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

Sat Feb 14 16:07:56 UTC 2015

I sure wouldn't want one but most schools experiment with different
breeds to see if they can find other breeds that will work.  I have
always gone to Leader Dogs and they have experimented with different
breeds over the years.  I know Pilot uses several breeds that other
schools don't use.  My concern would be the mental anguish caused by a
service animal attacking a person or another animal.  Military men and
women with PTSD have suffered a lot all ready.  Would this cause the
individual to lose all progress he/she has made?  Rescuing animals is
a great idea but I have concerns about this one.  I hope I am proved
wrong.

On 2/14/15, Tracy Carcione via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I don't know.  My neighbor's golden was seriously injured by an unprovoked
> attack from a rescued pit bull.  It was the 2nd time that dog had attacked
> another dog, so the owner had it put down.  I'm sorry, but I'm glad I don't
> have to worry about it when I'm walking around my neighborhood.  Rescued
> pits seem very unpredictable, and I sure wouldn't want one.  And I'd prefer
> my neighbors didn't have them, either.
> Tracy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via
> nagdu
> Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 8:03 AM
> To: 'Ginger Kutsch'; 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide
> Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in
> need
>
> I think this story is an encouraging one. Ever since I read the book about
> Michael Vic's dogs, I have had a different thought on Pits. Any dog is
> unpredictable if you don't know its background, and some are if you do. I
> think these dogs deserve a fair chance, and it sounds as if Zen is doing
> well for his master. I think that those dogs have a reputation and people
> have exploited them to live up to that. We saw that happen next door to us
> once. In that book they trained some as therapy dogs, some as dogs to help
> in library programs for kids. I am glad to see this. I sometimes wonder if
> all of these dogs that have caused injury to people are really Pit Bulls.
> Maybe they are.
>
> Cindy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ginger Kutsch
> via
> nagdu
> Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 6:52 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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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053