"Disabled man's quest for new dog ends happily" (followup to "fat dog" story)

[fledchen]

Disabled man's quest for new dog ends happily
Ozzie was taken away, but readers are helping him get another service dog

Last winter, hundreds of Pioneer Press readers contacted the Watchdog, furious that Mark Grewing's service dog had been taken from him because it weighed a couple of pounds too much.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/15246427.htm

IIRC the Pioneer Press did not tell the whole story in the original article, so I have mixed feelings about this man being allowed to have another SD.

[Kirsten]

So all I have to do to get a free service dog with all the trimmings is to get one taken away and get it in the paper?

[fledchen]

It does seem a lot like he's playing the "pity card." There are, unfortunately, some people who have a sense of entitlement that makes them think that they deserve things without having to earn them or take care of them properly.

Does that mean that I think it's wrong for some service dog orgs to provide their dogs for free? Or that fundraising for a service dog, instead of paying out of one's own pocket is wrong? No, I don't think that at all. What I do think is that this man needs to demonstrate his commitment to working with and caring for the dog in a way that is mutually beneficial and healthy. I don't think he could have possibly done so in a matter of two months.