"The Cavalier - GF's Newest Assistance Dog"

[Kirsten]

 "The Cavalier - GF's Newest Assistance Dog"


I'm the owner of the Cavalier that Susan has posted about in the last few blogs, and I believe that I need to clarify the Cavalier's role. She is my co-therapist. I utilize her with children that have been diagnosed with severe emotional disturbances.

Her primary place of work is at an office; however, a child may be exhibiting behaviors that are interfering with their ability to cope in the public (school, childcare center, stores, etc.) When discussing what the Cavalier's responsibilities would be, Susan thought it would be best to certify her as a 'Psychiatric Service Dog',

Read the rest at:  http://overfieldkennel.blogspot.com/2007/09/cavalier-gfs-newest-assistance-dog.html



This blog article permits comments....

[blkpanther0001]

i like your comment Kirsten do you think she will listen or check out the ada line?

[Kirsten]

Probably not.  However I'd like to encourage others to also leave a comment.  Even if we don't convince her we may but a bug in the ear of those who read the post.  If we get the idea out of the head of just one pet owner that they can certify their pet as a service dog they can can take it public access then we will have accomplished something worthwhile.

[blkpanther0001]

to leave a comment you have to either be registered with the blog or register so I did not leave a comment.

[Kirsten]

It's owned by Google.  I've got Google accounts all over the place and don't get spammed by any of them.

You can get login info from http://www.bugmenot.com for sites that require you to register.  Here are the ones they have for that site:
http://www.bugmenot.com/view/blogspot.com

[bj2circeleb]

And their response claims that Kirsten only knows about guide dogs for the blind, and doesn't realise what a real assistance dog is. Also the claim that she may be out in public without children for continually manintraining the dogs training -ie. she can take her pet with her everywhere because she is training it to be the service dog it already is for somebody else.

[Kirsten]

Well, I called ye olde ADA info line for clarification.  I asked if a dog working with a therapist for children with psychiatric disabilities was a service dog.  The answer may shock you:  "No, a service dog is trained to perform tasks for a specific person."

I posted my conversation with the ADA specialist at the info line on the blog.  I hope it is enough to get people to call the stupid number and get the true story.

[bj2circeleb]

I can't wait to see what their response is to that one!!!

[Kirsten]

Well, she is no longer disputing the law.  But she is arguing that it should be something other than it is.  It's more progress than I expected.

[bj2circeleb]

She is in a way also acknowledging that children cannot steward dogs on their own, and so do need an adult to make sure the dog and child work together OK.

But if she acknowledges what the law actually says and that the dog isn't really a service dog then why is it still in public working - because she doesn't like the law!!!

[Trilby]

However, children with or without disabilities are 98% of the time incapable of handling dogs correctly and, therefore, in need of supervision when in the presence of dogs.

To deny a child with disabilities the right of access to a service dog then becomes a discriminatory process.

How to solve the problem of the need for a service dog for an individual, including adults, incapable of actually full-time of handling the service dog.

If the individual can't meet the needs of the service animal but requires that much full time care themselves, they don't require an assistance animal but a full time care nurse. Not everyone meets the requirements for an SD. She struts around bragging that she is above the law (because she hasn't been caught yet) attempting to dilute that fact by claiming she is 'helping people'. She wants what she can't have, a service dog. This is not about helping people, it's all about her. She doesn't want to bring these people a therapy dog, she wants a dog she can take everywhere with herself so she self titles the dog an SD.

[Kirsten]

Well now she's waffling in a confusing manner.  I don't know what she is trying to say any more and I don't know what her motivations are though I suspect, Trilby, that you may be right.

[Kirsten]

There is another issue I have not addressed with her.  She says she works with mentally ill children.  We know that more than 3/4 of people with diagnosed mental illness are not disabled by that illness.  I'm not sure she understands the distinction.  I haven't brought it up since even if disabled the dog still wouldn't qualify as a service dog because it's her dog.

[blkpanther0001]

she has just left a lengthy reply to you Kirsten, and quotes several laws that will back fire on her in the end.

[Kirsten]

Well, I replied yet again.  I explained that the law she was quoting was written by the DOJ who had already declared her dog not a service dog via the info line.

Then I took Trilby's lead and added my own blunt communication style.

I asked her point blank why she persisted in calling her dog a service dog and claiming public access rights when she could accomplish her stated goals (helping mentally ill children over come symptoms in public venues) by calling her dog, correctly, a professional therapy dog and by requesting access from the businesses before entering.

I asked what other goal might she have that could not be accomplished this way.

Then I called Delta and sent them an email, asking them to intercede.  Once she admitted she was a Delta evaluator  I had a reason to report her posts to them.  Hopefully they will act.

She's really starting to get on my nerves now.