![unheardofsongs:
[image description: screencap of the American Girl doll brand SDIT chocolate lab puppy wearing a blue vest and harness handle meant for either mobility work or guide work]
So this is an awesome thing that exists!
Sure it is expensive and mostly intended to be for girls* whose families are puppy raisers rather than the apparently revolutionary notion that some girls out there are SD handlers and disabled themselves…but i don’t even care about all that because having a service dog for my doll would mean the world to me if i were still the doll-playing type and this sort of visibility absolutely matters.
*based on the company’s advertising, not me policing gender roles](http://25.media.tumblr.com/648243cef874389f489cf9c75b8f7bcb/tumblr_mft5o631lM1qze4qdo1_500.png)
[image description: screencap of the American Girl doll brand SDIT chocolate lab puppy wearing a blue vest and harness handle meant for either mobility work or guide work]
So this is an awesome thing that exists!
Sure it is expensive and mostly intended to be for girls* whose families are puppy raisers rather than the apparently revolutionary notion that some girls out there are SD handlers and disabled themselves…but i don’t even care about all that because having a service dog for my doll would mean the world to me if i were still the doll-playing type and this sort of visibility absolutely matters.
*based on the company’s advertising, not me policing gender roles
meowhissa answered: There was a lot of inner turmoil in the organization. Previous leader bailed, current leader dropped the ball.
Well what happened to the site with the weird picture?
Service Dogs for Veterans (links)
An air force veteran and the pit bull that healed him.
The organisation he started to help vets called Pets to Vets that places dogs with veterans: Pets 2 Vets
Another story. That organisation: Operation Wolfhound
Places to acquire pets for vets (most for free or cheap):
A list of links: Operation We Are Here
If one more person tells me my SERVICE DOG is unwelcome I will PUNCH THEM IN THE GROIN.
Let’s go down the list shall we:
EVERY SINGLE TAXI at the airport denied us until the ground transport manager finally saw us and MADE the first cab driver take us by threatening to suspend his hack license for violating airport law.
The fucking pizza place gave me shit even after I told them she was a SD and then gave me shit when I came back inside from the patio for another cider b/c you’re not supposed to drink on the patio until I said “well your boss probably just wanted my SD out of the restaurant.” and the server said “yeah he did” and stopped giving me shit.
Currently in a coffee shop WHERE THERE’S ALREADY A DOG and I was told I couldn’t have my dog in here and I said she’s a SD and they said still…..and then I said she’s legally allowed everywhere. They started to say something and I said ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act. Look it up. She’s legal.
FUCK PHILLY.
SADIE DID SO WELL ON HER FIRST FLIGHT!
She freaked out a bit on the landing, but other then that - YAY!
One more day until Sadie’s first flight
I’m scared she’s gonna be terrified the entire time. :/
At least we’ll jump to the front of the line at TSA screening:
If you have a service animal, you are encouraged to inform the TSO that the animal accompanying you is a service animal and not a pet. This will provide you with an opportunity to move to the front of the screening line since the TSO may need to spend more time with you.
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fatal-addiqtion Hi there! I've been diagnosed with PTSD and fibromyalgia, and I think having a service dog would really benefit me. I was wondering if you could please give some tips on how you trained your service dog. I live in NZ, and there are a couple of service dog agencies here, but I am yet to find any information on self-training. |
1st off can I say that a PTSD dog saved my life. Sadie is a godsend and I ****HIGHLY**** recommend one for everyone with PTSD. Seriously.
2nd: Here’s a website with a list of tasks that a SD can perform for you. Here are a list of links that contain training guides from clicker training to relationship based training. (You need to scroll down the page a little bit - the page contains quite a lot of resources, but they are all US based.) Here’s an article on choosing the right dog. I don’t know about the laws in NZ, but here they can be ANY BREED. Mine’s a Pit Bull.
I can say that training my dog took about 6 solid months. I’d never trained a dog before. On top of the SD training I did on my own following advice from online websites, I also enrolled her in standard doggie training classes at the local pet store. I’m proud to say she has her Canine Good CItizen Certificate (which is something the ADA likes you to have).
Good luck! I hope this helped. If you have any more questions send them my way!
Quote from article:
In the course of 48 hours at Dulles Airport, he said his service dog, Sarge, was kicked twice by United Airlines works — once at the ticket counter and then on a shuttle.
“(He) kicked her so hard on the rib cage, that she flew into my lap… He said he was afraid of dogs,” Staneck said.
Staneck was dealing with a canceled flight and delays. He served three combat tours in Iraq and has PTSD and a brain injury. He said the stress was overwhelming, and asked a customer service representative for help because he had trouble reading a reservation email.
“He said, ‘Just read it’ and I said, ‘Sir I can’t read it,’ and he said, ‘What are you retarded?’” Staneck recalls. “Prior to this I told him I have a brain injury and PTSD, I’m a disabled vet, this is my second night here; I need help.”
Update: Department of Transportation launches investigation.
And I’m about to take Sadie on her first flights ever. FUCK.
Settling in in Fargo
No internet until the 2nd, but will be at a Conference in Philly from the 28th - the 1st so…..
At the Red Raven Espresso Cafe - meeting like minded folks who want to carry Don’t Dis My Ability. KICK ASS. Feeling like this will be loads better then SC already. Got an appointment with social services tomorrow afternoon, and already called the airlines about Sadie Dog - her first flights ever *fingers crossed*. Now to stop my blabbing and go home and unpack!
I’m so fucked (Service Dog, Pdoc, and Apartment)
So….my pdoc was supposed to write me a letter to get me accommodations for my apartment AND my schooling (because my apartment is NO DOGS and only allows me to move in with my Sadie with a letter (“prescription”) from my pdoc. They only wrote me one for my school. I am arriving with my uhaul full of crap and my dad to help me unpack on Saturday (and he leaves on Sunday via airplane) and they have not returned my phone calls or anything and I am FREAKING THE FUCK OUT. I CANNOT MOVE IN UNTIL THEY GET THIS LETTER. I don’t know what to do. I need a letter from a pdoc NOW.
Fuck me.
