Year of Firsts: In defense of carrying small dogs
Nov 25, 2009 | 2374 views | 101 
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“Ooooh, what IS it?” asks a woman on the sidewalk in front of the Press-Banner office on Scotts Valley Drive.
It was 20 minutes before I could break away and get back to work.
Chancey is a toy “min pin,” or miniature pinscher, and he’s the size of a Chihuahua. But unlike Elle Woods’ decorous Bruiser in the movie “Legally Blonde,” he can be hyperactive, hypersensitive and hyper-aggressive. Chancey believes he weighs 300 pounds, not 3, and is therefore king of the dog pile. This always takes considerable explaining.
So I end up carrying him a lot. His little head pokes out of my jacket so he can watch the big world go by, and I get the benefit of his quirky companionship. I carried him into REI in Berkeley the other day, right past the sign that says “Service Animals Only,” and no one said a word.
In a real way, Chancey is a service dog. He’s a comfort. A small comfort, maybe, but a big joy to have around.
I say this in my own defense because of the animal lover who dressed me down recently on Seabright Beach. It was Chancey’s first visit to the ocean, and he was not amused.
He growled, he hissed, he tried to bite anything and everything around him, including the gorgeous collie someone was trying to photograph next to the surf. As I tried to scoop Chancey out of the sand he was kicking up in all directions, he squealed as if he were the victim.
“Oh, you’re hurting him, you’re hurting him!” his would-be savior intervened, pushing in and trying to protect him. I felt like I’d committed the crime of Public Dog Abuse.
In fact, Chancey is a tough little cuss. He loves to be loved, but he also loves to be hated. He is, after all, a 3-year-old rescue dog who spent the past year with me quaking uncontrollably every time a man walked by. He’s better now and even lets my dad pet him, but he suffered terrible abuse in his previous life and isn’t about to let anyone forget it.
Meanwhile, Chancey is dog-matic about bulldozing under the covers at night and ferocious as a Tasmanian devil should anyone approach him in the dark. He even attacks me if I get out of bed and forget to turn on the light. Anyone who comes close to abusing his comfort gets it! We make a good pair, because I like my comfort, too.
I just want that woman on the beach with the impeccably groomed show dog to know that Chancey isn’t for show. He’s a working dog. He protects me, he comforts me, he keeps me happy.
We’ve got to go now, as we have some Black Friday shopping to do. Chancey can smell a good deal from a mile away. Like I said, he’s a service dog.
• Year of Firsts is an occasional column by Cheri O’Neil Matthews, dog lover and publisher of the Press-Banner, who recently moved to Scotts Valley. She’s a longtime newspaper editor and reporter who serves on the board of the California Press Association. Reach her at cheri@pressbanner.com or 334-6300.
Editors Note: Comment(s) have been deleted from the below conversation for the use of profanity.
We encourage your online comments in this public forum, but please keep them respectful and constructive. This is not a forum for personal attacks, libelous statements, profanity or racist slurs. Readers may report such inappropriate comments by e-mailing the editor at pbeditor@pressbanner.com.
My friend with the mobility issues has passed out in public numerous times due to her conditions and her very well trained service dog is her lifeline. When a business does not allow her inside (which is illegal) she does not always have the leftover energy to fight over it, she just goes somewhere else. I have had to stand up for her and her dog more than once.
Cheri, your behavior and your article does make it much more difficult for service animal owners who are disabled. Please leave your toy at home and show some respect.
The new article for December is not really any better. And to think many of us were waiting for it especially since we were told it was coming. It ended up to be just insulting in a different manner.
This person really doesn't have a clue does she? She just writes off the top of her head and doesn't bother doing any research at all. In her new article she claims her friend has a service dog but the way she talks about it, it is probably in fact a therapy dog. The two are quite different more like saying a police dog and a search and rescue dog are the same because they both work to help people. If the author wants to write a 3rd article she may want to check out a reputable source of info such as www.servicedogcentral.org or www.deltasociety.org before she tries again.
Therefore, the author of this blog greatly offends me. She does not list that she is disabled in any manner! She does not describe how her "service dog" was trained. What she does described is a myriad of examples that illuminate her dog as a nuisance, neurotic, insecure, and unfit to work in public! I wouldn't be surprised if an unsuspecting child were to be bitten by her dog!
This is a prime example of the type of people that cause SDs to be scrutinized and discriminated against. Luckily, it should be obvious to anyone that sees this dog...it most certainly is not a service dog.
At over 1900 views for this article and the large number of views on the follow up letter besides all the discussions that was generated elsewhere on the internet my opinion is that it brought the topic up to a lot of people.
Looks like only the service dog people and the people who are standing up for the author of the original article are posting but there are a whole lot more that are reading and hopefully learning about the ongoing problem.
Your post was wasted on me since I'm also disabled and a service dog user of several decades. Guess I'm skeptical about the attention span of the average reader. Since it appears that the majority of people who posted were service dog users, it seems to me that you are singing to the choir!
I was part of the fight to get the ADA passed into law and am still active in disability rights legislation.
I honestly can't remember the last access challenge I got. That might be because of a lot of things - location, disability, very well known school trained dog, etc. I certainly sympathize with those who do.
I'm all for fighting the good fight. I do it every day. This forum isn't the place to spend the time and energy, unless you've got something made up you can just cut & past in. The exposure is too limited and I feel this story has run it's course. Just my opinion.
I did my research in the over 25 years I have been disabled, with an Assistance Dog by my side that open the world to me again and changed my life. She has passed away but her successors continue to teach me so much about the ability of being disabled with an Assistance dog by my side.
Being one of the first partnerships in my area I learned that the best way to improve misconceptions and infractions to my rights as an American and disabled, was to educate.
So I carry a smile, information, and educational material every where we go.
Angel, was my first Assistance Dog and helped me educate many. In her memory and honor I formed a discussion and educational website with a positive format to help others help themselves and pass on the education in the their communities.
We are a rich and valuable resource in our countries.
The fact that the person who wrote this article was the publisher is what prompted my response. Persons of this position who have the ability to influence and educated has a responsibility to the community.
The author clearly expresses that she knew her actions were not proper and than goes on to try and justify the infraction. The information that is used to justify and try to excuse the infraction was not correct and left many with as sense of this behavior is proper and even holds humor.
The horror of this to us who are Assistance Dog partnerships is that many of our dogs have been harmed by those that bring untrained, ill behaved dogs into situations where we expect only well trained, non-aggressive dogs will be present by law.
These specially trained dogs cost over $25,000 or more to train and be partnered. Some partnerships are trained over years by the disabled, Providers, or None profit organizations. Puppy raisers give of their time and money to help these organization provide fully and specially trained dogs to the disabled. Many of these organization survive solely on the generosity of donations and volunteers and give the fully trained service/assistance dogs to the disable for no cost. The dedication and efforts are amazing and life saving to so many who depend on their assistance dog to dial a phone in a life or death situation, or their dog alerts them to seizures, or let them know when a car is coming up behind them, or allow and assist them in walking, or take groceries from a shelf or medicine from a drawer when human hands are not working, or help a child take a book from a library shelf or get help for that child when breathing stops in the middle of the night.
This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of so much that is out there to learn about the extraordinary life saving and changing work these dogs are trained to do to assist the disabled.
One risk or attach from a "Hyper-aggressive" imposter can end that dedicated work and independence of a person that is disabled.
To speak of the public impression of the bad behavior of the imposters would take so long...
And makes life harder for the next legitimate Assistance Dog partnership who walks through their door.
These imposters set back the hard fought progress of those that came before us that strived and established very high standards for Assistance Dog Partnerships that built trust from the public. The well known and established understanding that trained assistance dogs that accompany the disabled are very highly trained, non-disruptive, non-destructive, well groomed, healthy, safe, friendly, not aggressive and focused on assisting their disabled partner.
More and More imposters are damaging that trust.
That is why so many are so disturbed by the article that the publisher meant to be a humorous vignette.
I suggested and would applaud a well researched and educational article on the reality that is the life of a disabled person(s) and the process it takes to bring a life changing partnership together.
And a donation to a non-profit organization that provides fully trained service/assistance dogs or to IAADP.org that helps education the public about the amazing partnerships... would be a wonderful way of acknowledging that they and the public has much to learn about these life changing special partnerships. The service dog is not just a word you see on a sign at the entrance of an office or business. That the concept of a Service/Assistance dog and the dedication and honor that it represents should be respected and not risked by those that do not understand the consequences of their actions.
For those who want to learn more about the amazing tasks that these dogs do with such enthusiasm and love need to take the time to click on some of the links that were given. Or type the words Assistance Dogs or Service Dogs into their favorite search engine or video search engine. Or even better, volunteer for a local organization that desperately need volunteers to help raise, train and provide all those disabled and veterans that are on a 5 year or more waiting list. They are praying for their independence and life saving partnership to happen soon.
Best Wishes & Wags,
Diane & Raven
http://AssistanceDogJournal.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Golden_Paw_ADC/
"My Assistance Dog is not my whole life, but she makes my life whole"~D.L.Shotwell
SDlegelbeagle worte - "It is this group of fakers and dog huggers that are going to cause a serious tightening of legal loop holes and creation of stringent new laws to get some control over these dangerous ego-centric frauds!"
Yup, and I can't wait.
Golden.Paw - it's clear you did a lot of research for your post. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it's wasted. Do you really think the average internet user will take the time read through it? Which leaves me wondering how many readers got this far with my post...
In a real way, Chancey is a service dog. He’s a comfort. A small comfort, maybe, but a big joy to have around.”
Cheri Mathews/Press-Banner can you tell us what task training you dog was given that make him a service?
This article you wrote as a comment on ‘look what I got away with’ is not only illegal but damages the access rights that are given to the disabled to be accompanied by a task trained dog that is specifically trained to mitigate their disability. This right was fought for by many for many years. The specially trained dogs must do tasks to mitigate the persons disability. These dogs can not display aggression or disturb the public in any way. I suggest you visit the International Association of Assistance Dog Partnership to learn more about the disabled and the specially trained dogs and the criteria that is legally required for a task trained dog to be classified a service dog. This can be found at www.IAADP.org
The damage you do to the rights of the disable and public image of a service dog should have you writing a factual artle about the true miracle and life changing partnerships that is a legitimate service dog partnership, as you hang you head in shame!
Your arrogance and fraud is not humorous in the least.
Further more, an animal that provides “comfort” for those with legitimate need for this kind of companionship are protested by law for what is classified as a Emotional Support Animal and the person who can prove need has protection for places such as housing and flight. But ESA’s (Emotions Support Animals) are not given public access rights under that protection.
Your article that flaunts your disregard for the law and the hard fought rights of the disabled was ill advised and disgraceful.
Information about the laws protecting the disabled and their access rights can be found at International Association of Assistance Dog Partnership web site at or www.IAADP.org ; www.ADA.gov ; or state and local laws.
Here is some additional information that might broaden you knowledge base and help you make a better choice the next time you take your dear PET out in public in legal situations.
And the first listing might be of interest to those businesses that Cheri frequents. You can ask her if her dog is a service dog and you can legally ask her what tasks her dog does to mitigate her disability. If Cheri has not reformed and is less than honest about her situation and you leave her into your business and her dog is disruptive and poorly behaved you can tell her so and tell her to leave your business and it is in your legal right.
http://www.ada.gov/svcanimb.htm
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section
Americans with Disabilities Act
ADA Business BRIEF: Service Animals
Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, taxis and shuttles, grocery and department stores, hospitals and medical offices, theaters, health clubs, parks, and zoos.
Caption: Businesses that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to enter with their service animal.
• Businesses may ask if an animal is a service animal or ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform, but cannot require special ID cards for the animal or ask about the person's disability.
• People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be charged extra fees, isolated from other patrons, or treated less favorably than other patrons. However, if a business such as a hotel normally charges guests for damage that they cause, a customer with a disability may be charged for damage caused by his or her service animal.
• A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the animal is out of control and the animal's owner does not take effective action to control it (for example, a dog that barks repeatedly during a movie) or (2) the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
• In these cases, the business should give the person with the disability the option to obtain goods and services without having the animal on the premises.
• Businesses that sell or prepare food must allow service animals in public areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.
• A business is not required to provide care or food for a service animal or provide a special location for it to relieve itself.
• Allergies and fear of animals are generally not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people with service animals.
• Violators of the ADA can be required to pay money damages and penalties.
Caption: Service animals are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities.
If you have additional questions concerning the ADA and service animals, please call the Department's ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (800) 514-0383 (TTY) or visit the ADA Business Connection at ada.gov.
www.iaadp.org/doglaws.html
ESA … Emotional Support Animals
“ESAs are not task trained like service dogs are. In fact little training at all is required so long as the animal is reasonably well behaved by pet standards. This means the animal is fully toilet trained and has no bad habits that would disturb neighbors such is frequent or lengthy episodes of barking. The animal should not pose a danger to other tenants or to workmen. But there is no requirement for fancy heeling or mitigating tasks since emotional support animals are not generally taken anywhere pets would not ordinarily go without permission (the exception being to fly in the cabin of an aircraft, even if the airline does not ordinarily accept pets).”
http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/256
The internet is filled with information on what is legal and what is not about service animals and emotional support animals. Do a simple search and you will find enough material to fill your knowledge.
I look forward to reading your apology and correction about what is acceptable pet behavior and access
I look forward to your article about the life changing partnerships that is a true service dog partnership that saves lives and is not to be taken lightly or harmed by those that are dishonest.
Diane & Raven
http://AssistanceDogJournal.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Golden_Paw_ADC/
"My Assistance Dog is not my whole life, but she makes my life whole"~D.L.Shotwell
And now that we have that out of the way...
I bet she stopped reading the comment section a while ago. She probably got answers she didn't want- got mad, then decided never to openly display such "affection" for her dog on the internet again. All we can hope for is that she learned something and perhaps she will change her mind about her "service dog" in the near future.
It is this group of fakers and dog huggers that are going to cause a serious tightening of legal loop holes and creation of stringent new laws to get some control over these dangerous ego-centric frauds!
No, if she responds then people will keep coming back whereas if she remains silent this thread will die a natural death and soon be forgotten. When that time comes I'm sure her post and the thread will just mysteriously disappear without a trace.
But maybe she doesn't realize that it is too late to just let it go. I've seen discussions with quotes from the article on 3 different forums so I'm sure there are many more out there. From the argument going on here I think we can assume it probably is also somewhere on Dogster but you would have to be a member there to read it.
Since there is still no word from the staff as individuals or as a whole we can now only believe that none there think she was in the wrong.
Now, does anyone think it odd that Cheri Matthews has not responded to anyone who has written her?
As for Dogster, yes there are fakes, but it's just a matter of educating those who are going in the wrong direction or ignoring them. That is all we can do.
I have yet to receive written correspondence in reply to the emails I sent to both of them.