Apr 29, 2009

Just How Big the OEF/OIF Veteran Need for Service Dogs Could Be – And What Will Be Required from Us to Meet It

Al , , , Service Dogs

I can’t give you a definitive answer on how large the potential number of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veteran candidates for service dogs is – there are just way too many variables.

What I can do, though, is give you the official OEF/OIF casualty numbers and go from there:  almost 35,000 wounded warriors with varying levels of injuries, including around 900 amputees.

( http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/gwot_reason.pdf and http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall08_sharepoint.pdf )

Now, if I just arbitrarily say the number of people who need service dogs is 1% of that total number – and, again, I have no way of knowing if that’s accurate, it’s just a seemingly conservative “pull it out of the air” number to start from – that’s roughly 350 dogs.  Shoot, let’s say it’s just half a percent – that’s still about 175 dogs.

Either way, in case it’s not obvious, that’s a lotta dogs when you are talking fully-trained service dogs.  To put it in context, the largest organization of the bunch graduates about 200 dogs a year.

Those casualty numbers have stayed fairly constant for a while now, so I’ve had plenty of time to think about them, and there are a coupla things that jump right out at me.

First, I’d expect to see a lot more demand for service dogs coming from this population, which is why I harped on the subject of education so hard in my last post.  But, hey, maybe I’m just flat wrong and there’s not anywhere near the kinda need I think there is.

But if I’m not wrong, even at the low percentages we’re talking about, that’s a huge additional need. And while I don’t think the larger service dog organizations are prepared to handle a load that large if it materializes, I also don’t think there’s any way we get close to handling it without them.

For me, that means I’m gonna continue to spend my time and effort supporting those places because I believe they offer the best hope to make the biggest and most effective positive impact on the largest number of people. Others have a different view and believe they can be more effective through supporting smaller programs or doing things individually.

Personally, I think it’s gonna take a combination of large places, small places, individual trainers, and maybe even some people training their own dogs, just as it does now.  And I think there’s a place at the table for everybody, as long as they are up to the standard and make good placements, which is why I harp on that subject so hard.

That’s not a new discussion, it’s been going on for a long time, I’m familiar with it, and I certainly have no problem with respectful disagreements. That’s to be expected – organizations and trainers focus on different areas of need, feel competent in some areas, not competent in others – and there are great places of every kind – big, small, individuals, you name it.

Unfortunately, the pattern has been for that discussion to deteriorate into attacks on the larger organizations. Let me forewarn you – given the track record, I fully expect to see that same thing happen in the veterans area if it hasn’t already, so don’t be surprised when things turn ugly.

You’ll know that’s started when you see certain things.  Look for a pattern – the first sign will normally be when you hear someone say something like “the big guys suck, I know better than they do, and I can do a better job training a dog”.  As the discussion goes on, I’m willing to bet that at some point a person making those statements will say that either they were looking for a dog for themselves and the place couldn’t meet their need, or they were involved with the organization and became disillusioned with it over time.

Nothing wrong with either of those things per se – that stuff happens, and that’s how many great new ideas, products, companies, and organizations have come about in many areas.  Where the problem starts is when there are attacks about the competency, motives, and sometimes even the character or integrity of the people working with those organizations.

Me? I don’t have time for any of that stuff. I’m focused on getting more top-notch dogs placed with all these young veterans who’ve done so much for all of us, and anything that doesn’t further that goal or, even worse, gets in the way of it (and the kinda stuff we’re talking about here definitely falls under that heading), I just don’t have time for.

What I’m looking for is more people to get on the bus with me and make this happen. The numbers here tell me that we have a potentially huge job ahead of us, and that’s where we need to be concentrating our time and effort.

Apr 27, 2009

If You Want More Service Dogs For Veterans, First You Have To Get More Veterans Who Want Service Dogs

Al , , , Service Dogs

If You Want More Service Dogs For Veterans, First You Have To Get More Veterans Who Want Service Dogs

“I didn’t think I needed an assistance dog. Then I saw them in action, helping other people with disabilities… Having a CCI assistance dog has really changed my life.” - Jeffrey Adams

Jeffrey Adams, first OEF/OIF vet to get a CCI service dog, pictured with his dog Sharif.

Jeffrey Adams, first OEF/OIF vet to get a CCI service dog, with Sharif.

Most of the discussion I see about getting service dogs for disabled veterans is completely backwards – people keep talking about getting more service dogs when what we need to be talking about is getting more disabled veterans who want service dogs.

The simple fact is not enough disabled veterans, especially OEF/OIF vets, are asking for service dogs – period. Same is true for the professional medical staff who work with those veterans and could apply for facility dogs.

Until that changes, all these other efforts, while noble and important, are secondary. The “if you build it, they will come” mentality won’t work – supply is not gonna drive demand.

Why that’s true is pretty simple. First, nobody’s gonna just give somebody a dog (well, at least no responsible organization will), nor should they. Second, you can’t make somebody take a service dog.

Once you grasp those two concepts, it follows that if someone wants a service dog, they have to ask for one – that’s the way it is now, and there’s no reason for that to change. People need to apply for a dog from a reputable organization, go through a thorough screening process, find out if an assistance dog is the right thing for them, and be selected to receive one. And before someone can apply, they have to know what an assistance dog is and what it can do for them.

There’s much more to say on this subject and it will continue to be a major theme here, but here’s the one point I want to make right now:

The biggest hurdle we face in getting service dogs to veterans with disabilities at this point isn’t money, or the VA, or how many dogs are available – it’s education.

Sure, those other things will become important, but only to the extent that we get the education piece done first, and if you really wanna have an impact, that’s where you can help. Educate yourself, and then educate everybody else – those veterans, their families, friends, medical staff – even just people you meet on the street.  I’ve already told you what to look for in reputable service dog places ( “How to Find the Best Service Dogs for Disabled Veterans” and “Tough Questions You Need To Ask About Every Service Dog Organization” ) – aim people at those organizations and this website.

Much more to follow…

Apr 25, 2009

Great Video of CCI Dogs In Action at the Sacramento Airport Yesterday

Al , Service Dogs

I already told you about the CCI graduate team of Wallis Brozman and Caspin (“One Of The Most Touching Service Dog Stories I’ve Ever Read”) – now they along with some of the great Sacramento-area puppy raisers and their dogs in training are in a fantastic two-minute news video just filmed yesterday at the Sacramento airport .

There are some of the usual news media inaccuracies in the story you need to be aware of (e.g., they aren’t “guide dogs”, they misspelled Wallis’ last name, it costs a lot more than $10K to produce a dog), but don’t let those detract from an otherwise tremendous story.

Wallis does an outstanding job of explaining what having a dog like Caspin has done for her, and Caspin shows off some of the things that CCI dogs learn in advanced training (like picking up a penny).  I honestly wish I could take them with me “on tour” because she’s rapidly become a tremendous spokesperson for CCI, and if you look in the dictionary under “service dog” you’ll see Caspin’s picture, but for now the video will have to do.

Apr 21, 2009

Recent CCI Graduate Passes Away

Al , Service Dogs

There’s a very nice – albeit also very sad – story in the Vail paper today about Mylissa Eckdahl, a recent Canine Companions for Independence graduate who passed away last week. Mylissa was only 43 and had only just graduated with her service dog Santana from the CCI Southwest Regional Center in Oceanside, CA in August 2008.

I happened to be out in Oceanside for the graduation that week, but I can’t say I really knew Mylissa other than briefly saying hello. That’s definitely my loss, and reading the article made me wish I’d gotten to know her a lot better.

Please read the article – beyond being a very nice tribute, it will also give you an excellent perspective about the kind of things some of the more severely injured people who get these dogs deal with daily.

Mylissa Eckdahl, center, with daughters Erin, left, and Rachel, right.

“Eagle woman’s courage, generosity remembered”

4/23/09 UPDATE: Several people who attended Mylissa Eckdahl’s memorial service last evening said it was a very moving and beautiful service.   A very nice memorial site where you can see more information about her life and leave comments if you’d like has been set up at this link:

http://www.sympathytree.com/mylissaeckdahl/

Apr 18, 2009

Why The VA Has Provided No Money For Service Dogs – In Their Own Words

Al , , , , Service Dogs

I saw yet another upset comment this morning about “Why doesn’t the VA pay for service dogs?”, so I thought this would be a good time to outline the concise history of their position, especially since I don’t believe it can be found all in one place anywhere.  The subject comes up all the time and if you have an interest in this area, you definitely need to know the background so you can have an intelligent discussion and come to an informed opinion.

First, you need to know that there are still ongoing discussions about this subject.   My understanding of where things stand now is that they are “on hold”, like so many things are with the change of administrations. That said, here’s the short version of the background/history…

In early 2002, Public Law 107-135 (specifically Title II, Section 201(c)(2)) was passed which said the VA could, but didn’t have to, provide service dogs to veterans with certain disabilities.  Since then, the VA has taken seven years, spent several hundred thousand dollars, done three studies, and still has not come to a definitive conclusion.

And, while the VA talks about “providing” dogs, the only thing they’ve really been trying to decide is whether to pay the same benefits to disabled veterans with a service dog that they’ve been paying to those with guide dogs for many years.  That’s it – there’s been no intent (and that I’m aware of there still isn’t) to “pay for service dogs” the way some describe it, i.e., fund organizations who train assistance dogs.

There was a January 2008 memo signed by the former Secretary which summarized their position (and got at least one angry response which you can find online if you want – I’m not gonna post that link).  I’ve read the memo, but I’ve got something even better for you – the man behind the memo describing the VA thinking about service dogs in his own words a few months later.

Fred Downs, the VA’s Chief Consultant, Prosthetics and Sensory Aids did an hour-long interview with Brian Lamb for C-SPAN on June 5th, 2008, during which he discussed many things, including his handling of the service dog issue.  You can watch the video below – skip to the 51:20 mark which is where the pertinent section starts.  The transcript is available here – I’ve included the pertinent excerpt below (it’s a little long, but I didn’t want you to have to wade through the original to find it).

Do I have strong opinions about a number of things that were said there?  You bet.  But rather than get into those right now, I’ll just let Fred Downs speak for himself, and you can listen to him and/or read the transcript, see the kinda thinking that drives these decisions, and come to your own conclusions.

I’ve been considering opening up comments here, and this seems like a good time since I’d certainly like to know what you think about this one, so I’ll give it a shot.  Although, I gotta tell you – I’ve seen a lotta ranting and raving on this subject over time, and I don’t think it’s helped in the past nor will it in the future.  If it really bugs you, one thing I’d suggest is contacting your elected members of Congress. While I’d like to have seen more progress on this issue, you will note that Congressional pressure is the one thing that got the VA’s attention, and things wouldn’t even have gotten as far as they have without it.

One question none of us can answer – and which truly bothers me – is “How many veterans – some of whom may no longer be with us – have missed out on getting a service dog over the last seven years because they needed the VA’s help and it wasn’t there?”  We’ll never know – just like we don’t know how many are still in that same boat right now.

Here’s the video and transcript – please check them out:


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Transcript Excerpt – Fred Downs C-SPAN Interview, 6/5/08

LAMB: But give us an example without naming names of a problem you’re dealing with.

DOWNS: Of a problem I’m dealing with right now …

LAMB: Or have dealt with, which is complicated and involves all this.

DOWNS: OK. One is service dogs. Service dog is different than a guide dog. A guide dog for the blind is very well defined. About five years ago an advocacy group convinced a congressman to put a law in place that the VA would provide service dogs to veterans and that’s about as big as it got and that’s – the law was passed. So then it comes over as a law and my job then, because it’s assigned to prosthetics, will have to know regulation, policy and procedures to carry this out. Well it turns out there were no real standards concerning service dogs. Now service dog, for folks who may not know, is – you often see them and they’ll have a saddle on their back and they’re with a disabled individual, sometimes in a wheelchair and they can put things in the saddle bags on the animal and sometimes the dog can do things like open doors and there are other functions that dogs are suppose to be able to perform and so there’s a large advocacy group out there pushing service dogs as being a solution for helping disabled folks get through life and be independent but there’s no – so we had – I had to put together a worker (ph) because there’s no standards and how to develop policy when – I mean do you have a Chihuahua and a German Shepherd, what kind of functions do they perform and who trains them and you have people in prisons that train them and you have people in their homes who train them and so there’s a Web site – you go to the Web site on service dogs, there’s dozens and dozens of them. And all these folks are well meaning but what are the standards? So we have to develop standards to ensure quality of care to the veteran because the dog – you got to make sure the dog is taken care of because then the humane folks want to make sure that the dogs not mistreated. So there’s training issues for who trains them, training issues for the veteran, how they use the animal, which kind of animals do you use and how are they trained, so we had to put all this together. While we were putting it all together, well the congressmen keep getting pushes from the advocate groups to why isn’t the VA providing service dogs yet. So it took – we had to research – there’s no research to support it so we had to hold them off while we did some research. So we did a couple of research projects to see what do dogs, do they really function the way they do, are they – what do they cost, what are they worth, what can they do, how long do they live and what are the vet bills going to be, what kind of harnessing do you have to pay for, all these kind of issues.

LAMB: By the way, how much do they cost?

DOWNS: It depends. You get them – non-profit gives you the dog. Other folks want to charge you 15, $20,000 and so it’s like – it’s all over the board. And who – and what are your standards for training and so that’s a big issue.

LAMB: Who pays in the end and how many service dogs …

DOWNS: Well I was supposed to figure all this out, see. This is what we do. The law is passed and now how do we make it work and so it took us about five years to come up with – getting the research project took a long time and research project and we had a group committee, meanwhile we’re getting a lot of pressure from certain congressmen who want this to be provided and so – but we can’t – we explained to the different congress folks why weren’t not making any quicker progress than we are and so they understand that. It’s a process.

LAMB: How long did it take to get the actual dog …

DOWNS: It’s taken about five years and we finally have a final draft in place and so what we’re going to do is we’ll provide service dogs on a case-by-case basis. We’ll accept dogs only from non-profit organization. And we’re developing standards – we have to develop the standards because there are no standards so we’re working with the service dog industry to develop standards in training and other …

LAMB: How much will VA pay of all this?

DOWNS: We’re not going to pay anything for the dog because we get the dog from non-profit. We will pay the veterinarian cost and we’ll pay for the harnessing. That’s what we do with the guide dogs.

LAMB: How many do you expect to have to provide?

DOWNS: Well that’s another thing. We don’t know. That is an unknown to us. We’re going to do it on a case-by-case basis because at this stage we have no idea which disability can use a service dog and those are unknowns for us.

LAMB: But just for case of this discussion, how much did it cost you to do those studies and how long did they take?

DOWNS: They cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to do the studies. Like I said it took – they were supposed to be 18 month studies. They turned into three-year studies because of the difficulties of putting together the research on it, the evaluation.

LAMB: Meanwhile are any of these veterans getting dogs?

DOWNS: No. No.

LAMB: And are the members of congress that pushed the hardest for it still in Congress?

DOWNS: Right.

LAMB: They’re still there?

DOWNS: They’re still there.

LAMB: Are they unhappy along the way because …

DOWNS: Well they’re unhappy, yes, because we haven’t been able to come up with the policy yet. We’re not providing the dogs and so there are some vets who want these dogs.

LAMB: What about the advocacy groups? Are they …

DOWNS: Advocacy groups want the dogs because they think the service dogs are good solution. So that’s part of that – what makes my job so interesting and so great is that we are responding – we have to respond to Congress. We have to respond to the veterans’ needs. We have to stay within the rules and how the government works. We have to be fiscally responsible, in other words pay attention to cost. We have to balance all of these in trying to meet the needs of all of these different constituencies; the veteran, the service dog industry, the Congress and then of course the budget people. We need to be able to give them information about how many of these dogs we’re going to provide and how much money would that cost. So this is an example of a sticky issue that came down the pike that you can’t ignore. It’s important. It has value to certain individuals and certain veterans.

LAMB: Speculate though? How many dogs do you think you’re going to have to deal with?

DOWNS: I even hate to say this, I can’t speculate. I don’t know.

LAMB: Will it be a thousand or will it be 500 or will it be 20,000?

DOWNS: I think it would 500 to 1,000. It won’t be 20,000. I don’t think so.

LAMB: Is it worth all this expense, all this time?

DOWNS: Well that’s always the crucial question, is it worth the expense? If the dog is able to perform what it’s supposed to do, then it would be worth it to the individual. And that’s where government is different than private industry. We, in the government, yes, we may spend more money to solve this particular problem but, over a period of time, we’ve increased the quality of life of the individual. We’ve put stability into the industry. We have responded to a law. So we’ve been able to stabilize what has been an unknown area and put some structure and form to it and begin to frame it. Now whether it’s worth it or not? When you’re dealing with the human body and a condition, is this arm worth $2,400 and is it worth it versus the MyoElectric arm, which is maybe worth $60,000, so which one of these is best for me? Cost wise, the bean counters will say, no, you go with this arm. Health wise, quality wise and just from a human standpoint of quality of life, you’ll go with MyoElectric. So that’s how you do this.

Apr 16, 2009

One Of The Most Touching Service Dog Stories I’ve Ever Read

Al , Service Dogs

I read hundreds, if not thousands, of blog posts, Twitter tweets, and news stories daily, and, frankly, I see the term “service dog” tossed around pretty loosely (no surprise to you if you’ve read this blog at all).

I started to write a buncha caveats to clarify what I’m about to say, but decided not to.  I’ll just say this – read this story written by Wallis Brozman and then see how your idea of what a service dog is and what it does racks up against it.

Oh, yeah… Since this is a wider audience, lemme give you what’s known in the CCI world as a “Kleenex alert” – as in you might wanna have a box of Kleenex or a handkerchief handy while reading this story.

—————————————————————————————————————–

Gold Rush Champions Newsletter Dec 2008 – Feb 2009
www.goldrushchampions.com

wallis-brozman-and-caspin

Wallis Brozman and Caspin

“I have dystonia, which causes abnormal, uncontrollable movements and twisted posturing of your body. Recently, dystonia has seemed like something I cannot escape. Then in February 2009, I was paired with Service Dog Caspin, and my life has changed in amazing ways. I feel like my dystonia matters less with Caspin by my side. I can focus on my goals and dreams, and he always seems to make the pain more bearable.

I have been back home in Davis for four days now, although it seems like I’ve had Caspin for so much longer than a couple of weeks. Already in these few short days, so much has changed for me. People smile at my dog, instead of looking at me with a mixture of pity and curiosity. They ask about Caspin, tell me how wonderful he is, instead of asking what’s wrong with me. I live alone, 3000 miles from my family. It was so hard to be alone sometimes. I feared for my safety, and I was incredibly lonely. I can feel safe now.

Just tonight, I found myself outside walking Caspin, and I had left my phone in the house. I had thought that there was no reason to bring it. I was wrong. The cool night air triggered a dystonic attack. I was stuck in the dark, completely rigid and in spasm. I began to panic. Why hadn’t I brought the phone; and would I have even been able to push a button if I had? Who would I call? In my panic, I looked to Caspin. He saw my anguish, my discomfort, and sought to comfort me. He put his head on my spasming legs, licked my tremoring hands, reassured me with a gentle lick on my cheek. I knew Caspin was ready to help in any way he could. Since this was supposed to be a night time bathroom run, I hadn’t thought to dress Caspin in his pulling harness. If only I had, I thought. He could have pulled me. He looked up at me and knew what to do. I grabbed his collar softly and whispered, “Caspin, pull”. Easily, like it was meant to be that way, Caspin pulled me lightly towards my door. He glanced at me every few steps as if making sure his pace wasn’t hurting me. As we reached the door, I unlatched the lock and told Caspin to push. He had never pushed open my door, but I knew he would tonight. We made it inside, and Caspin turned out the light. I had stopped spasming, but I was still rigid. I called Caspin onto my bed, and he sat there, licking my rigid arms, easing my muscles back into a more useful state. I was in my bed and I was safe.

I hate to think what would have happened to me “before”. Would someone have come to help me? Would I have sat there for hours until perhaps by some stroke of luck, the spasming stopped? Who knows. What I do know, is that Caspin was my lifesaver tonight. It has been four days since we left the CCI campus in Santa Rosa, and Caspin has already saved me.

I applied for a service dog from Canine Companions for Independence two years ago, almost to the day. I knew the benefits of having a service dog; I have volunteered with Dogs4Diabetics in Concord for over two years now. However, had someone told me that a dog would get me safely home one night, I never could have believed them. Had they told me that this black dog would be there to comfort me when I was in pain, or sad, or lonely I would never have imagined how true it would be. Caspin is always there to listen to me rant, or sob, and in two weeks he has witnessed both. He lends a non-judgmental ear when I need one, and a strong and comforting shoulder when I need to cry.

Caspin has provided me with so much more than a capable set of paws, eager to retrieve my dropped keys; more than just a strong dog to pull my wheelchair when I’m tired. He has even provided more than a sense of security far from home. Caspin is my constant companion, my loyal friend. It has been four days, and so much has happened. If in only four days, my life has changed this much, I cannot wait to see what will happen in the next four weeks, months, and years. It’s bound to be just as wonderful.”

Apr 14, 2009

“I Don’t Want To Take Someone Else’s Dog.”

Al , , , Service Dogs

Something CCI has heard more than once from potential candidates for a service dog, especially younger veterans, is “I don’t wanna take somebody else’s dog.”  Meaning, they think there’s somebody with a more severe need than they have, and they don’t want to take a dog that would be going to that person.

Can’t happen.  Lemme say that again – can’t happen.

In fact, not only is it not possible, the exact opposite might be true – they might actually provide an opportunity for a dog to be placed who otherwise would not be. Here’s why…

First, by the time a successful applicant has gone through the extensive application process (see for yourself – “CCI Application Process” ) and been selected, CCI knows that person’s needs and abilities in great detail.

Second, by the time a dog has made it through the two-year training process, the last six months of which are spent living on-site at a CCI regional center with daily full-time contact with the training staff, CCI knows each dog’s capabilities inside and out.

The result is the outstanding individual matches that CCI is famous for – and when I say individual match, I mean individual match. Longer discussion, and I know this might sound odd, but suffice to say there are a few dogs who make it all the way through training, don’t match with someone because the right combination isn’t there at the right time, and the dog ends up being released.

I guarantee you that’s not something that’s done lightly or that anyone wants to do, but it does happen.

And who knows? There could be somebody out there who said “I don’t wanna take somebody else’s dog” and didn’t apply, and a dog that was released might’ve been a perfect match for them.

So if you think you might benefit from a dog, apply – there’s no way you’re taking anything away from anyone else.

Apr 10, 2009

“Writing A Prescription For A Pet Does Not Transform Fluffy Or Fido Into A Service Animal.”

Al , , , Service Dogs

Amen.

I saw this quoted in a response by someone to an earlier letter in a small newspaper in Northern California today (“Will the real assistance animal please stand up?”).  The response then goes on to talk about how dogs have to be trained for specific tasks to be considered service dogs.

Of course, I don’t disagree with that at all – I would just add that, while there’s no question those tasks are a critical element, a successful service dog placement goes way beyond that. You want a strong support organization with an end-to-end program that starts with a thorough application and screening process, continues right on through training, and, most importantly, finishes with regular follow-up contacts after the placement is made.

So don’t get caught up in the number of commands a particular organization says they train. In fact, when I see top organizations training in the range of 40-50 commands, and someone else saying they train a lot more commands than that, I have to wonder why.  Could be a good reason, could just be they want to be able to advertise they train more commands. Either way, more doesn’t mean better, and that’s not a standard by which you can compare service dog organizations.

You need to look for the total package, and always keep that in mind whenever you see any service dog place on television or in the news, especially when military veterans are involved.

Apr 8, 2009

Tough Questions You Need To Ask About Every Service Dog Organization

Al , , , , , Service Dogs

Last time I talked about how you can’t know if a dog is really a service dog, and ended up promising I’d tell you how you can have a huge impact on the overall quality of service dog placements, and why it’s absolutely critical that you do. (I’ll forewarn you that this is a longer post than I like to write, but it’s that important.)

Lemme get right to the heart of things and tell you first why it’s so critical.  Some people, including me, fear that there’s a really bad service animal “incident waiting to happen” just around the corner and it’s only a matter of time. That fear isn’t based on some irrational hysteria – it’s because of the ongoing proliferation of service dog programs.  Seems like every time I turn around there’s another new one, often with a big press release about how they’re gonna be endorsed by some famous celebrity or appear on a talk show, and many times they are targeting their services directly at veterans with severe emotional or physical disabilities.

All it’s gonna take is one bad placement, one time where an inadequately trained dog and/or an improperly screened recipient results in an out-of-control situation where people get hurt. And God forbid the incident involves a wounded veteran from the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts, especially one who’s been diagnosed with PTSD. We’ve already seen how the media in its normal way has been all over those kinda stories, sensationalizing them and maligning all OEF/OIF veterans over the actions of a few.

The fallout from an incident like that could destroy in an instant all that so many have worked so hard to achieve for so many years.  And I can guarantee you if something like that does happen, even if it’s later shown to be a dog that wasn’t properly trained, or an applicant that wasn’t properly screened, or a shaky dog organization, it’s not gonna matter – all service animals and those who benefit from them will likely be hurt, and significantly.

My point last time was that laws, while they have their place and are one tool in the arsenal, aren’t going to solve this problem.  You can only hammer so much – while laws might get some marginal “service dogs” out of public areas and maybe even cause some bad programs to shut down, they aren’t gonna produce more good dogs or placements, nor do they give the average person something they can use to help make that happen. You accomplish that (and this is where you can have that huge impact I mentioned) by only supporting the good programs so they thrive, and not supporting the marginal ones until they either improve, or go away altogether.

That means you have to make informed decisions about organizations that train and place service dogs, and to do that you have to educate yourself and make your own judgments about any service dog organization.

And I mean ANY organization.  I don’t care if you “heard about it on Oprah”, or you read about it here on my blog, or a well-known veterans organization is associated with it, or Charity Navigator gives it four stars (a discussion for another time, but for now note it’s significant that they are currently changing their methodology), or your best friend told you about it, or even if someone in your own family actually has a dog from the organization. Do your own research - the good places can stand up to the scrutiny, the not-so-great ones can’t, and the onus is on them to provide you the answers to your questions.

What do you look for?  Here are a few revealing questions to ask every time you see a service dog organization:

● Is the organization an accredited Assistance Dogs International member? And, if so, how long has it been an accredited member?

I’ve mentioned this one before (“How to Find the Best Service Dogs for Disabled Veterans”) – at this point, if I don’t see this, I have to ask why.  In fact, the better a program looks to me and the more publicity it gets, the more the absence of ADI accreditation jumps out as a potential big red flag.

● Do they provide specific descriptions of what the dogs are trained to do as it relates to accepted standards?

For example, if a place talks about how they train psychiatric service dogs or dogs for PTSD, then I’d expect to see as a bare minimum a reference to the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners’ “Service Dog Tasks for Psychiatric Disabilities” (http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html), or, better yet, a detailed description of how they follow the guidelines outlined at length in that document.

● What is the real focus of the organization? Are they truly focused on “the human end of the leash”?

Service dog programs now often have a number of individual elements they promote, sometimes all combined into one program – for example, prisoners raising dogs (one element) rescued from shelters (another element) that will become service dogs (another element) for wounded veterans (another element).  On the upside, each one of those is a great thing by itself, and, naturally, in combination, it comes across as even that much better.  On the downside, though, those things can easily be competing priorities, and the organization – and you – have to figure out what’s the primary focus.

Are they more interested in rescuing dogs from shelters?  Or is the real priority helping prisoners?  Or is their true passion helping wounded veterans? Harsh as this may sound, the bottom line is the focus has to be on making a life-changing, lifelong improvement for the person receiving the dog, and those other interests are side benefits that are important only to the degree that they help make that happen.  Again, look closely, but sometimes I think this one jumps out at you.

● And, most importantly: Will the organization make the tough calls when they need to?

The reality is that it’s easy to look good with the general public on this subject, especially when you involve the other elements I mentioned, particularly veterans with disabilities.  Most people love dogs, the level of specialized knowledge about service dogs isn’t there, and, on top of that, when you say you’re going to help out a wounded warrior who really needs the help, most people’s automatic inclination is “What’s not to love? Tell me where I sign up.”

But, like so many things that look good on the surface, when you look closer, it’s a lot tougher and more complex than it seems, and there are some hard calls that have to be made. Will they release a dog from training, even though it’s a wonderful dog and everyone loves it, and it’s at 90% of where it needs to be, but still just doesn’t meet the service dog standard?  Will they turn down an applicant, even though it’s someone who has faithfully served their country, been severely injured while doing so, whose situation tears at your heart, but yet you know just isn’t a good fit for a service dog? Will they do those things, knowing that they are likely to be vilified by some, condemned in the media, and maybe even have their motives or qualifications questioned?

Or will they take the easy way out and not make those kinds of tough decisions? Let a dog slide through training because, hey, 90% is close enough, there’s a real need, and things will probably be OK?  Grant a borderline application request because they get caught up in the emotion of dealing with a wounded veteran and want to “do the right thing”? Or, maybe worst of all, are they firmly convinced that they know better than all the established assistance dog organizations and associations, and that they are actually helping someone, when, in fact, they may be doing more harm?

Maybe none of that will happen, but, ultimately, you have to ask yourself:  Am I absolutely certain that the organization will never, ever, for any reason, risk placing someone who receives one of its dogs in a potentially unsafe situation?

If you’ve read this far, you could easily be asking, “Sheesh, Al, all these places are trying to do is help – why are you being so tough?” Trust me – as somebody who loves these dogs, is a veteran, and is deeply involved as a volunteer with one of these organizations, I know how tough it can be sometimes to stay focused on the real goal. I also know how hard it can be to accept some of those tough calls that have to be made – I’m just thankful I’m not the guy who has to make them. But somebody has to, and you better be absolutely sure that any service dog organization you’re gonna support is willing to do that.

Please go back and reread what I said at the beginning – we simply can’t afford an incident like that.  Pay very, very close attention to the organizations you read about or see on television, don’t take anybody’s word – mine, a famous celebrity’s, anybody’s – about those places, and go check them out yourself using the guidelines I’ve given you.

Apr 7, 2009

How Do I Know If That’s Really A Service Dog?

Al , Service Dogs

Simple – you don’t. And you probably never will.

Lotta things I could show you, but here’s a direct quote from the Department of Justice’s proposed changes to 28 CFR 36, “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities”, the part of the ADA that addresses service animals:

Proposed training standards.

The Department has always required that service animals be individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, but has never imposed any type of formal training requirements or certification process. While some groups have urged the Department to modify this position, the Department does not believe such a modification would serve the array of individuals with disabilities who use service animals.

http://www.ada.gov/NPRM2008/titleiii.htm#toc_11f

Standard disclaimer applies – I’m not an attorney, don’t play one on TV, didn’t sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night (or ever that I can remember).  But I don’t think I need to be a lawyer to understand what that paragraph means – regardless of whatever else the law says about what a service dog is or isn’t (and, trust me, it does, but I’ll save that for another time), there is not now, nor are there any plans for, a specific certification that says a dog has met those requirements. Which also means there’s really no way for you or me to know if a dog is a service dog or not.

So where’s that leave us? Well, I’m not the kind of person who believes laws fix things in general, so I don’t have confidence that they will here, either. Plus, ultimately, you and I aren’t the “service dog police”, anyway.  And I don’t know that there’s much I can offer that’ll truly help you when you’re in the grocery store, or on the bus, or at a restaurant, and you’re really wondering about that dog you’re seeing in there.

But there is one area where you can have a HUGE impact in determining the overall quality of service dog placements, and it’s absolutely critical that you do. I’ll explain both those things in the next post – you can get a little head start by reviewing “How to Find the Best Service Dogs for Disabled Veterans“.

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