Unknown
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Criminal Justice Major" <orleans24 at comcast.net>
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 7:08 AM
Subject: [nagdu] nasty, deadly, dog encounter


> Hi, all,
> Sub says it all or may not.
> Odie and I had a dog encounter in the Outpaitient Behavioral Services 
> Clenic that shook things  up for us both.
> I arrived there around somewhat after early 8:00 AM for a counseling 
> appointment which finished up after 9:00 Aam.
> After checking out on the third floor, I went down to the first floor 
> which is where the exit to the building would be at.
> For some unknown reason, I've had trouble with that floor and can't always 
> remember if I'm supposed to go left or right once exiting the elevators.
> During the time of trying to figure all of that out, Odie and I suddenly 
> heard a nasty, deadly, mean growl from a small pet dog which was obviously 
> snuck into the building because its owner simply used a large purse to get 
> it in through the doors.
> At that instant, Odie reared up off the floor with his back legs and was 
> on the offensive end.
> Although the unewxceptable dog was in an office close by, the unexpected 
> growling was scary.
> Next part I remember hearing was the door of that office being shut.
> Associate didn't come out to appologize nore check to be sure that Odie 
> and I were all right or even the paitients.
> It felt as if the worker knew they were guilty and had something to hide.
> As I immediately told Odie no with a sit/stay, another paitient decided to 
> interfier by trying to put her two sense in and thankfully, another one 
> was supportive enough to back me up.
> The first person was telling me everything was all right that the growling 
> dog was a healing dog.
> As for the second patient, he didn't agree with the first one's response 
> and stated that if the dog was truly a service dog, it wouldn't be 
> behaving in that manner.
> Odie and I finally managed to get out of that facility and get to the main 
> hospital as I had another appointment to deal with.
> Now for the disturbing part...
> I spoke with a paitient representative of Denver Health Medical who 
> informed me that no staff member is allowed to ask if the dog is a service 
> dog or what tasks is the dog trained to perform.
> I am going to fastforward the rest of the way as I did some research with 
> the Rocky Mountain ADA Information center in Colorado Springs and found 
> out that a business can ask if the dog is a service dog as well as the 
> tasks.
> They, can, not, however ask about a person's disability or medical 
> circumstance.
> I also discovered from a staff member at obs (Outpaitient Behavior 
> services) that the cleanning staff wind up having to pick up dog feacal 
> matter and scrub uran out of the carpets because the careless individuals 
> with the so-called service dogs don't pay attention enough to watch that 
> their dog is using the floor as their own personal toilet.
> I am waiting to hear back from the OBS Clenic manager within a week to ask 
> for a copy of Denver Health and Hospital's policy as far as service dogs 
> and if not, then I plan to contact Colorado Department of Health to report 
> the unsanitary conditions of the OBS Clenic.
> At some time yesterday, I can remember having to just go outside of the 
> hospital to try and take a breather.
> I immediately fell into an emotional melt down and was in tears.
> Odie sat right next to me, trying to do what he could to cheer me up.
> Despite that I was talking to him and reassuring him I would be all right, 
> he didn't see it that way.
> Odie rested his head on my left knee and I bent down which tears made the 
> top of his head wet.
> As I kissed him on the side of his cheek, he suddenly began tickling me 
> with his grass blade like whiskers and gave me a cold likc with his 
> tongue.
> I began laughing really hard upon saying to Odie that he was tickling me 
> an and cut it out.
> Of course, Odie didn't care but felt that he didn't want me feeling sad.
> After a ten minute breathing period, we went back inside to deal with my 
> last appointment.
> After the last one, Odie was done as much as I was and wanted to leave the 
> hospital immediately.
> As I was crossing over Bannock Street with some assistance from another 
> employee of denver Health Medical, I suddenly heard an on-coming fire 
> truck from the right hand side.
> I managed to make it to the other side of Bannock where Odie decided he 
> needed to react and I felt him pulling on my wheelchair as he was trying 
> to get us both out of there fast.
> As the fire truck rolled down Bannock behind me, I had to quickly pull my 
> jacket collar over my head to avoid a possible seizure from occuring which 
> would have been from hearing the fast rotating sound of the red and blue 
> emergency lights on the truck.
> After the fire truck was gone and out of ear range, I reached out my left 
> hand to look for Odie and discovered he had gone behind my chair to be 
> ready for the ultimate sacrafise again as he'd done plenty of times 
> before.
> Thankfully, neither of us were hurt nor were we hit.
> I also suspected that as the fire truck was coming up, the lutennant may 
> have instructed the other fireman to slow down and angle the truck off to 
> the left hand side of the street in a jack-knife like position to prevent 
> any other possible trafic from cutting them off and be sure that Odie and 
> I weren't going to be hit either.
> Upon returning home, both of us were tired and had enough.
> As for the incident that happened yesterday, it was the secone time within 
> four years of Odie being harassed by an unknown pet dog on denver Health 
> and Hospital's campus grounds.
> The last one was four years ago during the month of February while my 
> husband Dale was in the hospital recovering from pneumonia.
> Despite how scary it was yesterday, I will have to go back to that OBS 
> Clenic to overcome the fear of being there as it's the best way Odie and I 
> will still be able to be partners.
> After he was attacked the first time by a guide dog in our training class 
> eight years ago, I had to put in a lot of time and rehabilitation to be 
> sure he could still be able to work back when he was a guide.
> I made sure to stick with the rehabilitation process and keep up with 
> training.
> Am glad I did so or else, he would have been a disasterous accident 
> waiting to happen.
> When I do use my power chair and Odie is on a tie down teather which I 
> have attached tightly on the left hand side arm rest of my chair, I 
> definitely use my white cane to safely navigate.
> Since Odie is a medical alert partner, the commands are way different from 
> a guide dog.
> I don't expect him to to function like a guide dog as it's my 
> responsibility to  be listening for trafic.
> Sorry for such a long, message you'alls.
> I will keep everyone posted on what happens next as far as Denver Health 
> and Hospital.
> Yes, there are other hospitals I could go to, but the other two I know of 
> are an hour from my home by bus.
> As much as I like to get it all over with, I have to just be patient and 
> work slowly with all of this.
> *Smiles*
> Sincerely:
> Bibi, husband Dale and son Odie
> the happy spirited bounty labrawolf
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