[nagdu] Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need

Sat Feb 14 13:57:07 UTC 2015

I wanted to chime in here, because I had a few cents to add to the
thread. I don't post much and tend to read certain threads, since I
currently don't have a guide, but I used to.

Anyway, I will say that it's all about the training. I have a pet Pit
Bull and her name is Puddun. I've raised her from a pup at three
months old and always had service work in mind for her. I made sure to
socialize her with other people and dogs. Now, I take her anywhere and
she is comfortable with both. She has the temperament to do service
work, but I didn't finish the training for some reason or another.

I think, if the dog can handle the training and the work, regardless
of the breed, they should be allowed to work. And if it's a pit bull,
then that's one more awesome dog helping to bring down the stigma!

This is an awesome list and I enjoy listening to you all.

Sharonda
On 2/14/15, Julie J. via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I think it's a very bad idea.  I grew up next door to a guy who raised and
> trained pit bulls for fighting, so I admit that perhaps I'm biased here.
> Choosing a breed to be a service dog solely  on the basis of changing the
> breed's reputation is a mega bad idea.  A service dog must be chosen on the
>
> basis of the potential it has to assist his disabled handler.   Service dogs
>
> are meant to provide assistance, that is their purpose, that is the law.  If
>
> that ends up being a pit bull, okay, maybe, I can see that happening once in
>
> a while, if an extraordinary dog came along, but an entire program?
>
> I work a Doberman guide, so I get the breed reputation thing.  I didn't pick
>
> the Doberman because I wanted to promote the breed.  I chose my dog because
>
> I felt she had the best potential for providing me with the type of guide
> dog I need.
>
> Julie
> Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now
> available! Get the book here:
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
> Visit my new website on developing courage and living authentically:
> http://www.falling-up.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ginger Kutsch via nagdu
> Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 6:51 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need
>
> Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need
>
> By Sue Manning
>
> Associated Press
>
> Source:
> http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20150214/LIFESTYLES/150219742
>
>
>
> Former Marine Joe Bonfiglio, 24, and his pit bull assistance dog Zen, pose
> for a photograph on the campus of Mercy College, in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.,
> Wednesday.
>
> LOS ANGELES - When former Marine Joe Bonfiglio starts thrashing in his
> sleep, his pit bull service dog jumps on the bed, climbs on top of him and
> wakes him up to end the flashback.
>
>
>
> The dog named Zen has allowed Bonfiglio, 24, who was diagnosed with
> post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from a five-month tour in
> Afghanistan, to get back to everyday activities. He can now do things such
> as shop at malls in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., because Zen helps calm Bonfiglio
> when crowds trigger a panic attack.
>
>
>
> "I used to go to bars with my friends. And war movies. I am not going to
> see
> 'American Sniper,"' he said. "It would bring me back to a place I don't
> want
> to be."
>
>
>
> Pit bulls aren't the typical choice for a service dog. They are feared,
> banned in hundreds of cities and blamed for sometimes deadly attacks. The
> Animal Farm Foundation in Dutchess County, N.Y., wants to change that
> stigma
> through a program that trains and donates rescued pit bulls to push
> wheelchairs or help people regain their mobility and avoid falls.
>
>
>
> The effort faces opposition from those who believe the breed is dangerous.
>
>
>
> The Assistance Dog Training Program is believed to be the only U.S.
> training
> school exclusively for service dogs that uses pit bulls from shelters, said
> Apryl Lea, the foundation's certified trainer. It's placed five dogs that
> require two years to socialize, train and acquaint with handlers.
>
>
>
> A smaller group, Pits for Patriots, trains rescued pit bulls as comfort,
> therapy and support dogs for veterans, police officers and firefighters but
> has yet to place any service dogs. Comfort dogs are pets that get a few
> weeks of training, while therapy animals receive at least six months of
> training to help calm people who haven't received a diagnosis as severe as
> PTSD.
>
>
>
> "Veterans and first responders can identify with pit bulls because they
> either have seen a lot of trauma or been through a lot of trauma," said
> Kelly Yearwood, co-founder Pits for Patriots in Chicago, whose group
> started
> the same year as the Animal Farm Foundation's program, in 2011.
>
>
>
> The handful of major training schools and a few smaller ones all typically
> breed German shepherds, Labradors and golden retrievers for the lengthy,
> costly process to become a service dog.
>
>
>
> Shelters nationwide watch for canine candidates for the foundation's
> program, which trains dogs based on Americans with Disabilities Act
> guidelines, Lea said. With pit bull breeds making up a huge percentage of
> dogs in shelters, she has to carefully decide which dogs are accepted. They
> must have the right build, aptitude and focus to help a person get through
> life with disabilities or injuries.
>
>
>
> "My job is not just to train the dog but to help the handler be a good
> trainer, too," she said.
>
>
>
> But the program faces pushback.
>
>
>
> "There are over 100 dog breeds that are far more suitable to perform tasks
> for persons with disabilities than pit bulls, especially rescued pit bulls
> with unknown backgrounds," said Colleen Lee, founder and president of
> DogsBite.org, a national group that tracks bites and works to reduce
> attacks
> through bans and other laws.
>
>
>
> Pit bulls can be unpredictable and kill or maim when they attack, she said.
>
>
>
> From 2005 to 2014, dog attacks killed 325 people in the United States.
> DogsBite.org blames pit bull breeds for 62 percent of the deaths.
>
>
>
> "There is simply no need for pit bulls, rescued or otherwise, to be
> utilized
> as service dogs for people with disabilities," Lee said.
>
>
>
> Pit bulls have helped people like Bonfiglio get back to their normal lives.
> The former Marine has made such progress with Zen that he's now taking
> cybersecurity classes at Mercy College in New York.
>
>
>
> "Zen is a fantastic dog; the best thing that's happened to me since I've
> been home," said Bonfiglio, whose other family dogs also provide comfort.
> "They are all great supporters. They don't talk back, just put a smile on
> your face."
>
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-- 
Sharonda Greenlaw
President (Phoenix Chapter)
National Federation of the Blind
-------------
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