[nagdu] The Requirement of a Harness

[Linda Gwizdak]

Hi all,
I didn't know that any school told people not to remove their harnesses 
during flights.  When I have traveled home from Seeing Eye - or any other 
school I attended - with my dogs, the instructors have either said nothing 
about it at all or mentioned that it might be more comfortable for the dog 
and me if I DID take the harness off.

But, really folks, I do think the schools expect that we are adults and will 
determine for ourselves what is best to do on a flight or any other 
situation with our dogs! (grin!)  For my cross-country flights, I take the 
harness off.  If I were to take a one-hour flight and the plane wasn't 
crowded, I might just leave the harness on.

I think we just have to be adults and determine for ourselves what is best 
for us in any given situation with us and our dogs.  There is nothing wrong 
with asking another guide dog user aboout a situation that is new to us. 
But to blindly follow every little thing a school instructor might tell us - 
well - that can get to being too much!

Marion's right - it's the training that makes the guide dog, not the 
harness.

Cheers,

Linda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2009 5:09 AM
Subject: [nagdu] The Requirement of a Harness


> Angie,
>    Do you know which airlines have such a policy? Although an airline may 
> make such a policy, there is no such requirement in law. If I chose to 
> travel with my dog out of harness using my white cane, the airline could 
> not deny me access. The harness does not make a service dog; its training 
> does. Some service animals do not wear harnesses and their owners still 
> have the right of access with their dogs
>    Everyone needs to be aware that, even though the schools tell us 
> otherwise, we are not required to have our dogs in harness in order to be 
> afforded the right of access with them. There is nothing in the Federal 
> law requiring a service animal be harnessed. In spite of the fact that 
> some state laws require this, such laws are unenforceable.
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion Gwizdala
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Angie Matney" <angie.matney at gmail.com>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2009 1:31 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] Quick-release handles: was Air Charters and the extra 
> seat
>
>
>> Wayne,
>>
>> This kind of experience is one reason I hope The Seeing Eye will consider
>> ways to provide us with quick-release handles. If we can simply remove 
>> the
>> harness handle, it will easily fit in the space between a window seat and
>> the inside wall of the plane. This will allow both the human and dog to
>> enjoy more room while they fly, while reducing the chances that a flight
>> attendant would seek to remove the harness from the dog's owner.
>>
>> Also, some airline policies state that the dog must remain in harness at 
>> all
>> times. If we had a quick-release handle, we could comply with such 
>> policies
>> while gaining a bit more leg/dog room.
>>
>> I don't know how you feel about quick-release handles, but if you agree 
>> with
>> me, I hope you will consider relating this experience to someone at 
>> Seeing
>> Eye as a reason to consider quick-release handles.
>>
>> Angie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Wayne Merritt
>> Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 11:15 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Air Charters and the extra seat
>>
>> I think he's referring to a part of airline history in the eighties
>> where the airlines tried to take or in some cases took canes away from
>> blind people, claiming that they were dangerous and could fly up and
>> hit someone if something were to happen to the plane. Though I missed
>> this part of airline history in my travels, I've still been asked a
>> few times by flight attendants to give up my cane. I even explained to
>> one persont that the cane was securely between my window seat and the
>> inside wall of the plane; in other words, it wasn't going anywhere.
>> I'm sad to say that I have been pushed into giving up my cane, with
>> the flight attendant in question assuring me that she would put my
>> cane in the closet at the front of the plane during the flight, but
>> this has happened a very few times, thankfully.
>>
>> I did have one similar experience in my recent Florida travels, when
>> they were trying to acccommodate my seating arrangement on one of
>> those smaller express jets, where I had to give up my dog's harness. I
>> chose not to make an issue of it since I was able to get a seat with
>> potentially more room in the first class area, though we are still
>> talking of those smaller jets. I was reminded of of the incidents of
>> giving up canes though and wondered if giving up a harness was
>> similar. Sadly, it does sound familiar to me. I was able to get the
>> harness back when leaving the plane, but I still felt like something
>> was violated by having to give up the harness. I tried to show the
>> flight attendant that it was secure against the wall of the plane, but
>> no dice. Thoughts?
>>
>> Hth,
>> Wayne
>>
>>
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