[NAGDU] New GDB contract

[Sherry Gomes]

Hi Tracy,

I am specifically upset about what it says about ownership. Yes, we all know
I think, that GDB doesn't give immediate ownership, and I wish they did. But
in the contract they have now, there's a section about ownership. Basically,
it says even if you have ownership of your dog, GDB can take your dog away
for just about anything. All the conditions they'd take it away if you
didn't have ownership are reasons they would take it away if you do.
Everything from what they would consider abuse to not working your dog
enough or for a long period. For instance in my case, in the past I've had
several joint replacement surgeries, meaning I have at least a two month
recovery period. In most of those instances, either GDB boarded my dog
temporarily until I got home from the hospital, or friends took care of the
dogs. I arranged with neighbors to help me with relieving my dog, but I
could still feed and care for them, with some modifications. But the new
contract says even if I own my dogs, which I do, they can take them away at
their own discretion.

I did write a strongly worded letter to Chris Benninger expressing my
unhappiness and told her that unless they change the contract I could not
get a dog from them because I would never sign such a demeaning document.

The contract also reverted back to some of their old wording, including not
using your dog for begging, though that wasn't the express phrase used. For
me, though I know this organization was happy to see the end of the
California guide dog board, I feel like GDB is taking advantage of having no
overseeing board to go backward instead of forward in how they treat their
alumni. 

I'm incredibly unhappy about it. Especially because with my other
disabilities, it might be hard to get another school to work with me.

Sherry



-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2018 7:11 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
Subject: [NAGDU] New GDB contract

Hi Sherry.
I haven't heard anything about the latest GDB contract.  What is in it that
you object to?
It must be distressing for you to find something so obnoxious you can't go
back, having been with them so long.
I was also with GDB for many years, but finally decided to switch for
several reasons, some of which were philosophical differences.
Tracy


> Even at my first class at GDB in 1975, we had lots of people with 
> residual vision. This isn't anything new with GDB or any other school 
> I suppose. I can't speak for any other organization, but I know GDB 
> trains their dogs to be competent whatever the level of blindness the 
> handler will have. The instructors work them under blindfold during 
> the training, and they have to do complete routes under blindfold 
> before they can state that the dog is class ready. Or that's how it 
> was in 2014, the last time I went there. I don't intend to go back to 
> GDB when Petunia retires for lots of reasons including physical 
> ability for me and strong disagreement with their recent contract, a 
> contract I would refuse to sign so wouldn't be able to graduate.
> But unless they've changed a lot, their dogs are definitely trained 
> with instructors under blindfold. I know that sometimes they have 
> students with low vision use sleep shades as well.
>
> Sherry



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