Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Service Dogs in the News


There have been some interesting stories about service dogs in the news lately and I thought I’d share a couple of them here.

Veteran Loses PTSD Service Dog   

This guy was driving while drunk and got pulled over by the police and arrested.  His service dog was with him and as was the policy of the police department when arresting someone with a dog, the police called the local humane society which sent someone to pick up the dog.  The dog was kept at the humane society for several days in case the owner showed up to claim him.  The owner was in jail, so he did not show up to claim his dog, so after five days, the dog was placed for adoption.  The dog was adopted and then when the owner got out of jail, he went to get his dog and was upset to find out that the dog had already been adopted.

Most of the people commenting on this article seemed shocked and upset that the humane society didn’t just keep the dog and take care of it for him for as long as necessary.  Well, agencies like the humane society have limited funds.  They had no way of knowing how long the owner would be in jail.  They had no way of knowing if the owner planned to claim his dog once he was released from jail.  Even if they did know, it costs money to house and feed and care for a dog.  Should criminals get free boarding for their dogs?  When I go on vacation and need to board my diabetic cat, it costs me about $20 a day.  Why should criminals get free boarding?

The owner in this story could have avoided the problem by taking the appropriate steps.  Well, he could have avoided the problem by not driving while drunk, but beyond that, there are some other steps he could have taken.

Many service dog handlers keep emergency information in a pocket on their dogs’ vests or harnesses.  That information would include emergency telephone numbers for someone that would be willing to pick up the dog if necessary.  It should also include phone numbers for the dog’s veterinarian, who would likely be willing to board the dog if necessary.  Service dog owners can speak to their vets in advance and make arrangement for this, including signing any required paperwork guaranteeing that they will be responsible for paying for the boarding.  Since no such information was provided to the police or the humane society, however, there was nothing they could do except treat the dog like any other animal.

The owner also could have asked a friend or family member to go to the humane society and claim the dog for him.  He would have had the opportunity to make telephone calls from jail.  But he didn’t do that.

I understand that he’s unhappy about losing his dog.  But driving while drunk is dangerous and it’s also illegal.  When one engages in dangerous, illegal behavior, one sometimes experiences undesirable consequences.

And maybe the dog is better off in his new home.  I don’t know.  Driving drunk with a dog in the car is not safe for the dog.  It’s endangering the dog.  The owner also did not take the appropriate steps to ensure the dog was cared for when he was not able to care for it.  Since he was endangering the dog and not providing the proper care for it, maybe it’s better off in a new home.

What do you think?

Stolen Pet Alert: Family Pleads for Return of Autistic Child's Service Dog  

This story has a sad ending.  A later article reported that the dog was found dead in a nearby pond, where she had apparently drowned.  She was not stolen and apparently the drowning was an accident.

But the whole story, including the ending, raises some interesting issues.  Why was the dog left outside unattended?  She was off leash in an unfenced yard.  She was left outside, off leash, with an autistic eight-year-old that was unable to properly care for her.  He then went inside, leaving her unattended, and she left the yard and drowned in a pond.  That never should have happened.

Many advocates for service dogs don’t believe service dogs should be placed with young children because children usually aren’t able to properly care for a dog.  They require a lot of help from an adult to care for a dog properly, and usually it’s believed that service dog handler’s should carry the bulk of the responsibility for caring for their dogs.

I’m sure the child loved his dog.  Perhaps he should have had a pet rather than a service dog, since he was too young to really care for a service dog.  Either way, he should not have been left outdoors without adult supervision, since he apparently didn’t know that he should not have had the dog off leash or that he should not have left the dog outside unattended.  It’s a tragedy that could have been avoided.

What do you think?

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