Every Veteran With A Disability Doesn’t Need A Service Dog, And This Is A Great Alternative
Just read about this great program for veterans recovering at Walter Reed that teaches them to train dogs at the Washington Humane Society. I’ve heard of other programs like this before, but not this specific one, and I think they’re tremendous. Note particularly what the people involved say about the program:
Army Capt. Lawrence Minnis sits [...]
Why Haven’t We Heard More About This Well-Known Veteran’s Service Dog Discrimination Case?
Haven’t had a lot to say lately, largely because I haven’t seen a lotta good things to write about, or even bad things that have enough substance to make them worth commenting on.
There is one story, though, that, while not a good one, definitely got my attention and I wanna talk about because no one [...]
Wounded Warrior Receives Canine Companions Service Dog Raised in Prison Program
That’s what the headline and angle for this story could’ve actually been (or something like it) if someone wanted to write it that way.
The story I’m referring to is this article from The Oregonian a few days ago about Canine Companions for Independence puppies being raised at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility for women in [...]
“Franken – Isakson Service Dogs For Veterans Act” Introduced
The much discussed bill sponsored by Sen Al Franken, D-MN, was introduced on the floor of the US Senate today.
The actual bill is not online yet, but here’s the press release in its entirety for your review.
———————————————————————————————————————
Senators Franken and Isakson Introduce the Service Dogs For Veterans Act
Sen. Franken’s First Piece of Legislation Will Help Wounded [...]
Why You Don’t See Me Writing About Some Very Popular “Service Dogs For Veterans” Stories
If you ever see a service dog story, especially if it involves a wounded warrior or veteran with a disability, where everybody BUT me seems to be talking about it, chances are pretty good this is why – I wrote this post a little over three months ago, and it all still applies:
“Service Dogs, Veterans, [...]
How To Be Smarter Than Celebrities Are About Service Dog Programs
Based on some of the things I’ve been reading online and seeing on TV today, looks like it’s a really good time to say this yet again:
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 [...]
“Writing A Prescription For A Pet Does Not Transform Fluffy Or Fido Into A Service Animal.”
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 [...]
Tough Questions You Need To Ask About Every Service Dog Organization
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 [...]
Service Dogs, Veterans, and PTSD
I’ve been wanting to say something about this subject for some time, but I’ve been wrestling with just what to say because I want to add something helpful and not just more fuel for all the arguments about what is a controversial subject. So, I think the best thing to do is just tell you [...]