Mar 27, 2010

Wounded Warriors And Service Dogs Visit Congress To Discuss Legislation

Al , , , , , , Service Dogs

There’s a new CNN video up today about an AMVETS and Paws With a Cause sponsored Capitol Hill visit of veterans and their service dogs last week that’s getting a lot of attention, and rightfully so.



Definitely watch the video, but the real key here is WHY they were visiting – concerns over both existing/pending legislation and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ response – and you really need to read the two AMVETS blog posts associated with the visit to understand that.

“AMVETS, Paws With A Cause Take the Hill”

“AMVETS, Paws With A Cause Take the Hill (Part 2)”

As explained in the first post:

AMVETS Deputy National Legislative Director Christina Roof and Paws With A Cause National Marketing Manager Deb Davis joined the veterans, helping to explain shortfalls in current policy toward assistance dogs and pushing to close loopholes and improve access for veterans who could benefit from new programs.

The post then describes some of the major concerns Assistance Dogs International accredited and member organizations have with both the legislation and the VA response (which, in spite of the impression that may have been created elsewhere, is still being worked on and has not been finalized):

- Statutes and policies must be clear to veterans and implemented throughout the VA system with a clear point of contact. The current language found in Title 38 of the U.S. Code is too vague, failing to identify what VA’s actual responsibilities should be.

- When drafting responsible assistance dog placement and training legislation for veterans, a standard must be established based on proven assistance dog industry standards and practices exemplified by Assistance Dogs International, or ADI, and the International Guide Dog Federation, or IGDF. The bills currently before Congress are too vague and misuse certain industry terms interchangeably, such as guide dog, service dog, therapy dog, and assistance dog, making policy nearly impossible to properly implement.

- Decisive action must be taken in the short term, since thousands of veterans could potentially benefit from any new program, and AMVETS and Paws With A Cause are happy to work with legislators to make this happen. Though VA may have concerns over cost, the return on investment from veterans who take advantage of assistance dogs would have far-reaching effects as veterans re-enter the work force and live up to their full potential.

I can tell you that volunteers and staff from Canine Companions for Independence and other ADI member organizations as well as other veterans organizations are actively working those issues and have been making visits to Congress, both formal and informal, for some time.

You normally don’t see much, if anything, in the news about those visits, though, so it’s very nice to see this kind of publicity, and kudos to AMVETS and PAWS for making that happen.

Bottom line, as I’ve been saying for a long time, is that it’s not enough to just say we’re for service dogs for veterans, we have to make that happen in the right way.

Mar 25, 2010

Labrador Retrievers In Combat As IED Detector Dogs

Al , Working Dogs

One of the best Military Working Dog articles I’ve seen is in the Marine Corps Times today, and this one’s about a very specific subset of MWDs – Labrador Retrievers who are trained to work off leash as Improvised Explosive Device Detector Dogs.

Marines train at the K2 facilities near Marston, N.C., to use bomb sniffing dogs. The dogs work off the leash and will be assigned to the same Marine for the whole deployment to Afghanistan.

“Dogs becoming essential in fight against IEDs”

Doesn’t pull any punches in describing how dangerous a job this is or how tough life can be for these dogs, but also gives you a real look at how much their handlers love the dogs and the relationship they have.

I know there are people who have real qualms about dogs doing these jobs (hey, it even gets to me sometimes), and I also think a number of people have a misperception about how the vast majority of handlers treat them, thanks to some bad stories about a few of the proverbial bad apples in the press.

But if you’ve met any military or police handlers – and I’ve met a number over the years – you know that by far most of them would take a bullet for their dogs.  In this case specifically, you can bet that they will use the dogs as trained, but also do absolutely everything they can to keep them from getting blown up in the process.

The one sentence in the story that did surprise me was this  – of course, I knew the dogs were out there, but had no idea their presence was this widespread:

“For the first time this year, most infantry battalions deploying to war zones have the dogs…”

Make no mistake – that doesn’t tell you how expendable the dogs are, but exactly the opposite – they’ve become so important, it’s gotten to where the Marine Corps doesn’t want to put Marines in the field without them.

 

 

 

Mar 14, 2010

Third Canine Companions Facility Dog Coming To Chattanooga Area Schools

Al , , Service Dogs

Nice story and audio in this morning’s Chattanooga paper about three Canine Companions for Independence Facility Dogs in the Chattanooga area schools – Reebee II, Zorro II, and a third yet to be chosen that’s been approved and is on the way.  Kay Gaither, the teacher getting the third dog, says she hopes to attend the May Team Training at CCI’s Southeast Regional Center in Orlando.

Staff Photo by Angela Lewis/Chattanooga Times Free Press Samuel West pets Canine Companions for Independence Facility Dog Zorro in Jose Jimenez' office at Chattanooga Valley Elementary School.

Stone Creek Elementary To Get Walker’s Third Facility Dog

I always like reading about Facility Dogs, because I think they’re the Rodney Dangerfield among the four types of CCI assistance dogs.

Until people learn about them, that is. Once they read about what Facility Dogs are trained to do (all but three commands that Service and Skilled Companion Dogs learn) and how they are integrated into school, hospital, and other institutional programs, then that attitude changes.  I know about that one firsthand because I made the same mistake.

There’s a tremendous untapped potential for Facility Dogs, particularly in the active duty military and Department of Veterans Affairs hospital and clinic environment. I’m convinced if more occupational and physical therapists knew what the dogs are capable of and offer to them, they’d be knocking down CCI’s doors trying to get one.

Mar 11, 2010

PETA Is Against Service Dogs – Period

Al Service Dogs

I have a personal policy to never even mention this organization’s name, but I’m gonna make an exception this one time because I want everyone to be very clear on what PETA’s position is on service dogs – they’re against them.

Read this excerpt from their “Doing What’s Best for Our Companion Animals” fact sheet – note especially the last sentence (my emphasis):

Working Dogs

Relationships of mutual respect and benefit are truly wonderful between dogs and humans; however, working dogs are instead often used as a substitute for innovative non-animal programs that intelligently address human needs. Sometimes working dogs are used in situations that are considered too dangerous for human beings—and therefore too dangerous for animals. They may be treated cruelly in preparation for and during their lives of servitude. Some people love their working dogs, but others don’t, which means that working dogs cannot count on having a home where they will be treated well. Also, some working-dog training programs contribute to overpopulation by breeding their dogs (with the notable exception of programs for the deaf, which rescue dogs from shelters).

When working dogs become too old to work, they may be separated from their human companions and either “retired” to another family, returned to the training center, or even killed. Optimally, humans should be relied upon for support of the disabled rather than working dogs and other animals—it is too common for animals to be exploited and abused.

Not clear enough for you?  Just in case, if nothing else, read that last sentence again:

Optimally, humans should be relied upon for support of the disabled rather than working dogs and other animals—it is too common for animals to be exploited and abused.

Not only is that an absurd comment, it’s a ridiculous accusation with no factual basis as well as an insult to the vast majority of people with service dogs and the organizations that train and support them.

It’s very disappointing to me when I see anyone supporting this organization, but especially so when it’s a service dog organization volunteer or, worse, an employee.

No one should support this organization – NO ONE.  Don’t you support them and tell everyone you know not to support them, particularly celebrities – I’ve long said that if we can get them to stop dropping the large sums they do into this place, it will go away.

Which can’t happen soon enough.

Mar 1, 2010

“We Have Always Served Veterans”

Al , , , Service Dogs

Article today at NorthJersey.com (“Canine Corps“) about service dogs for veterans that’s really just so-so (I’ve seen many better, honestly), but there is one key quote in it:

“We have always served veterans … but it wasn’t until around late 2006 that we actually embarked on what we called the Veterans Initiative to make our services known and to target veterans returning home from the current conflict.”

- Clark Pappas, Director of Participant Programs at Canine Companions for Independence

That’s something I’m convinced most people, including veterans - especially veterans, in fact – aren’t aware of, and that we need to continually get across. (Clark is a super guy, BTW, and someone I’m proud to call a friend.)