I started to go in a different direction with this, or just let it go altogether, but then it finally hit me this morning how I could write something useful.

Frankly, it’s taken me a coupla days to do what a lotta others who’ve commented on this story should’ve done – take a lotta deep breaths and calm down.  Oh, they’re right to be upset – they’re just upset with the wrong people.

“Man’s companion dog taken away in Utah; organization said dog in danger”

I hear a lotta talk, some from the guy himself, but mostly from others, about how this guy got screwed.

No. He didn’t get screwed. But lemme tell you who did:

• the breeder caretakers for his dog’s sire and dam, especially those for the dam, who whelped that litter of puppies, likely in their own home, and raised them for the first 8 weeks of their lives, then willingly gave them up

• the puppy raisers who gave their lives and money, day and night, to raise and train that puppy for a year and a half, two of thousands who do that and then willingly give those puppies up

• the trainers, who trained and cared for his dog every day for at least 6 months, then matched him with the dog and trained them together for two weeks, all on-site at a regional training center

• the support staff, from the caretaker who made sure he had a clean, comfortable, and safe place to live and train, through development who raised the money to pay for it all so he wouldn’t have to, on up to the CEO who runs the whole show

• the volunteers, who travel and spend all day at events handing out literature at their own expense, talking to anyone who will listen about how wonderful CCI is and the life-changing experience it offers

• the donors, from little kids who give only the few dollars they have on up to someone like Dean Koontz who gives millions

• the dog, who has been through that whole process, was trained and willing to work, and only needed someone as devoted to him as he was to them and “walked the talk”

• the candidates on the waiting list in line for a dog, some for years, at least one of whom I’m sure would’ve taken their responsibilities more seriously

• the 1600+ other active graduates, who understand all of that and do their best to follow the rules and represent each other and the organization to the best of their abilities all day, every day

And the list could go on, to include everybody who’s ever had a positive thought about CCI or done anything to promote it to the public.

No, the reality is, about the only person who DIDN’T get screwed here was this guy. And even if you think he did, he did it to himself at the same time he was doing it to all these others.

Unlike him, they all stuck to their end of the deal, and did what they’d signed up – literally in most cases – to do. Even the people who had the unenviable job of going and getting this dog from him. Trust me, if you’ve ever talked to someone at CCI who’s had to take a dog back – and I have – without them even giving you any details (as they shouldn’t), if you just listen to the tone of their voice, you will know how thoroughly rotten an experience it is for everyone concerned with no real upside, and why no one ever wants to go through that.

That’s a big reason why CCI goes to the great lengths they do, including an extensive application process and taking two years to train each dog to ensure a lifelong match. It’s not accidental that something like this happens maybe once a year, and, again, remember – there are 1600+ active graduates, and CCI graduates 200+ assistance dog teams every year.

And let’s be clear – if CCI went to all the trouble and expense involved to take this dog back, there’s a lot more going on here than is being described. There’s no way in the world they went and took a dog back just because somebody didn’t have it on a leash a coupla times, and certainly not without having had many discussions with that person and giving them every opportunity to correct the problem.

Let’s also be clear that all CCI grads know the rules including that CCI retains ownership of the dog, sign a document agreeing to those rules, and understand the potential consequences if they don’t follow them.

No, the only person who didn’t stick to their part of the deal here was this guy who, unlike the 1600+ other grads out there – including some competitive athletes at the highest levels out here in the Rocky Mountain area who are just as active, if not more so, than this one is in very similar activities – apparently couldn’t follow a simple set of rules and ignored what I’d bet were repeated warnings over an extended period of time.

And, also unlike him, you won’t hear all of those people who got jobbed saying they were. Except for me, because I think it’s time somebody sets the record straight here.

You especially won’t hear that from CCI, mostly because of privacy issues and because it’s just not their style, and this is a good time to remind you I’m just an educated outsider and point you at the big disclaimer on every page here that says I don’t speak for CCI or any other organization, I only speak for ME.  And that I have no inside information about nor was I involved in this particular situation.

It’s a good thing for him I’m not a real CCI person, either, because if this decision was mine, Elon would already be on his way to someone who would truly care for him and treat him the way he deserves. Someone like a good CCI graduate friend of mine who recently had to make the gut-wrenching decision to euthanize her service dog who’d served her faithfully and traveled the world with her for many years when it was unexpectedly and suddenly diagnosed with an inoperable painful cancer. Or a number of others I know dealing with similar situations where their service dogs have cancer and they may have to make that same awful decision soon.

Nah, you can be unhappy about this situation or not agree with how CCI does business or hate me for all I care, but don’t tell me about how this guy got screwed or how CCI is some big evil organization taking advantage of the people it serves. And make no mistake – this issue is so serious, if I thought that, I’d be gone from any involvement with them, and you can bet you’d hear about it here. I have the utmost confidence in CCI, and you can, too.

There are 64 people graduating from the five CCI regional centers next week (more assistance dog teams at one shot, BTW, than one organization whose president and founder publicly called CCI’s policies “fascist” just yesterday has produced EVER that I’m aware of), and let’s hope all of them are clear on their responsibilities and have a tremendous lifelong experience. Odds are, based on 99.999999% of all graduates, including all the ones I know, they are, and they will.

I’m guessing the vast majority of people who are so upset here and rushing to jump on the big bandwagon of support for this guy have no idea about any of this, and if they did, they might have a completely different opinion.  So, please – just keep all of this in mind when you read these stories and comments, especially if you’re one of them. Because there’s one more group of people getting screwed here I didn’t mention – you.

And all because one guy – willfully and by his own admission – chose not to live up to the agreement he freely signed and wouldn’t follow the rules.

____________________

UPDATE 2/22/11: CCI has now posted an official statement regarding this matter. Speaks for itself, no comment needed from me, and comments are now closed on this post as well.

“Update Regarding Return of Dog”

Actually, the video is four minutes and it’ll take you about a minute to read what I have to say.

Every 90 days at the five Canine Companions for Independence regional centers around the US there are combination turn-in / graduation events, where puppies about to enter professional training are taken to the centers by their puppy raisers, and assistance dog teams graduate from two weeks of team training.

Those events are ALWAYS very emotional, even when you’re not turning in a dog, or don’t have one graduating, or don’t have a personal connection with one of the graduates, but even more so when one or more of those things is true.  I’ve been to a number of graduations, but I still don’t think I can capture all the emotions for you.

This video will do that for me, though. Each regional center does a visual presentation for their events, and they are all great, but I don’t know that anybody does it better right now than the Northeast Regional Center in Medford, NY out on Long Island (there’s a little challenge for the other regions…haha).

Here’s their latest one from just a few days ago.  I talk a lot about CCI and what it does, but this  four-minute slideshow will tell you more than all the words I could ever say.  If you want to know what this organization is about, why it’s so good at what it does, and why all of us do what we do…watch this.

Canine Companions for Independence Northeast Region November 2010 Graduation

Congratulations to my friend Nancy Patterson who’s been selected to receive the 2010 disAbility Awareness Day Award, the highest honor given by the Anne Arundel County Maryland Commission on Disability Issues.  If you’re in the area, the award will be presented at the disAbility Awareness Day this Saturday, Oct. 30, 1 – 4PM, at Westfield Annapolis mall.

Complete announcement is available at  this link: “2010 disAbility Awareness Day Awardee Chosen”.  There are a couple errors in it – clearly Mahler is not a Golden, and Nancy doesn’t hold the actual title of volunteer coordinator – but those don’t detract at all from how great it is overall and what it means for her to receive this honor.

You really need to read the whole thing, but here’s the key part (my emphasis):

Mrs. Patterson, a former commission member…was unanimously selected for the award for her work with CCI. The award is presented to the individual who the Commission believes has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and those that strive to serve their needs. It is widely known that Mrs. Patterson has dedicated her life to address these needs, touching the lives of individuals and families.

They couldn’t have made a better choice.