It sounds to me like that woman was just trying to sell her services and didn't really care that much about service dogs in general. From what I've heard, guide dog schools tend to work in the way that you describe too, so I'm dubious about the quality of her services if the focus is more on money than helping people access the support they need. Just listening to the amount of training Bax went through when she got Yancy says to me that there's more to getting a service dog than simply phoning a company and getting one - you need training as much as the dog in how to work together, so if you've been through that, you're unlikely to start abusing your animal and if you do, as you say, you simply lose the privilege, on top of any criminal charges there may be.
Service dog programs do usually charge a larger fee than guide dog programs. I do not know if this is because guide dog programs, the majority of whom are older than service dog programs are better funded, or what
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Yeah, that's what I had a problem with; the feeling that she would be talking down to folks receiving the animals. I think this is an unnecessary attitude. And oh I'm sure once you've gone through learning how to work with the animal you should have plenty of value for it. lol Ah well, I guess sadly we will often have to deal with these kinds of attitudes.
The school I went to (The Seeing Eye) charges a nominal fee ($150 for the first dog and $50 for each successor dog), and I agree with this woman up to a point. I think paying for something does help someone value it more, and one of the biggest problems in the blind community (and other groups of disabled people, too, I'm sure) is this sense of entitlement, like everything should be handed to us for free without any work on our part, which is just ridiculous.
On the other hand, $4000? That seems kind of out there to me. Most PWD's, as you know, are either unemployed or underemployed, so how exactly is one supposed to come up with that amount of money? Part of the reason that the seeing eye charges the price that it does charge is because the school expects the fee to be paid by the handler and no one else. No one can sponsor a particular graduate.
Uh. Anyway. I'll stop rambling now.
I really hope this gorgeous weather sticks around. It was beautiful up here this week, too.
Yup. That's what I was saying, that I can agree with it adding move value. I just think that perhaps that can be done in ways that still allow broke folks to participate. lol But it sounds like what the Seeing Eye does is decent.
I keep looking at the forecast, although I should stop as I know something bad's gonna happen just to mock me.
As I saw in the comments there are schools like seeing eye that do charge a small amount for people to receive dogs from them. I see nothing wrong with this practice.
Does it cause people to care more for those dogs? I am sure it does in many cases. But I am sure that those who get their dogs from schools that do not charge also care about their dogs just as much. I know I do.
$4000 is an awful lot though to charge for getting a service dog. Crazy!
I agree. Payment is only one source of valuing the animal, and it is definitely not the most important. Some of these people who use dogs in dogfights pay up to $50000 per animal, for instance. So it is a definite fallacy to say that just because I give money for it I will take care of it. That depends on the kind of person I am and the way I establish a bond with my dog. That and the amount of responsibility I am capable of handling.
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On the other hand, $4000? That seems kind of out there to me. Most PWD's, as you know, are either unemployed or underemployed, so how exactly is one supposed to come up with that amount of money? Part of the reason that the seeing eye charges the price that it does charge is because the school expects the fee to be paid by the handler and no one else. No one can sponsor a particular graduate.
Uh. Anyway. I'll stop rambling now.
I really hope this gorgeous weather sticks around. It was beautiful up here this week, too.
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I keep looking at the forecast, although I should stop as I know something bad's gonna happen just to mock me.
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As I saw in the comments there are schools like seeing eye that do charge a small amount for people to receive dogs from them. I see nothing wrong with this practice.
Does it cause people to care more for those dogs? I am sure it does in many cases. But I am sure that those who get their dogs from schools that do not charge also care about their dogs just as much. I know I do.
$4000 is an awful lot though to charge for getting a service dog. Crazy!
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And yeah I'm sure you were wearing shorts today. I have to wait for it to get a little warmer before I can do that.
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