[nagdu] Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need
Cindy Ray
cindyray at gmail.com
Sat Feb 14 15:46:16 UTC 2015
I would question whether the program's administrators were fully represented. The people who work with these dogs are mindful of the possibilities, especially for rescues, I think, or at least many of the rescuers are. I wonder if the thing was represented the way it was because of the breed and not because their primary purpose is to rescue the breed's reputation.
Cindy
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via nagdu
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 8:03 AM
To: Julie J.; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need
Hi,
Bear in mind that I don’t have a strong opinion on this either way. I have no special love, nor particular dislike, for pits. I do, however, have issues with things like breed ban laws. As has been pointed out, this year it’s the pit. It was the doberman, the GSD, the rottweiler, in years past. In a few years, maybe it will be some other breed.
But here’s my question. In real terms, what’s the difference between this breed-specific program and, say, Fidelco’s breed-specific program, wherein they raise and train exclusively GSD’s? Or GSD’b nearly breed exclusive program where they train primarily, if not exclusively, Labrador Retrievers?
—
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name
> On Feb 14, 2015, at 8:23 AM, 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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