tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84743743351321034032024-03-13T12:03:08.529-04:00Service Dogs In PublicWelcome to Service Dogs in Public. The purpose of this blog is to draw awareness of the ups and downs that service dog teams face on a day to day basis as well as educating the public and business owners of the laws regarding Service Dogs. Please feel free to submit any stories you may want to share on our blog .ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-87238006751437688702013-01-05T19:58:00.001-05:002013-01-05T19:58:48.436-05:00Salvation Army access issue<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ServiceDogForCharlene" target="_blank">Service Dog For Charlene</a><br />
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<span class="userContent">I visited the Salvation Army store (in my
local area of Statesville, NC) with my Service Dog [ in training]. The
manager of the store told me to leave the store. I was told that I
could not have a dog in the store. I respectfully replied that my dog
is not a pet, that she is a Service Dog - and in training. The woman
then told me that she did not care for dogs and that I needed to leave.
I to<span class="text_exposed_show">ld her that the Americans with
Disabilities act of 1990 gives my service dog and I the right to be in a
store just like anyone else. She then told me that she was allergic to
dogs and that I had to go. I was also accompanied by my daughter (who
was very pregnant at the time - due to be induced in 6 days) as well as
my two older grandchildren ages 11 & 9. We were next in line at the
counter and I told the lady that I would be glad to leave as soon as my
purchase was completed. She snatched my items up from my hand and
started to ring them up. I mentioned that they had the dots on them for
half price off (which is a regular Wednesday promotion on clothes) and
was told that I was not a senior citizen and did not qualify for the
half off. I was stunned, this was clearly a retaliation to me trying
to educate the lady in a very nice way on the ADA law governing service
animals. I was so upset, my daughter was outraged and the grandchildren
were just bewildered. This is supposed to be an agency that helps
people - Who would have thought that they would be the ones
discriminating... I for one will NEVER set foot inside another
Salvation Army Store again. I hope that the corporate office takes
this to heart and actually teaches their employees about Service Animals
and "How best to handle situations with people with disabilities" An
apology would be nice.</span></span><br />
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<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">You can follow the story on Charlene's facebook page.</span></span>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-84539777503659453992012-10-11T15:03:00.003-04:002012-10-11T15:03:59.707-04:00Student and her service dog live in UFA apartments<br />
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By <a href="http://thecollegianur.com/author/jedelman/" rel="author" title="Posts by Jamie Edelen">Jamie Edelen</a> </div>
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Collegian Reporter </div>
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Junior Alexis Achey lives in the University Forest Apartments with
her service dog, Winston, who helps her to manage her Type 1 Diabetes
through his sense of smell, which detects when her blood sugar levels
are out of range.<br />
“He can smell the changes in body chem- istry as the glucose levels
fluctuate,” Achey said. “So when levels are high, it smells really
fruity or sweet, and when low, it smells like nail polish remover or
acetone.”<br />
Winston, a three-month-old black lab, has not yet learned the
paw-to-leg motion, Achey said, which is the official notification that
fully trained service animals use to notify their owners that their
sugar levels are off balance.<br />
“Right now, he basically does anything he can to get my attention,”
she said, “be it whining, jumping or barking.” He also gets the hiccups
when her levels are out of range, Achey said, although she is unsure
why.<br />
Before living with Winston, Achey had to monitor her sugar levels on
her own, she said. Doctors diagnosed Achey’s Type 1 Diabetes when she
was 7 years old.<br />
Since then, she has learned to look out for symptoms of low blood
sugar. “Nor- mally, you get blurry vision, shakiness, sweatiness,
general disorientation,” she said. “You would normally just feel off,”
she said.<br />
When experiencing these symptoms, Achey would test her glucose levels
to con- firm that they were lower than normal, and if they were, she
would eat or drink something sugary. If levels remained low, Achey would
have to rely on glucagon, she said, a drug that injects pure glucose
into the body, usually in the thigh.<br />
But within the last year and a half, she had become unsure when to
take these pre- cautions because she had trouble recognizing the
symptoms. “Since I’ve been diabetic for so long, my blood sugars have
always been on the lower range,” she said, “so as time goes on, I’ve
lost the ability to detect it.”<br />
Failure to recognize these symptoms could result in a seizure, coma
or even death, she said. Now, Winston can detect out of range levels
about a half an hour earlier than the glucose monitors that Achey had
used in the past could.<br />
Because service dogs for diabetes have become popular within the past
two to three years, Achey said that she had never heard of them until
recently. Achey’s research professor, Carol Parish, who raises dogs for
Guiding Eyes for the Blind, told her about the option.<br />
Achey started researching, she said, and found Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers Inc., a company based in Orange, Va.<br />
Achey contacted the company at the be- ginning of February, she said,
and was put on the wait list until she was matched with Winston in
August and received him in September. But before Achey could live with
Winston, he had to go through a training program.<br />
“So the company had him in ‘puppy boot camp’ since he was five weeks
old until 12 weeks old,” she said, “and they just learn basic obedience
and alert, but don’t necessarily learn the smell.” At five weeks, the
dogs are evaluated to see whether they are curious about different
smells. Finally, the dogs go through temperament testing, which helps to
match them with their owners, she said.<br />
The company bases these matches off of personality and lifestyle,
Achey said, which is determined for the dog through training, and for
the owner, through forms similar to roommate applications.<br />
Once matched with Achey, Winston’s training did not end, she said.
When Achey first got Winston, she worked with a company employee to
train him eight hours a day, five days a week. An employee will continue
to help every three months until Winston is two years old, she said.<br />
Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers helps its clients to pay for the
purchase of the dogs and their training, according to the company’s
website. These costs add up to $20,000, Achey said. To raise this money,
Achey has posted her fundraiser on Facebook, selling shot glasses and
beer glasses that read, “In dog beers, I’ve only had one.” <br />
Before she could bring Winston to campus, Achey had to contact the
housing office because of university regulations prohibiting animals
from living on campus. After applying for housing, she was assigned to a
room in North Court, Achey said, until mid-summer when she was notified
that a reserved handicapped apartment was available.<br />
Achey is the first student to live with a service animal on the
University of Richmond campus, she said. “There was a request several
years ago from a potential first year student,” Joan Lachowski, director
of undergraduate housing, said. “It would have been approved if he
chose to come to the university.”<br />
The university has a policy permitting students with disabilities to
live with a service dog in on-campus housing, Lachowski said. But in the
future, all specific requests for service animals would have to be
approved based on university policy and guidelines provided by the
Americans with Disabilities Act, she said. <br />
Since Achey has been granted this permission, she said that her daily
routine at school has changed. “I have to leave, on average, a half an
hour earlier for class than I normally would have,” she said, “to let
him go to the bathroom if he needs to and because so many people stop
him along the way.”<br />
Attention from multiple people can create a problem for Winston.
“Winston is on duty 24/7, so work and play are a lot more integrative,”
Achey said. “While he’s playing, he still has to pay attention to me. As
long as I tell him to sit down, people can pet him, but it’s ideal to
have only one person at a time.”<br />
Winston stays with Achey in the classroom, as well. Some of Achey’s,
physics and chemistry teachers voiced concern about having Winston in
the wet labs, Achey said. To avoid any problems, Winston wears safety
booties, and once he is older, he will wear goggles, or “doggles,” as
Achey called them.<br />
Although unsure whether she wants to have a service dog for the rest
of her life, Achey said that Winston’s services had definitely been an
improvement from the glucose monitors that she had relied on in the
past.<br />
<em>Contact reporter Jamie Edelen at <a href="http://mailto:jamie.edelen@richmond.edu/">jamie.edelen@richmond.edu</a></em></div>
ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-23723280659114616822012-10-07T12:43:00.001-04:002012-10-07T12:43:10.147-04:00What's It Worth? Assistance dogs<img border="0" src="http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/images/dept/08_HBLIFE_icon.jpg" />
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What's It Worth? Assistance dogs</h1>
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By Stacy Yuen Hernandez</div>
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$25,000</div>
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Riley is a yellow Labrador and Trooper a black Labrador who have
finished basic training at Hawaii Canines for Independence and are ready
to serve as assistance dogs.</div>
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Photo: David Croxford</div>
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Brian Kajiyama’s assistance dog, Zeus, is a Labrador retriever that has
learned sign language to help Brian, who has cerebral palsy. Beside the
usual skills of retrieving items, turning on lights and opening doors,
Zeus can even take the jump drive out of Brian’s computer.<br />
Zeus is a graduate of Hawaii Canines for Independence, a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit based in Makawao, Maui, that provides assistance dogs free to
children and adults in Hawaii with physical disabilities. Guide dogs,
hearing dogs and service dogs fall under the category of assistance
dogs.<br />
According to HCI executive director Maureen “Mo” Maurer, the national
average to raise and train an assistance dog is about $25,000, but most
accredited assistance-dog providers do not charge clients for the dogs.
HCI’s costs are covered by donations and community sponsorships.<br />
“There is substantial expense because we obtain the highest quality
puppies available that have the best chance of passing all the rigorous
health and temperament screenings. Vet bills, health and liability
insurance, two years of training, supplies, two to three weeks of
full-time Team Training Camp for clients, approximately 10 years of
lifetime follow-up visits and support add to the cost,” says Maurer.<br />
Puppies begin training at 4 weeks old and success rates range from 30 percent nationally to 70 percent at HCI.<br />
“Sometimes a year into training, an issue arises and the dog becomes a
pet instead of an assistance dog,” explains Maurer. “We don’t call them
‘dropouts,’ but ‘career changers.’ ”<br />
Which breeds make the best assistance dogs? Labrador and golden retrievers, says Maurer.<br />
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ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-61666671086154080972012-10-07T12:40:00.001-04:002012-10-07T12:40:57.162-04:004-Year-Old Virginia Girl Matched With Service Dog to Carry Her Oxygen Tank<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A young girl who needs an oxygen tank to survive met the service dog that will carry it from now on Friday.</div>
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Noelle Mikels, of Front Royal, Va.,
was born with a chronic lung disease. She was premature, arriving before
her lungs could fully develop.</div>
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“She’s been on oxygen her entire
life, and we’re thinking that she’ll be on it for quite some time if not
forever,” said Stacie Mikels, Noelle’s mother.</div>
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Now the 4-year-old no longer has to lug the 10 pound tank around alone. That task goes to her new friend, Monty.</div>
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“Literally, today we are adding a new family member to our home,” said Stacie Mikels said. “That's what today is all about.”</div>
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Monty follows the paw prints of Mr.
Gibbs. A Georgia girl with a similar lung condition and her service dog
appeared on The Today Show, which inspired Stacie Mikels to find the
same help for Noelle. The Mikels did some research, and with donations
they collected $10,000 to get their own dog.</div>
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Monty came from North Star, a
foundation that typically provides service dogs to autistic children.
North Star took on the challenge and matched Noelle with Monty.</div>
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The golden retriever will carry the oxygen in a custom vest and go everywhere with Noelle.</div>
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“It'll be the line, the tanks and
then they can even go down the slide together,” said Noelle’s father,
Ross Mikels. “It'll be fun to see.”</div>
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But the Mikels hope the new dog won't be their daughter’s only new friend.</div>
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“A lot of time we find kids are
apprehensive to come up to her because of the big tank and because she's
always with an adult,” Stacie Mikels said, “and I really think that the
dog will facilitate more kids coming over and talking to her and be a
bridge between the two.”</div>
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<br />ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-48001175255053187902012-09-19T14:14:00.001-04:002012-09-19T14:14:40.602-04:00Texas New employee at DA’s Office has 4 legs, shed<br />
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Ranger, a 5-year-old Labrador, sits in
his bed in the office of Pam Traylor, Victim Assistance Coordinator.
Ranger acts as a service dog for victims of abuse and violent crimes and
helps soothe and relax them when they are speaking with officials or
testifying in court<br />
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Posted: <span class="posted" title="2012-09-18T22:07:00-05:00">Tuesday, September 18, 2012 10:07 pm</span>
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<span class="updated" title="2012-09-19T01:38:14-05:00">
Updated: 6:38 am, Wed Sep 19, 2012.
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<span class="author vcard"><span class="fn">By <a href="mailto:jgarris@hcnonline.com">Jonathan Garris</a></span></span>
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Employees with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office
recently welcomed a new, four-legged staff member into their ranks and
fellow workers have nothing but positive things to say about him.<br />
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Ranger, a 5-year-old yellow Labrador, has been at the office in
Conroe for about two months, Victim Assistance Coordinator Pam Traylor
said. In that time, Ranger’s had no trouble earning his co-workers’
respect.<br />
</span>
“He’s definitely our most popular employee here,” Traylor said.<br />
Ranger acts a service dog for victims of abuse and
violent crimes, and helps soothe and relax them when they are speaking
with officials or testifying in court, Traylor said.<br />
“When you have children that have to testify about
horrific or traumatizing crimes, it can obviously be very scary for
them,” chief prosecutor Tyler Dunman said. “Having Ranger around shows
us to be not so scary. They can pet the dog, look at him and talk to
him, and it gives them something to focus on and direct their attention
to.”<br />
Traylor had been researching the use of dogs in
courtrooms since about 2007, and attended a number of seminars where
dogs were shown to have a positive impact when dealing with juvenile
victims. She expressed interest with taking in a dog from the nonprofit
organization Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, which takes in rescue dogs
and trains them with a system of positive reinforcement.<br />
Texas Hearing and Service Dogs rescued Ranger in
2008, and also trained him as a service dog for a year. Ranger later
lived with a woman suffering from multiple sclerosis. However, when the
woman became too sick to care for him, Texas Hearing and Service Dogs
took Ranger back and contacted Traylor.<br />
“They said they had a perfect dog for us,” Traylor said. “And they were absolutely right.”<br />
The organization provided Ranger for the DA’s Office
without any charge. Ranger is always quiet and obeys a wide variety of
commands, and is able to sit, stay, shake hands and high five, and can
pick things up off the floor if they’ve been dropped, can open drawers
and even open doors.<br />
“We found out he could open doors after one day when he simply let himself out of the office,” Traylor said.<br />
Any concerns about a dog being a potential
distraction vanished when Ranger arrived at the DA’s Office, Dunman
said. It was originally planned to bring him in perhaps once or twice a
week, but Ranger now comes to work with Traylor nearly every day,
comforting both victims and employees.<br />
“He has a remarkable way of sensing when you’re
upset,” Dunman said. “He’ll just come over and calmly lay his head in
your lap. Small things like that.”<br />
Ranger has so far met with several victims of abuse
and has also helped one juvenile testify in a county attorney’s case,
Traylor said.<br />
Last week, Texas Hearing and Service Dogs did an
observation of Ranger to check on his progress, and the representatives
were very pleased and impressed with his work, Traylor said.<br />
“He has his own bed and his own toys right here in the office,” Traylor said. “He’s just been fantastic and everyone loves him.”<br />
For all of the good Ranger brings to the office and
those around him, Traylor said that he comes with only a single, small
downside.<br />
“He sheds horribly,” Traylor said with a laugh. “But I guess that’s OK with us.”<br />
An informative video about Ranger made by the Texas
Hearing and Service Dogs can be found on YouTube by entering “Ranger –
DA dog” into the search box.</div>
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ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-34011084028905390892012-09-19T14:07:00.003-04:002012-09-19T14:07:40.544-04:00A 20-year-old with a service dog is suing Popeye's and Cobb County for discrimination<br />
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<span id="WNStoryDateline" orgfontsize="11.8833px">COBB COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -</span><div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
A 20-year-old with a service dog is suing Popeye's and Cobb County for discrimination.</div>
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Taylor Gipson, 20, never goes anywhere without his 3-year-old service dog named Bear.</div>
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"Just having your best friend by your side all the time, I don't think I could live without one," Gipson said.</div>
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Gipson said he has Type 1 diabetes and Bear is trained to alert him when there are changes to his blood sugar and before encountering a seizure.</div>
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"He can smell from my breath when my blood sugar is rising or dropping too quickly and he will alert me when that's happening," Gipson said.</div>
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Four months ago, Bear did just that. So Gipson walked in to a Popeye's restaurant on Windy Hill Road in Cobb County to order some food. That's when he said he encountered a rather unusual problem with management.</div>
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"It wasn't five minutes after I ordered my food that this manager was right up in my face telling me to get out of her restaurant," Gipson said.</div>
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Gipson said the manager told him to leave because his dog was not allowed in the restaurant. Then she called police.</div>
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"The law states that you don't have to explain what your disability is or what the dog is specifically for, just that he is a service dog and I even presented her with a card documenting that he is a service dog and that still wasn't good enough for her," Gipson said.</div>
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According to Gipson and his attorney, it wasn't good enough for the police officer either.</div>
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"This young man had the American Disabilities information in his hand willing to show it to the officer who said ‘I don't need to be told what the law is, I know it.' He didn't," Gipson's attorney Lee Parks said.</div>
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Parks said the incident was exacerbated when Popeye's later said that they asked Gipson to leave the restaurant because he was involved in an altercation with another customer.</div>
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"They claimed there was video, there is no video. They claimed there was a witness, there is no witness. It was a bald-faced, malicious lie," Parks said.</div>
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Parks is now pursuing legal action against the owner of the Popeye's restaurant and Cobb County. CBS Atlanta News contacted both for comment today, but the only one talking is Gipson.</div>
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"I just don't want to see this happen to somebody else and I want to see other people with service dogs and disabilities treated fairly in the future," Gipson said.</div>
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<em orgfontsize="11.8833px">Copyright 2012 </em><a href="http://www.cbsatlanta.com/" orgfontsize="12px"><em orgfontsize="12px">WGCL-TV</em></a><em orgfontsize="11.8833px"> (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved</em></div>
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<a href="http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19576635/man-with-service-dog-sues-popeyes-and-cobb-county-for-discrimination" target="_blank">http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19576635/man-with-service-dog-sues-popeyes-and-cobb-county-for-discrimination</a><br />
ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-72845379790046563002012-09-17T14:58:00.001-04:002012-09-17T14:58:30.480-04:00Veterans and service dogs turned out of beaches surf shop | News | Beaches News<a href="http://beaches.firstcoastnews.com/news/news/83359-veterans-and-service-dogs-turned-out-beaches-surf-shop#.UFdywq1J-WY.blogger">Veterans and service dogs turned out of beaches surf shop | News | Beaches News</a>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-16722509582199061042012-08-29T14:59:00.001-04:002012-08-29T14:59:26.746-04:00Another service dog user raps transit<br />
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Another service dog user raps transit </h1>
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August 29, 2012 - 4:02am <a content="By CLARE MELLOR Staff Reporter" href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/author/clare-mellor-staff-reporter" property="dc:creator" rel="foaf:publications" typeof="foaf:person">By CLARE MELLOR Staff Reporter</a> </div>
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Hearing-impaired woman alleges discrimination </div>
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<img alt="Jenny Negus has filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, alleging Metro Transit has discriminated against her and her service dog Delta. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)" class="imagecache imagecache-ch_article_main_image" height="324" src="http://thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/imagecache/ch_article_main_image/articles/servicedog.JPG" title="Jenny Negus has filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, alleging Metro Transit has discriminated against her and her service dog Delta. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)" width="660" /> <div class="main-image-desc image-desc">
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Jenny Negus has filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human
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Jenny Negus says she is not surprised that a woman was stopped from
boarding a Metro Transit bus in Dartmouth on Monday with her seizure
alert dog.<br />
<br />
“It just makes me so mad,” Negus said Tuesday.<br />
<br />
The 26-year-old hearing-impaired woman says she filed a complaint with
the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission in June alleging discrimination
because of difficulties she has encountered boarding Metro Transit buses
with her service dog Delta.<br />
<br />
On Monday, Lauri Noye of Dartmouth said she was prevented from getting
on a bus with her cocker spaniel Molly, even though she says she showed
the driver a doctor’s note explaining Molly’s role. She said she was
told the seizure alert dog would have to be a registered service dog to
be allowed on the bus.<br />
<br />
Negus, also of Dartmouth, says even people with registered service dogs
in uniform have run into problems boarding Metro Transit buses.<br />
<br />
Negus, who has 75 to 80 per cent hearing loss, has been using a service dog for 3<span class="onehalf" multiline="0"> years. Delta alerts her to alarms, phone calls and other situations.</span><br />
<span class="onehalf" multiline="0"><br /></span>
She alleges her most recent negative encounter with Metro Transit
occurred on May 24. A driver let her sit down on the bus after she
showed service dog identification but then began to argue with her about
the dog.<br />
<br />
“She let me sit down and then she talked to me after everybody got on
the bus and humiliated me in front of everybody,” Negus said.<br />
<br />
“I have a friend who had issues with getting on the buses with her
seeing-eye dog. It is not just service dogs that aren’t well known (that
have become an issue on buses). It’s all service dogs, all guide dogs.”<br />
Negus, who frequently takes the bus to the Nova Scotia Community
College and back during the school year, said she called Metro Transit
and offered to educate drivers about service dogs but was turned down.<br />
Then she complained to the human rights commission, which informed her this week that her case is moving ahead, she said.<br />
<br />
An official with the commission could not comment Tuesday on Negus’s complaint or even confirm that she has filed one.<br />
<br />
“Nothing is a matter of public record until it is at the board of
inquiry stage,” said Ritchie Wheeler, special assistant to the
commission’s chief executive officer.<br />
<br />
Metro Transit also would not comment on Negus’s allegation. Spokeswoman
Tiffany Chase said no notice of a human rights complaint involving a
service dog had been received.<br />
<br />
Chase said registered service dogs are allowed on Metro Transit buses,
and a doctor’s note would be sufficient authorization if the dog is not
registered.<br />
<br />
Chase said Metro Transit is still looking into Noye’s case. She said Noye hadn’t yet contacted Metro Transit directly.<br />
<br />
It’s possible that the driver may not have understood that a doctor’s
note would be acceptable identification, Chase said. Later Tuesday, she
said the driver said the doctor’s note was not on letterhead.<br />
<br />
Chase said Metro Transit policy states that a special harness should be
visible or identification provided to show that a dog is a registered
service animal.<br />
<br />
“I think that more and more, there are service animals that people are
using that are not necessarily registered, and so perhaps we need to
look at the wording of what our policy is, to make it more clear for our
operators,” she said.<br />
<br />
Noye could not be reached Tuesday.<br />
<br />
Just last week, a visually impaired Dartmouth man complained to the
media that he had been told his guide dog wasn’t welcome at a Dartmouth
employment centre.<br />
<br />
Negus said education about service dogs, starting in schools, is the key to preventing future problems.<br />
“It is not just Metro Transit,” she said. “Metro Transit is the big one
for me now, as these other places have learned to accept the fact that I
am coming in whether (they) want me to or not.”<br />
<span class="email" multiline="0">(<a href="mailto:cmellor@herald.ca">cmellor@herald.ca</a>)</span><br />
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ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-10879150054062603432012-08-26T14:08:00.000-04:002012-08-26T14:08:24.889-04:00Service dog provides crucial companionship <br />
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Service dog provides crucial companionship
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RENATO GANDIA, Calgary Sun<br />
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First posted:
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Sunday, August 26, 2012 12:29 AM MDT
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<span class="placeline">BRAGG CREEK - </span>Alex Mertens gently tells Kasper, a purebred yellow Labrador, to come visit and the dog rests his chin on her lap.<br />
<br />
“Visit” may be a simple word, but not for the two-year-old service
dog and certainly not for Alex, 13, a quadriplegic also coping with
epilepsy and cerebral palsy.<br />
It’s the command word that signals the working dog should be up for a new task, says mom Carol Mertens.<br />
“When she says visit, he puts his head right in her lap,” explains the mom of triplets, one of whom is Alex.<br />
“That gets him going, knowing it’s OK for him to drop things on her lap.”<br />
Alex needs Kasper’s assistance to open doors, pull her wheelchair for
short distances, push elevator buttons, retrieve objects and bark to
family if she needs more help.<br />
With Kasper around, Alex has a new buddy to push the handicap-access
door openers, turn off light switches, remove sweaters or socks and turn
her over in bed at night.<br />
In ordinary parlance, the word “visit” may also mean a temporary encounter, but Kasper isn’t just visiting Alex.<br />
The graduate of the non-profit Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society
is expected to be with the girl for the rest of his working life.<br />
Michael Mertens, who takes comfort his daughter now has a new
companion, estimates the pooch will be with Alex for at least 10 years.<br />
“I absolutely love that dog. It is such a nice, well-behaved dog,”
says the dad as he watches his three girls play with the pooch.<br />
“I’m so impressed by the training they had done. It fits so perfectly to the family.”<br />
Michael says he’s so thrilled his daughter has a companion to develop and grow with her.<br />
“It just gives her a lot of independence and gives her a lot of confidence, especially if she’s alone,” he said.<br />
Kasper, who was introduced to the family July 29, has already greatly changed the girl’s quality of life.<br />
Michael says due to his daughter’s condition, Alex uses all sorts of
“surrogate forms of companionship,” such as a TV left on while the girl
works on something.<br />
With Kasper being around, that won’t be necessary, says the dad, who accepts Alex is going to need care 24-7.<br />
“You sort of have to go with the flow in this kind of situation,” he says.<br />
“But I feel a lot better going with the flow with Kasper in the picture, in that there’s somebody else to help her.”<br />
• • •<br />
Sam and Katie are Alex’s adoring triplet sisters.<br />
The day their mom announced Kasper would finally become part of the Mertens’ household, they jumped with joy.<br />
Sam says they were all surprised.<br />
“Mom got off the phone and said ‘Guess what? I have the greatest news in the world.’<br />
“Alex was screaming. Finally she’s getting her dog!<br />
“We were all so excited and thinking what we’re going to do the first day we get him.”<br />
Alex chimes in, confirming how excited she was: “I started screaming.<br />
“I had a dream of doing a dance with him and I did it,” says Alex, who attends a ballet school for special-needs kids.<br />
With the help of her sisters, who train at a Calgary dance studio,
Alex choreographed a routine with Kasper, which she presented in a gala
with Dogs with Wings.<br />
Katie says what interested her at first was how the dog was going to
react to their 17-year-old cat, Calvin, who during filming of a video
interview caught everyone’s attention by coughing loudly, leaving
everyone roaring.<br />
Katie says when Calvin sees Kasper, he hisses, but the service dog just ignores him.<br />
• • •<br />
Acquiring Kasper was a patience-testing, five-year process for the Mertens.<br />
Carol says they met Dogs with Wings at a fair sponsored by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Calgary in 2008.<br />
Alex and family were then evaluated by the group.<br />
Carol says officials came several times, making sure her family would
be responsible for Kasper’s health and well-being and they would be
willing and able to follow the protocols set up for maintaining the
pooch’s service.<br />
One of the many protocols is to keep Kasper’s weight at 60-65 lbs., which means he can’t be fed human food.<br />
“We have to weigh him every month and send in his weight for the
first year to make sure that he doesn’t gain anything,” says Carol.<br />
“They just want optimal health for him.”<br />
Kasper weighs 61 lbs. and although the girls are tempted to give him treats, they just shower him with love.<br />
• • •<br />
Although Kasper came to the family ready to work, his trainer stayed
with the Mertens for three weeks to let them in on the secrets of how to
make the pooch work.<br />
Kasper must wear a jacket with the organization’s name and logo while he’s working.<br />
Carol says Alex’s assistant is extremely intelligent.<br />
“As soon as you hold up his jacket, he’s like, ‘I’m ready. Let’s go!’
It’s almost like he’s telling us we aren’t challenging him enough. It’s
really funny.”<br />
While the dog is on duty he doesn’t play.<br />
The Mertens say it can be challenging when they’re out with the adorable dog.<br />
Recently, while shopping, somebody they know spotted Alex and Kasper.<br />
The fellow came up and chatted, which led to an attempt at patting the pooch, which was on duty.<br />
Alex says she politely told the man Kasper is a working dog and not to be patted.<br />
“ ‘I’m so sorry, he’s a working dog and he’s got a service dog jacket on’ and then they understand,” she says.<br />
Like any working dog, Kasper gets to play, but his jacket must be off and he must be told another magic word.<br />
“Release” is the command that tells Kasper he’s off duty and is allowed to play.<br />
• • •<br />
Paula Bildfell, co-ordinator of the newly established Calgary branch
of Dogs with Wings, says there’s a long wait-list of potential clients.<br />
More than 40 people from across the province are on the roster that keeps growing.<br />
The wait for a dog is typically two to three years and Bildfell says it’s difficult to tell people about the wait-time.<br />
“They’re hoping for independence and it’s hard to wait for that,” she says.<br />
It is a complicated process of matching a dog with the specific needs of a patient.<br />
Some dogs are good at guiding and helping the blind, others are best
paired with an autism patient, while some are best with helping
wheelchair-bound kids.<br />
The group recently opened a branch in Calgary, fuelled by a need across Alberta.<br />
And as the demand grows, the need for volunteers who raise the pups to become working dogs also increases.<br />
“We need more volunteers to raise the puppies. They are having difficulties finding foster homes,” says Bildfell.<br />
Raising puppies is not an easy task, she says.<br />
“You take a puppy for a year. You do so much with that puppy and then
at the end of the year you have to give the dog back,” she says.<br />
• • •<br />
Towards the end of the hour-long interview, Alex releases Kasper from
duty by removing his jacket and uttering the magic word, “release”.<br />
He immediately sheds his focused demeanour and turns into a playful creature.<br />
The girls chase him in the family’s spacious front yard, where a swing and a volleyball net were set up.<br />
As the triplets play with Kasper, their parents watch and reiterate what they hope for Alex in the future.<br />
They say they just want their daughter to gain more independence.<br />
Alex says early on in the interview that with Kasper around, she’s looking forward to many outings on her own.<br />
“I hope to go places independently like the movies or the mall, stores and stuff like that,” she says.<br />
Now, she can do that, with her new best friend and the command words they both know retain their magical powers.<br />
renato.gandia@sunmedia.ca<br />
On Twitter: @SUNRenatoGandia<br />
• • •<br />
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ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-23233053702324989442012-08-20T13:05:00.002-04:002012-08-20T13:05:55.587-04:00Hasty: Service dog's role still isn't understood<br />
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<br />
Katharine Royal wants to remind local business owners to be sensitive to those who rely on service dogs.<br />
Royal, who was born with spina bifida and also suffers from bouts of
post-traumatic stress disorder, relies on the services of Isaiah, a
gentle service dog who wears a red identification vest in public.<br />
She and her husband Micah were eating at a local restaurant recently
when the manager approached her to tell her some of the other customers
were uncomfortable about the dog at her feet.<br />
"Which was kind of strange,'' Micah Royal said, "because everyone was friendly toward him.''<br />
According to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of
Justice, not only are service animals allowed to accompany their owners
in all public places, but the animals and their users cannot be isolated
from other patrons.<br />
And the Royals point out that just because the need for a service dog
isn't always obvious, that doesn't mean the dog isn't important.<br />
"People need to understand,'' Katharine Royal said, "that the
majority of the population is not going to take a random house pet into a
restaurant.''<br />
No service dog could have been more loved than Devon, the Bernese
mountain dog who was the mascot of Mira Foundation USA, the organization
that matches service dogs with vision-impaired children.<br />
Devon, the constant companion of Mira USA founder Bob Baillie, died Aug. 2 just two days after being diagnosed with bone cancer.<br />
"My best buddy,'' Baillie said when the two made an appearance at the Fayetteville Kiwanis Club's May meeting.<br />
Those in attendance that day will remember Devon's gentleness as he sat watchfully at Baillie's side.<br />
Retired Superior Court Judge Maurice Braswell had the time of his
life recently during the 42nd annual reunion in New Bern of the
Association of Former Prisoners of War in Romania Inc.<br />
For the first time, and thanks to some help from Braswell and his
family who served as hosts, the event was held in the Southeast, on Aug.
3 and 4. Sixty-one people attended.<br />
The weekend included a screening of "Paying the Price,'' a musical
written by Braswell's son. Mark Walter Braswell wrote the play after
reading his father's book, "Flaming Arrow: WWII as seen from a B-17.''<br />
The play, which depicts Maurice Braswell's experiences as an injured
tail gunner imprisoned in a POW camp in Bucharest, debuted in 2003 at
the National Theater in Washington.<br />
The Cape Fear Regional Theatre co-produced the show and provided the
actors when the play was performed in Fayetteville in 2004 in the
Airborne & Special Operations Museum.<br />
Nine years after it was first performed, "Paying the Price'' still
draws a crowd, as it did at New Bern's Christ Church Ministry Center.<br />
"The crowd ate it up,'' Maurice Braswell, 89, said, "including me.''<br />
<div>
<em>Community news editor Kim Hasty can be reached at <a href="mailto:hastyk@fayobserver.com">hastyk@fayobserver.com</a> or 486-3591.</em></div>
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<fb:like action="recommend" class=" fb_edge_widget_with_comment fb_iframe_widget" font="" href="http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/08/20/1197877?sac=fo.military" layout="button_count" send="false" show_faces="false" width="95"><span style="height: 50px; width: 130px;"><iframe class="fb_ltr " id="f25692af41d82f" name="f106005a97d72" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?action=recommend&channel_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.facebook.com%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter.php%3Fversion%3D10%23cb%3Dfe0c085dd35c06%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.fayobserver.com%252Ff9aae16c3ef86%26domain%3Dwww.fayobserver.com%26relation%3Dparent.parent&extended_social_context=false&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fayobserver.com%2Farticles%2F2012%2F08%2F20%2F1197877%3Fsac%3Dfo.military&layout=button_count&locale=en_US&node_type=link&sdk=joey&send=false&show_faces=false&width=130" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium; height: 50px; overflow: hidden; width: 130px;" title="Like this content on Facebook."></iframe></span></fb:like>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-12746788612623316922012-08-18T17:30:00.001-04:002012-08-18T17:30:46.405-04:00Service Dogs need to be allowed in churches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Editor,</div>
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It was my hope to attend the open house of the new
Brigham City Temple; however, because I rely on a service dog I’m barred
from the event. If this were an isolated incident, I would probably let
it slide. I’m sad to say that it is not. When I first moved to Ogden
last year, I wanted to attend Sacrament Meeting at my ward, but the
bishop told me I could not bring my dog to the church because she would
be "disruptive to the children." It is not my responsibility to control
the behavior of other people’s children. If they are unable to control
their kids, take them out of the chapel.</div>
<div align="left">
In both of the incidents, "alternatives" were offered
which included use of a wheelchair. What people do not realize is that
people who employ service animals rely on them not only for assistance,
they also provide us with autonomy which would otherwise be missing in
our lives. While well intentioned, the "offer" of denying us this
autonomy is condescending and insulting to our dignity. Not only this,
but there are some services which a human simply is unable to perform
such as alerting an epileptic of a coming seizure. These animals are
trained to be our constant companions over many years; in the case of,
me and my dog, we’ve been together since she was two months old, 13
years ago.</div>
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</em>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-68532732450210288072012-08-15T14:29:00.001-04:002012-08-15T14:31:35.395-04:00Help us Help a Veteran<a href="https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/fLkl5?psid=1b2ec429eeb04c4cabd7b4d877b8510e#.UCvp_JenqhY.blogger">Help us Help a Veteran</a><br />
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ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-48064747775502871632012-08-14T13:01:00.001-04:002012-08-14T13:01:24.319-04:00Irish guide dog charity providing dogs to children with autism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fzz9lkwwUsM/UCqEE8zqxRI/AAAAAAAAAr8/Rf2fp12VZuU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-14+at+12.49.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fzz9lkwwUsM/UCqEE8zqxRI/AAAAAAAAAr8/Rf2fp12VZuU/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-08-14+at+12.49.51+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
ONE OF Ireland’s best-known charities has stopped accepting
applications for assistance dogs from families of children with autism.<br />
<br />
The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDFTB) made the decision after the waiting list grew to five years.<br />
<br />
The
client services manager at the Cork-based charity, Deirdre Moriarty,
said it had insufficient funding to deal with the growing number of
families seeking assistance dogs, resulting in the lengthening of
waiting lists.<br />
<br />
“It was an unacceptable situation. We train
children up to the age of 10 to take on the dogs and, with the length of
the list, it was resulting in children being over-age before they could
receive a dog, so it couldn’t continue,” she said. “It is unfortunate,
but we had to make a decision.”<br />
IGDFTB – whose patrons include the
former Irish soccer captain Roy Keane – provides the service free of
charge. It was the first charity in Europe to provide assistance dogs to
children with autism. It costs €38,000 to train each dog. To date, the
charity has trained 224 and will train another 41 this year – at a cost
of €1.5 million.<br />
<br />
The decision to close down the waiting list
follows a decrease in the IGDFTB’s income last year of 3 per cent, from
€4.2 million to €4 million. Chief executive Padraig Mallon said the
charity did not receive any State funding to provide the service.<br />
<br />
Ms
Moriarty said any plan to reopen the list “is not under discussion
currently”. She said the waiting list had now been reduced to three
years.<br />
<br />
She said that, of the 224 trained working assistance dogs,
186 were working at the moment. The waiting list currently stands at
143.<br />
<br />
The Cassidy family in Ennis took a cross-Labrador, Demi, to
assist their now 11-year-old son, Darragh, who has autism, in October
2009 after being two years on the waiting list.<br />
<br />
Darragh’s father, Frank, recalled the family’s first visit to the Guide Dogs Centre in Cork.<br />
“Darragh
was very excited and was so joyful around the dogs. It was very
emotional,” he said. He added that Demi has had “a very positive impact”
on Darragh and the family as a whole.<br />
Darragh’s mother, Angela,
said: “In stressful situations, Demi relaxes Darragh. Darragh is
non-verbal, but he does seem to have built a connection with Demi. It
has been very positive.”<br />
Ms Moriarty said assistance dogs “have
saved lives” among the children they serve. “There is no science behind
the impact the dogs have on the children, but the primary reason they
assist the children is safety.”<br />
<br />
She said some children with autism could be “bolters” and the dogs were purpose trained to stop them running off.<br />
ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-70803996664725677932012-08-14T12:15:00.001-04:002012-08-14T12:15:12.202-04:00Dog takes a ride in Ingles cart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5FT7vh1agI/UCp4v37MiTI/AAAAAAAAArs/GVOFUxHIMpU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-14+at+12.10.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5FT7vh1agI/UCp4v37MiTI/AAAAAAAAArs/GVOFUxHIMpU/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-08-14+at+12.10.10+PM.png" width="400" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--QsjHdsBCn4/UCp4sOMWqdI/AAAAAAAAArk/zlkMMKSIxxs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-14+at+12.10.39+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--QsjHdsBCn4/UCp4sOMWqdI/AAAAAAAAArk/zlkMMKSIxxs/s200/Screen+Shot+2012-08-14+at+12.10.39+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I don’t know about you, but I sure could go for a thunderstorm.<br />
<span class="pp"></span>They’ve been so far and few between this summer. Please, fall, come early this year.<span class="aa"></span><br />
<span class="pp"></span>Of course, I never tire of your burning questions. Let’s get to them, along with my smart-aleck responses and the real deal.<span class="aa"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="pp"></span><b>Question:</b>
Over the last year, I have witnessed a dog riding in a shopping cart at
a local grocery store. The first time I mentioned it to the manager, he
said he would take care of it. A few months later it happened again,
and the manager apologized and said he would take care of it. The third
time it happened, the manager said he thought it was a service dog, so
they had to allow it. Is this true? I have no problem with service dogs
being in places that other dogs are not allowed, but to allow one to sit
in a grocery cart where people put their food seems unsanitary. If it
is true, then perhaps the store should designate a cart for this lady
and her dog.<span class="aa"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="pp"></span><b>My answer:</b>
Call me crazy, but I worry more about what the people leave behind in
the carts. Seriously, you ever think about what’s in that toddler’s
diaper? The one who was just sitting on the little plastic platform your
bananas are sitting on? You’re welcome ...<span class="aa"></span><br />
<span class="pp"></span><b>Real answer:</b> After further prodding, I found out this was occurring at the Ingles in the Reynolds community.<span class="aa"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="pp"></span>Ingles Markets Chief Financial Officer Ron Freeman checked into it.<span class="aa"></span><br />
<span class="pp"></span>“Service
animals are very important to the individuals who use them, and we want
to be as helpful as possible,” Freeman said. “We are making
arrangements to have a specific buggy for this person to use so there is
no confusion in the future.”<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120813/COLUMNISTS09/308130020/Answer-Man-How-much-doggie-cart-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|p&nclick_check=1" target="_blank">Original Article</a><br />
ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-77887821407664725602012-08-12T12:57:00.001-04:002012-08-12T12:57:58.430-04:00Dog is Lorri Riddle’s co-pilot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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TWIN FALLS • Dog is Lorri Riddle’s co-pilot.<br />
Riddle has
been blind for 22 years, and a walk in downtown Twin Falls would not be
possible without her service dog of five years, Blanchett. Riddle can
motion to Blanchett to enter any of the stores, and both dog and owner
can peruse shelves together or sit at a restaurant.<br />
<br />
The Americans
with Disabilities Act gives service dogs such as Blanchett the right to
enter public buildings, but in Magic Valley the difference between
companion animals, service dogs and pets is often misunderstood — or
ignored. No, your companion animal can’t go everywhere that Blanchett is
allowed, even if you believe the animal’s presence is important to your
well-being.<br />
<br />
“We are experiencing more people, not just in Idaho,
people who bring their pets into the store,” said Marsha Gilford, vice
president of public affairs for Smith’s Food and Drug Stores based in
Salt Lake City. “They want to put them in the seats of the cart or in
their jacket, and it’s not appropriate.”<br />
But the company’s doors
are always open to service animals, and Gilford said Smith’s will give
the owner-and-dog teams assistance locating or retrieving certain items.
“We’re happy to provide additional service to help them shop.”<br />
<br />
On Duty<br />
Blanchett
loves to be petted, especially on her belly, her light tan tail
swinging. She also loves treats and eagerly gobbles them from Riddle’s
outstretched palm. But once the brown leather harness stamped with the
words “Guide Dogs for the Blind” is back on, she is all business as she
calmly guides Riddle over uneven sidewalks and curbs. Riddle does not
allow people to pet Blanchett when she is wearing the harness because
she is not a pet, but a dog with a job.<br />
<br />
“It’s like flipping a switch, she’s ready for work,” Riddle said.<br />
<br />
Last
year, the U.S. Department of Justice recognized only dogs — and some
miniature horses — as service animals under Titles II and III of the
Americans with Disabilities Act. A service animal is individually
trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability —
like Blanchett is.<br />
Service dogs may guide people who are blind,
but they also perform other duties such as alerting people who are deaf,
or calming a person with post traumatic stress disorder during an
anxiety attack.<br />
Blanchett is Riddle’s third service dog and was
trained at the Guide Dogs for the Blind School in San Rafael, Calif.
Though there is no Idaho requirement for Riddle to have tags that
identify Blanchett as a service dog, she carries around several tags and
papers that do anyway.<br />
<br />
“Some have vests, but it is not required,” said Dina Flores-Brewer, advocacy director for Disability Rights Idaho.<br />
<br />
Under
the ADA, state and local governments, businesses and nonprofit
organizations that serve the public must allow service animals to
accompany people with disabilities in all public areas.<br />
In stores
or restaurants, Flores-Brewer said, there are few questions that
managers or owners are allowed to ask: Is this a service animal? What
work or task has it been trained to do? They may not ask about the
person’s disability or ask to see documentation or to watch the dog
perform its task.<br />
Riddle said she has heard stories of people
taking their pets into stores claiming they are service dogs. But Riddle
said incidents like this only discredit the training and job that dogs
like Blanchett perform.<br />
“Tags are something that should be
required,” Riddle said. “I still think the state should issue an
odd-color tag to identify them.”<br />
<br />
Judy Jones of Twin Falls, who is
blind, also uses a guide dog and said handlers take pride in their dogs’
training and obedience.<br />
<br />
“The dog is well-behaved and will lay down when asked to,” Jones said.<br />
Even
service dogs must always be under the owner’s control, and any damages
are the owners’ responsibility. According to the ADA, if a service dog
is disruptive it can be asked to be removed, but the owner must be able
to continue shopping by another form of assistance.<br />
So what about dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support?<br />
They do not qualify as service animals under the ADA, and the law grants them no right to be in a store.<br />
<br />
“Companion animals are not defined or covered under the ADA,” Flores-Brewer said.<br />
So keep those dogs out of the coffee shop and the grocery aisles — unless the business chooses to welcome them.<br />
<br />
“We
are completely pet-friendly as long as they are not disruptive,” said
Mo Black, owner of The Coffee Shop and Lunchbox Deli in Twin Falls. “We
even give out lunch meat for treats.”<br />
<br />
Woman’s Best Friend<br />
At
a downtown crosswalk, Riddle doesn’t immediately step out into the
street because she is listening for the hum of engines and the crunch of
tires over pavement. She waves the cars along, letting the drivers know
they can pass through the intersection. Riddle will cross after the
last vehicle drives away, when she knows for sure it’s safe to walk.<br />
<br />
“People don’t always stop,” she says.<br />
<br />
Riddle
motions to Blanchett to cross the street, then uses the dog to steady
herself as she steps down from the curb. Once they reach the other side,
Blanchett guides Riddle up the high curb and to the sidewalk.<br />
<br />
Riddle
stops to feed Blanchett a treat for the safe crossing. The dog slurps
up the jerky, her mouth in a grin, as they continue their stroll.<br />
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="view-comments">
<a class="btn comment-view-btn expand-comments" href="http://magicvalley.com/lifestyles/people/is-that-dog-at-work/article_d0227fdc-fa7b-59b6-8049-e142b7234068.html?mode=comments" id="comment_d0227fdc-fa7b-59b6-8049-e142b7234068"></a></div>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-8493577790109629332012-08-12T12:50:00.000-04:002012-08-12T12:50:03.417-04:00A Service Dog Wish Come True<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nvm_yKtA3x4/UCfeP2uKSqI/AAAAAAAAAqs/FlomJ70du2g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-12+at+12.44.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nvm_yKtA3x4/UCfeP2uKSqI/AAAAAAAAAqs/FlomJ70du2g/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-08-12+at+12.44.56+PM.png" width="353" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="entry-content">
It seemed impossibly cute, but mostly impossible, when Evan
Moss, 7, wrote and illustrated a book last year called “My Seizure Dog."
He wanted to raise $13,000 to buy a service dog to help with his severe
epilepsy, and the book depicted all the great things he would do with
such a dog. One example: Eat pizza.<br />
<br />
Then, thanks to a remarkable
outpouring of public support, he raised $45,000, enough to buy service
dogs for himself and seven other people. Last month, Evan and his family
traveled to Xenia, Ohio, to learn how to handle Mindy.<br />
<br />
Mindy,
their finely trained new dog, can detect seizures in advance and notify
Evan and his family. She uses “machine-gun licking," as Evan calls it,
to alert him that a seizure is imminent.<br />
<br />
Now the Mosses are back
in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, Va., with Mindy (and a
second dog, Dinky, rescued earlier by Evan’s sister Aria). And the
amazing journey of Evan, who has gone through more severe seizure
episodes and emergency room visits than you can imagine, now enters a
new phase. He is 8.<br />
<br />
Evan was born with tuberous sclerosis complex,
which caused him to have 300 to 400 short seizures a month as a small
child. Brain surgery at 4 stopped the short seizures, but he began to
have longer and more serious seizures.<br />
<br />
His parents immersed
themselves not only in the literature of epilepsy, but also the culture.
Rob Moss created a remarkable free website called Seizure Tracker,
which helps parents monitor and share data. He has since added a mobile
app. Lisa Moss joined the board of the Epilepsy Foundation and is
working full time for the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance.<br />
<br />
Rob and
Lisa also learned about “seizure dogs," specially trained not only to
alert the epileptic, particularly if he or she is sleeping, but to alert
the parents if the person needs help.<br />
The dogs can pick up a
scent that provides warning that a seizure is coming as much as five
hours before a grand mal seizure (20 minutes before a small seizure).
They also can help navigate crowds and provide soothing support by
placing their head in one’s lap.<br />
<br />
Evan had the idea to write the
book last year. He drew pictures of his imagined “seizure dog" sleeping
with him and going on airplanes with him and dictated the text to his
mother. She self-published the book, got it on Amazon.com and arranged
for a book signing in July 2011 at Grounded Coffee, a nearby family
hangout.<br />
<br />
Shortly before the book signing, a story about Evan
appeared in The Washington Post. And Post readers responded. The book
signing was mobbed, with more than 600 people lined up to buy books.
Folks came from as far away as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, some with
service dogs of their own.<br />
More than 400 copies of the book
quickly sold for $10 apiece. Post readers sent numerous emails offering
to help, the book shot to No. 1 on Amazon’s best-seller list of
children’s health books and, within a week, Evan had raised $20,000.<br />
<br />
People
magazine flew Evan and his family to Ohio, to 4 Paws for Ability, which
trains and raises the service dogs, and vets the families who receive
one. The dogs cost $22,000 to train, and 4 Paws asks recipients to pay
$13,000. Families launch fundraising drives that can last years, tracked
by 4 Paws.<br />
Last month, the Mosses returned to 4 Paws to pick up
Mindy. After two days, they were instructed to take the dog back to
their hotel, and by the fifth day, they were trying to deal with the
distractions and bustle of a large shopping mall. Graduation was on Day
10.<br />
<br />
There were eight other families being trained at the same
time, Lisa Moss said, with recipients ranging in age from 5 to 21. Evan
remembered them all and narrated his photo show of their dogs on his
camera.<br />
<br />
Mindy is a golden poodle, part golden retriever and part
standard poodle. When Evan met her, she had pink bows in her hair. This
was something of an outrage.<br />
“I can’t believe she has bows in her hair," Evan recalled of their first moment together. “I’m a boy!"<br />
But she’s a girl, I said.<br />
<br />
“Still. She’s my dog."<br />
His father handled the bulk of the training, with the focus for Evan more on bonding than the mechanics of obedience.<br />
Mindy
is just 11 months old and was trained for about five months before
meeting Evan. She is friendly and calm, but when her service vest is
snapped on, she becomes more upright and serious. She’s ready.</div>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-52359108585966966682012-08-11T14:28:00.000-04:002012-08-11T14:28:05.373-04:00Myrtle Beach Family Denied Entrance with Service Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m58ZUhkei1E/UCaj3a4S3pI/AAAAAAAAAqc/3s3nGyG2B4o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-11+at+2.25.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="43" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m58ZUhkei1E/UCaj3a4S3pI/AAAAAAAAAqc/3s3nGyG2B4o/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-08-11+at+2.25.06+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A local family is
speaking out after being refused service when they brought their Service
Dog to dinner Thursday night.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
The Campman family was heading out to Osaka
Buffet to celebrate mom's birthday when they say they were stopped at
the door by a manager. The manager asked if their service dog, Charlie,
was a Seeing Eye Dog. Charlie is not a Seeing Eye Dog, but is a Service
Dog.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
Charlie is trained to signal when his owner may have a seizure.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
"He is there to help break a fall, for
comfort…I am very combative when I come to, he's there to keep me calm,"
explains Matt Campman, Charlie's owner.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
Campman needs to have Charlie with him at all
times, which is why the service animal was with the family for their
dinner Thursday night. The Campman's say the staff at Osaka Buffet
stopped the family on their way to the table and said if Charlie was not
a Seeing Eye Dog, then he was not allowed in.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
"There are dogs for so many different conditions, it's just frustrating that people aren't aware of that," says Campman.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
The manager of Osaka Buffet says it is a
misunderstanding. Since the restaurant has had complaints before, they
require all service animals to stay in a side dining room, away from the
open food at the buffet.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
Advocates for Service Dogs say a licensed
Service Animal is allowed anywhere public is allowed. Campman's wife
says she explained to the staff that even though Charlie is not a Seeing
Eye Dog he is allowed to enter under the law.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
"We carry a card with Charlie's ID and his
tasks and things that he does for Matt. So I pulled it out, but at that
point we were obviously not going to stay," says Jackie Campman.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
The family says the whole ordeal was frustrating and people were in line behind them, so they decided to leave.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
"I felt really embarrassed…having my children
have to feel that way. You know, how do they feel? Having to leave a
restaurant because of me. Feeling like it's my fault," shares Campman.</div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
The family is not looking for any financial
gain, they say they want to share their story in order to spread
awareness and educate other people. </div>
<div orgfontsize="11.8833px">
<em orgfontsize="11.8833px">Copyright 2012 </em><a href="http://wmbfnews.com/" orgfontsize="12px" target="_self"><em orgfontsize="12px">WMBF News</em></a><em orgfontsize="11.8833px">. All rights reserved.</em></div>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-39758907499548537812012-08-11T14:12:00.002-04:002012-08-11T14:12:29.491-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tm4pMmOx1BE/UCagEhgpHKI/AAAAAAAAAqE/xLoKoujHIlk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-11+at+2.08.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tm4pMmOx1BE/UCagEhgpHKI/AAAAAAAAAqE/xLoKoujHIlk/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-08-11+at+2.08.43+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ceremonial signing to celebrate a new <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a> law benefitting <a href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/service-dogs">service dogs</a> was right in time for <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/international-assistance-dog-week-is-being-celebrated-coast-to-coast-august-5-11">International Assistance Dog Week</a>.<br />
Along with <a href="http://www.governor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/governor_pa_gov/20650" rel="nofollow">Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett</a>, the <a href="http://www.keystonehumanservices.org/susquehanna-service-dogs/default.php" rel="nofollow">Susquehanna Service Dogs</a> (SSD) organization was a part of this event which took place at the Puppy Palace in the Harrisburg Mall.<br />
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<span class="embed-slideshow-link-label">View slideshow:</span>
<a class="embed-slideshow-link" href="http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/ceremonial-signing-to-celebrate-a-new-pennsylvania-law-benefitting-service-dogs">Ceremonial signing to celebrate a new Pennsylvania law benefitting service dogs</a></div>
Wednesdays’ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Gov.TomCorbett" rel="nofollow">face book</a> page of Governor Tom Corbett states, ‘This morning Governor Corbett ceremonially signed <a href="http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2011&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=165" rel="nofollow">House Bill 165</a>, the <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/service-dog">service dog</a> protection bill. The bill allows authorities to cite owners of dogs that attack <a href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/service-dogs">service dogs </a>and require them to pay veterinary bills or restitution for injuries or damage resulting from such attacks.’<br />
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Ceremonial signing to celebrate a new Pennsylvania law benefitting service dogs</div>
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This bill and now law, allows for dog owners to be charged with a
third-degree misdemeanor and or restitution fine of up to $5,000 if
their dog attacks a service dog and they had knowledge of the animal’s
aggression, or if the animal had a history of attack and they recklessly
failed to restrain or keep their dog away from the service dog.<br />
The governor notes that guide dogs for the blind and other <a href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/service-dogs">service dogs </a>are trained not to fight back.<br />
<blockquote>
<em><strong>“They are trained only to serve the people to
whom they are entrusted. That’s what makes doing harm to a service dog,
in my opinion, one of the lowest forms of human behavior. Doing harm
to any dog is a low form of behavior, but particularly to a service
dog,” he said.</strong></em><br />
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The passing of this bill recognizes the importance of service dogs
and the extensive training that goes into a service dog to enable it to
serve a person with disabilities.<br />
With this being <a href="http://www.assistancedogweek.org/" rel="nofollow">International Assistance Dog Week</a>,
the participation of Governor Corbett in celebrating the recently
signed bill was a perfect part of the weeks’ commemorations to these
wonderful and loyal service animals.<br />
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<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/ceremonial-signing-to-celebrate-a-new-pennsylvania-law-benefitting-service-dogs" target="_blank">http://www.examiner.com/article/ceremonial-signing-to-celebrate-a-new-pennsylvania-law-benefitting-service-dogs</a><br />
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<br />ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-9085673507614672462012-08-10T21:28:00.005-04:002012-08-10T21:54:57.060-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Oklahoma City Police were contacted when a woman stood up for her rights and the rights of her <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/service-dog">service dog</a>
when her service dog was denied entry to a local convenience store. The
owner of the convenience store did not want the service dog inside the
store.<br />
<a href="http://http//www.okcfox.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kokh_vid_6079.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KOKH-TV, Fox 25, in Oklahoma City</a>,
also reported on August 8 the police officer sided with the owner of
the convenience store. The police officer asked the disabled woman and
her service dog to leave the store.<br />
A spokesperson for the Oklahoma City claims the Oklahoma City Police Department understands the laws set by the Americans with <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/disabilities">Disabilities</a> Act (<a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/ada">ADA</a>)
concerning service animals. They police department is currently
ensuring their officers also understand those laws. The following is the
complete statement issued by the Oklahoma City Police Department:<br />
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According to the <a href="http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ADA</a>,
“The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to
bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas
customers are generally allowed.” Those businesses any and all
businesses that serve the public. That includes convenient stores.<br />
The ADA states that a service dog is “any guide dog, signal dog or
other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual
with a disability.” The ADA goes even further by stating “animals are
considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have
been licensed or certified by a state or local government.” The
spokesperson, in the statement, inferred that that a service dog must be
a “certified service animal.” That is clearly a violation of the ADA
laws.<br />
“People need to understand that <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/service-dogs">service dogs</a>
come in all shapes and sizes and do all sorts of things,” Stephen
Sutton, from Oklahoma City whose wife has a service dog, said. “They
aren’t just large dogs for the seeing-impaired. Service dogs are trained
to sense seizures, changes in blood sugar levels and even to alert
their owners with peanut allergies to peanuts. They can be as small as
Chihuahuas or as big as Irish Wolfhounds. Many of them are mixed breeds -
even dogs rescued from animal shelters.”<br />
Although employees and business owners, like the owner of the
“Convenience J” convenience store, may be confused by what a service
dog, there is no reason for this - if they familiarize themselves with
the law. The ADA does not require the service dog wear special collars
or harnesses. Business owners may not “insist on proof of state
certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the
person with a disability.” If a person says the dog is a service dog,
the business must allow entry. If the service dog behaves in an
aggressive manner or destroys property, then the owner can be asked to
remove the dog.<br />
There are some places where service dogs are not allowed. These would
include burn units and intensive care units in hospitals. However,
these areas are not usually open to the general public.<br />
“Business owners need to understand the law,” Sutton continued. “They
can ask if it is a service dog. They can even ask what the service dog
does for the person. Legally the person only has to say ‘things I can
not do for myself’ and not go into details as to what needs the dog
provides for the person. Asking for more details is a lot asking what
medications a person takes and what the medications are for.”<br />
The ADA also states that a service dog must “perform some of the
functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform
for himself or herself.” Those functions and tasks are almost without
limits.<br />
“I was shocked to see them treating someone with a disability this way,” <a href="http://according2mandy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mandy Robinson</a>, from Enid, said. “It makes me never want to shop at their store again.”<br />
At the time of publication, it was unknown if the woman will be taking this matter any further.ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-25070139400739621162012-08-10T14:56:00.000-04:002012-08-10T14:56:20.118-04:00Governor Corbett signs law to protect service dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nf1R-OUM47M/UCVYuzAM5oI/AAAAAAAAApE/9XPB98R6SxA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-10+at+2.52.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nf1R-OUM47M/UCVYuzAM5oI/AAAAAAAAApE/9XPB98R6SxA/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-08-10+at+2.52.52+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Governor Tom Corbett signed legislation on Aug. 8 that will offer help to <a href="http://www.assistancedogweek.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">service dogs</a> and their owners. Sponsored by <a href="http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=287" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rep. John Evans</a> (R-Erie), <a href="http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2011&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=0165&pn=3560" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">House Bill 165</a>
imposes a criminal penalty upon the owner or co-owner of a dog that
kills, maims or disfigures a service dog without provocation.<br />
<a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/service-dogs">Service dogs</a>
are specifically trained to assist individuals who have disabilities or
other health-related concerns. Corbett was joined by Evans and several
citizens, who advocated for the legislation. Corbett then ceremonially
signed the law at the <a href="http://www.keystonehumanservices.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Susquehanna Service Dogs</a> storefront location at the <a href="http://www.shopharrisburgmall.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harrisburg Mall</a>. The storefront is used for service dog training classes.<br />
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<a class="embed-slideshow-link" href="http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/assistance-dogs">Assistance Dogs</a></div>
Coincidentally, this week is <a href="http://www.assistancedogweek.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Assistance Dog Week</a>, an observance created to recognize and raise awareness about these highly trained and hardworking animals. Under the <a href="http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2011&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=0165&pn=3560" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">new law</a>, the criminal penalty includes fines of up to $5,000 and, if necessary, the veterinary or replacement costs of the service dog.<br />ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474374335132103403.post-87885891799610749792012-08-10T14:23:00.000-04:002012-08-10T14:23:04.363-04:00Store Learns Costly Lesson: Allow Service Dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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TRENTON — A convenience store
chain with locations throughout the county, will likely be more
user-friendly to patrons needing assistance of service animals.<br />
Under an agreement finalized in July, the Pennsylvania-based Wawa
Corporation paid a Cumberland County man $12,500 to settle a complaint
that occurred at its Millville store. According to court documents, on
June 13 Patrick Stark entered the store accompanied by his service dog,
Copenhagen. Stark told investigators he requires the use of a service
animal because he experiences periodic seizures. Copenhagen is trained
to assist him. <br />
Stark, who entered the store to purchase a sandwich, was allegedly
told he would not be served unless he took Copenhagen outside. When
Stark attempted to explain to employees the service dog was permitted by
law, a store manager allegedly told the man he must leave. <br />
As part of a settlement agreement Wawa Corporation paid Stark and
agreed to post signs in all of its New Jersey stores advising service
dogs are welcomed. Wawa also agreed to train its New Jersey employees
regarding the laws related to service animals as well as the company’s
policies. All newly hired employees will also receive training. <br />
The settlement suggests that Wawa consider making “a charitable
donation to a service organization dedicated to providing service
animals for individuals with disabilities.” <br />
“This is an important resolution to this matter,” said New Jersey
Division of Civil Rights Director Craig Sashihara. “The allegations in
the case were troubling…”<br />
Paulann Pierson, coordinator of Disabilities Service for the Cape May
County Department of Aging and Disability Services, does not hear many
complaints regarding service dogs in this county. <br />
“Most businesses seem to be accommodating as to service animals,”
said Pierson. “People with disabilities are part of our community,” said
Pierson, “and they want to be included. We’re moving toward making our
community totally inclusive.” <br />
In order to insure they are in compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), local businesses such as stores, motels and
hotels often contact Pierson for clarification. “Business and hotel and
motel owners often ask questions,” Pierson told the Herald. “They want
to be fair and sensitive to ADA requirements.” <br />
Under ADA regulations, service animals are defined as “dogs that are
individually trained to do work or perform tasks of people with
disabilities.” The task or the work the dog is trained to do must be
directly related to the person’s disability. <br />
If the service dog’s function is not easily discernible, business staff members may only ask two questions: <br />
• Is the dog a service animal required for a disability?<br />
• What task has the dog been trained to perform?<br />
It is illegal to ask the person with the service dog about their
disability, require medical documentation for that person or a special
identification card for the dog or ask that the dog demonstrate its
work. <br />
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<a href="http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/pets+and+animals/trenton/85597-store+learns+costly+lesson+allow+service+dogs" target="_blank">http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/pets+and+animals/trenton/85597-store+learns+costly+lesson+allow+service+dogs</a>ECADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209402251552901622noreply@blogger.com0