[NAGDU] TSA Remobving HarnesseswasL Materials for Canes

Debby Phillips semisweetdebby at gmail.com
Wed Dec 16 02:48:02 UTC 2015


Whoa, everybody! Seeing Eye strongly encourages us NOT to remove 
the harness in public, like in the airport.  Our dogs certainly 
know the difference between having the harness on and not.  It's 
really a matter of how people have been trained, and their own 
choices.  I do not view Nova as a working dog when her harness is 
off, and am much more lenient about letting people pet her.  The 
only exception to that is when I remove her harness when we fly 
so that she will be more comfortable.  TSA cannot require folks 
to take the harness off, the leash, or the collar.  I refuse to 
do that, and I refuse to be separated from my dog.  I used to let 
the TSA people take my dog, but it made me so uneasy and anxious 
that I stopped.  Sorry, I don't trust TSA with my dog.  Anyway, 
I'll get off my soapbox, but just wanted to say that there is 
room for people to make their own choices about these things.  
Philosophically, yes my dog is a Seeing Eye dog whether she has 
her harness on or not, but when she's not in her harness, she's 
not working.  That tells her that she can have a little more 
freedom.  I don't wish to give her that kind of freedom going 
through security.  I want her, and everybody else around, to know 
that she's on duty and that she may be a leash length away from 
me, but I expect her to obey me when I tell her to rest, and when 
I call her to come to me.  If people choose to remove their dogs' 
harnesses then that's their choice.  It's simply a hassle I don't 
want.  I already have to be concerned about where my shoes, 
backpack, purse, etc.  are when they are in the bins going 
through the x ray machines.  I don't want to also have to keep 
track of Nova's harness when it can just be on her.  And so far 
when I have had her sit and rest, and I have had her on long 
leash, I have not had to be patted down, because I have not 
caused the alarm to beep, even though she has.  So we all have to 
do what works best for us.    Debby




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