[nagdu] service animals and law enforcement assistance

[Nicole Torcolini]

A couple of things. First, as is with a lot of things, if you are not part
of the solution, then you are part of the problem. As many have already
said, why didn't anyone help or at least ask what they could do? Second,
maybe the police officer did not have a legal obligation to help or might
have gotten in trouble for helping, but, JMHO, if you are going to talk the
talk, then walk the walk. Even if it means getting in trouble, if you are
going to be something like a police officer, you are going to fall under
more scrutiny, and people are going to look to you as an example. I bet a
million dollars that, if the police officer had done at least something
minor, more people would have stepped up to help. And, finally, just because
it is the law to do or not do something does not mean that it is right.
People may not have legal obligations, but they do have moral obligations.
With great power comes great responsibility. Humans are intelligent and have
more control of making choices rather than following instincts, yet,
ironically, it seems to sometimes do us more harm than good.

Nicole

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via
nagdu
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 7:26 PM
To: Jenine Stanley; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] service animals and law enforcement assistance

Thing is, I had a sense from what it sounded like in the report that the dog
which began vomiting could behave had bloat. I think it would be decent if
someone would have offered assistance, but in 45 minutes one could call a
cab. Of course maybe I wouldn't have thought of it. Once I fell on the
sidewalk and there was blood gushing out of my face and splashing on my
dog's head. Someone (a young person) asked if my dog was OK. I said that he
was but I was not. That person said, "Oh." Then he walked away. Should I
have had help? Well, maybe yes maybe no. I just walked anyway till I got
home. I wasn't dying of course, but it was an extenuating circumstance. I
guess my point is that people simply don't reach out at times like that as
much as they should even though they are willing to tell us we are now
outside or on the grass or whatever.

Cindy

On Jul 10, 2014, at 6:36 PM, Jenine Stanley via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Did I miss something in these reports? Was the dog struck ill while
working, such as by heat stroke? Was it injured? Was the woman on her way to
the vet when this happened? 
> 
> I'm assuming florida has a Good Samaritan Law that covers people including
law enforcement personnel against being sued for transporting a human and
I'm sure this would extend to a service animal as defined under Florida law
given that the animal is an extension of the person if the law words it that
way. That would be the question for the legal minds among us. 
> 
> I too can't believe no one else offered to take the person and dog the
mile it took to get to the vet. I don't know what else this woman might have
tried to do but I'd have called the vet's office as well. Of course we can
all armchair quarterback this situation to death but what if it was one of
us whose dog was injured or ill and could not go on to get us where we
needed to go? 
> 
> No, agree that law enforcement and emergency services should not have to
take us to the vet if our dogs fall ill at home. When out and about though,
is there that Good SSamaritan obligation? 
> 
> Being friends with many of our local police officers, I can't imagine one
of them not breaking every rule to get someone with a service animal to the
vet in an emergency like this but then again, who knows. 
> 
> The sad part is that this woman's dog is dead and whether it could have
been prevented by her or by someone simply offering her a ride, she will
have to live with it for the rest of her life. Not a fun thing.
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
> 
> http://www.twitter.com/jeninems
> 
> 
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