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I RESPONDED IN ANGER TO THE "DOG RULES" POSTER who called dog owener SELFISH but living with a disability for over 25 years that has gotten progressively worse in the last 8 years I have seen the GOOD & BAD SIDE of people when it comes to people with disabilities. "FAT" has become the new handicapped with ALMOST EVERY OVERWEIGHT PERSON possesing a handicapped parking permit & people with disabilities instead of being seen as someone that CAN function fairly equally in society with just a little help is instead seen as someone looking for a free ride. Well I would trade my motorized wheelchair for that fancy sports bike I use to ride cross country in a heart beat. I would gladly park down the block from Walmart & walk IF I COULD. I have MANY LIMITATIONS but if people could be JUST A LITTLE MORE CONSIDERATE & THINK before THEY ACT, THINK before they park in handicapped parking to "run into the supermarket" THINK before they CRITICIZE someone for being SLOW either in MOBILITY or THINKING, THINK before they criticize someone that LEGITIMATELY NEEDS A DOG to FUNCTION IN THE REAL WORLD IT IS NOT DOG OWNERS THAT ARE SELFISH BUT MANY, MANY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN AMONGST US THAT ARE BOTH SELFISH & INCONSIDERATE.
Do any of you realize that one day YOU COULD WAKE UP WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS or have a STROKE or ANUERYSM that changes you from the HEALTHY PERSON THAT ENJOYS A 3 MILE JOG in the morning to someone that NEEDS to rely on others just to get dressed or get out of bed. ALL I AM ASKING IS THINK.
It is a SAD STATE our world is in when POLICE OFFICERS CAN ABUSE THE DISABLED FOR HAVING A SERVICE DOG IN SOCIAL SERVICES because they are IGNORANT OF THE LAW & CONDO, COOP & BUILDING OWNERS that MUST ABIDE BY STRICT LAW OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS & MODIFCATIONS (of which a Service Dog is one of them) VERBAL ABUSES or TRIES TO SKIRT THE LAW. I am a DISABILITY/ SERVICE DOG ADVOCATE in the process of forming a non profit that will RAISE AWARENESS OF SERVICE DOGS PARTICULARLY SMALL SERVICE DOGS. My goal is to make it MANDATORY that BEFORE you can OWN, MANAGE or OPERATE a CONDO, COOP, APARTMENT or ANY BUSINESS THAT YOU BE REQUIRED BY LAW to learn about the FAIR HOUSING ACT, THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT & THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT which covers NOT JUST the disabled but makes it ILLEGAL to DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANYONE WHO IS DIFFERENT whether because of the color of their skin, race, disability or sexual orientation.
THERE NEEDS TO BE LESS CRITICISM & IGNORANCE ON THIS BOARD & MORE EDUCATION.
So much of the recent posts have turned into a DOGS vs. HUMAN CHILDREN debate. I have NO HUMAN CHILDREN - BY CHOICE. My Service Dog Esperanza is like my child. She goes everywhere with me, she detects changes in my diabetes, guides me away from danger so I do not fall, gets help for me when I do fall, she is ALWAYS by my side & NEVER COMPLAINS. We each wear a tag (the 2 halve kind) that says "BEST FRIENDS" on the back it reads "TOGETHER IN HEART & PAW ESPY & MOM".
As I have pointed out to MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE, Esperanza has been to the FINEST RESTAURANTS, CONCERTS, MOVIE THEATERS, BOAT TRIPS, MALLS, etc. & even here at the CONDO while I have witnessed parents have to REMOVE their HUMAN CHILDREN for misbehaving & causing a ruckus or they have had to stop their activities to discipline a human child I HAVE NEVER HAD TO VOLUNATRILY REMOVE Esperanza from ANYWHERE for misbehaving even when she was a tiny pup in training & while some people IGNORANT OF THE LAW asked me to REMOVE Esperanza I HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED TO REMOVE Esperanza from ANYWHERE because of her behavior (or ANY OTHER REASON for that matter).
Esperanza can be a 1/2 a mile away running in a field playing & I call out "Espy come get in the van" she will appear out of nowhere, jump in the passenger seat floor of the van & wait patiently while I pick her up & strap her in her car seat. Once she is in the car seat she lies down & DOES NOT move until we reach our destination. It DOES NOT matter whether that destination is 10 minutes away or 3 hours away SHE LIES QUIETLY IN HER SEAT. How many children sit in their car seats for that long without moving or making a noise?
Today I was in Walmart using one of their motor carts. I suffered a severe muscle spasm in my right hand. I was in so much pain. Espy sat on my lap watching me closing & every so often she would gently lick my sore hand just for a second - trying to make it better.
With all of this said Why is it that some condo managers & boards (like mine) put such SEVERE RESTRICTIONS that SEVERELY LIMIT MY QUALITY OF LIFE yet EVERYONE ELSE in all the places mentioned above as well as a few hospitals, funeral homes etc. can have no problem abiding by THE LAW & letting us participate fully?
I want 1 person that can say (truthfully) that they have or no of a HUMAN CHILD that is as well behaved as Esperanza?
I tell people "the more people I meet, the more I love my dog".
You are lucky to have such a wonderful companion. It's hard for some people to understand the ties that bind.
When young children and dogs cry and crap all over the place. Other than that they is no comparison. Try telling your dog to do his homework, stop listening to Eminem, and to go out and play more often. Can we now move on.
The dog whisperer.
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Thank you for your enlightening postings on this matter, Peggy. Hopefully they will provide boards and owners alike to reconsider the way they regard service pets and accommodating people with disabilities.
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