[nagdu] Ownership and Guide Dog School Contracts

Raven Tolliver ravend729 at gmail.com
Fri Mar 27 04:00:09 UTC 2015


Sandra,
I believe a viable solution is for those of us who are dissatisfied to
communicate with our schools. We should make suggestions to
graduate/alumni councils at the individual schools. Talk about why
withholding ownership and providing conditional ownership are
practices that are not satisfying, practical, ethical, or just.
Withholding ownership or providing conditional ownership does not
prevent obesity in dogs, does not prevent animal cruelty, does not
show trust in guide dog handlers, and is a form of discrimination
against the blind population.
It is the same sort of bs logic behind breed selective legislation to
prevent dog attacks. Nothing stops anyone from purchasing and raising
dogs of certain breeds, and legislation against certain breeds of dogs
does not prevent them from attacking anyone, whereas as proper
education of dog owners would. Strict legislation only pushes people
to fly under the radar,
and it is not a practical, ethical, or just solution to the problem.
I believe NAGDU has composed a guide dog users' bill of rights, but
this document obviously isn't law, it doesn't stop certain guide dog
programs from receiving clients, and it definitely doesn't force any
program to change their ownership policies for the better.
It would be very democratic if guide dog schools allowed some sort of
voting system on such matters. They should find out what their
graduates want, rather than deciding what is best for us, as if we are
children who are certain to slip up, and who don't know better.
-- 
Raven
You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
have or what you do.

Naturally-reared guide dogs
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs

On 3/26/15, S L Johnson via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hello:
>
> I just thought of something.  Instead of just complaining about the school
> contracts we don't like, why don't we put our heads together and figure out
>
> how to fix the problem.  What can we do to ease the schools fears and get
> unconditional ownership?  Can we help them come with a plan to use when it
> is necessary for their intervention?  They definitely cannot depend on local
>
> law enforcement and animal control because they are too afraid to take a dog
>
> away from a disabled person.  What can we do to change their attitudes?  Any
>
> trainer and school is going to be concerned about how their dogs are worked
>
> and treated after graduation.  What can we do to reassure them?  Maybe there
>
> has to be more discussion with the schools in order to come up with
> contracts that will please us and satisfy the schools.  Just a thought.
> Forgive me if NAGDU has done this already, I've only been an NFB member for
>
> a few months. .
>
> Sandra and Eva
>




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