Service Poodle Outreach/Outdoors Tour

Service Dog Advocates, Is Your Proposed Rule Change Discriminatory?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 05:54:00 +0000

As an advocate for users of assistance animals, I get discouraged when I see service dog handlers on social media and blogs trying to undermine the rights of other people with service dogs. There is so much misinformation out there, so little civil rights education, and such confusion between actual laws and regulations versus the preferences and prejudices of the public, service dog trainers, and service dog handler groups. It’s understandable that even well-meaning handlers could think that registration, certification, testing, etc., should be imposed on their peers.

If you’re thinking of proposing or promoting the idea of such limits on our rights to service dogs, please take a moment to read this ADA refresher with quotes from the Department of Justice (the agency that makes the regulations and is responsible for the enforcement of the public access section of the ADA, Title III).
Your registration or identification scheme is discriminatory if it keeps any person with a disability from living as free and spontaneous a life as a person without their disability when it comes to public accommodations:

Specifically, title III requires places of public accommodation to make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, or procedures to afford access to persons with disabilities, including those who use service animals, that is equal to the access afforded to individuals without disabilities. 42 U.S.C. Â§ 12182(b)(2)(A)(ii); 28 C.F.R. Â§ 36.302(a). [DOJ, from “SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND WAL-MART STORES, INC.” http://www.ada.gov/walmart.htm, emphasis added]

Before you propose a scheme for registering or identifying service dogs, ask yourself if it would make access more difficult for someone who . . .
. . . is jogging by a coffee shop with their seizure alert dog when a friend waves him/her down and offers to buy breakfast. The dog is unvested and the jogger is not carrying his/her wallet or purse. Could this person be denied the right to eat at the restaurant because of your scheme?
. . . is a lawyer taking Eskalith and Depakote which cause frequent urination and diarrhea/loss of control of the bowels. Nature isn’t just calling, she’s screaming when the person and psychiatric service dog rush from the courthouse and arrive at a restaurant for a business luncheon he/she is hosting. Will your scheme increase
the possibility that he/she will be humiliated in front of his/her clients or associates and have to leave with soiled clothing?
Your training/certification scheme is discriminatory if by making it more expensive, complicated, or more difficult for any person with a disability or in any way limits their access to a service dog.

Certain commenters recommended the adoption of formal training requirements for service animals. The Department has rejected this approach and will not impose any type of formal training requirements or certification process but will continue to require that service animals be individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. While some groups have urged the Department to modify this position, the Department has determined that such a modification would not serve the full array of individuals with disabilities who use service animals, since individuals with disabilities may be capable of training, and some have trained, their service animal to perform tasks or do work to accommodate their disability. A training and certification requirement would increase the expense of acquiring a service animal and might limit access to service animals for individuals with limited financial resources.
Some commenters proposed specific behavior or training standards for service animals, arguing that without such standards, the public has no way to differentiate between untrained pets and service animals. Many of the suggested behavior or training standards were lengthy and detailed. The Department believes that this rule addresses service animal behavior sufficiently by including provisions that address the obligations of the service animal user and the circumstances under which a service animal may be excluded, such as the requirements that an animal be housebroken and under the control of its handler.
[DOJ, Department of Justice ADA Title III Final Rule]

Notice the phrase “full array” and the omission of any mention of owner training other than tasks or work. Other than being housebroken, not menacing, etc., “under control of its handler” is the only requirement for public access.

It’s impossible to come up with any meaningful, specific standards that won’t limit the rights of some person with a disability to train and use the service dog of their choice. If I’ve got a seizure disorder and a dog with training flaws who can reliably alert me, it’s up to me to decide if I can work around those flaws and then do so in a way that keeps the dog under my control or, in the event of a human or canine mistake, quickly brings the dog back under my control.

Whether the public approves or my peers are embarrassed by my service dog is irrelevant. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1963 (on which the ADA was based) you don’t get any fewer rights because your appearance or behavior is embarrassing to other people of your race or ethnicity or because it may feed the public’s bad opinion of your racial or ethnic group. I’m sure there were a lot black people in the 60s who felt natural hair and Dashikis some were sporting weren’t helping their race’s acceptance. That didn’t make it any less illegal to forbid them in a dress code. “No shoes, no shirts, no service is legal,” but not “no Afros.”

It’s also impossible to come up with a meaningful test that won’t be difficult or impossible for some to pass because of their disabilities. Some may even be injured in the attempt if the stress of being tested or the presence of the tester triggers a seizure, panic attack, etc.

The ADA puts the power in the hands of the person with the disability. Each person with a disability (not the government, not their doctor, and not other people with disabilities) is in charge of how they will live with their disability, what they will use as assistance, and how they will use it. It is the service dog handler who decides how their service dog will be trained or acquired, it is he/she (not a doctor) who determines that a service dog is appropriate to help them and what it will be trained to do, it is he/she who determines if the dog is appropriate for public access, it is she/he who is responsible for any damage, injury, etc., caused by their dog.

This is consistent other public access rights under the ADA. No one with a disability can, for example, be asked for proof that they need their wheelchair, be told which model of wheelchair they may bring into a place of business, or be required to have their wheelchair inspected or registered . It is legal to construct your own wheelchair and the DOJ even refuses to specify the maximum dimensions of a wheelchair. See http://www.today.com/news/veteran-invents-tank-wheelchair-help-his-paralyzed-wife-2D79776968

Even when a person chooses to use a vehicle that non-disabled people more often use, like a golf cart, ATV, or a Segway (which gives rise to similar issues of faking/nuisance as to whether the person is actually a disabled person and whether one will use the vehicle safely and in a non-disruptive way) businesses are allowed to ask if one is disabled, but are not allowed to require documentation even though state-issued mobility disability placards are ubiquitous. They have to accept placards, but they also have to accept the person’s verbal statement alone. See http://www.ada.gov/opdmd.htm

A Sick Day in the Life of a Service Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 00:19:00 +0000

Our free dispersed camping site

I found myself suddenly wide awake this morning at 3 a.m. That rarely happens to me unless I'm well into hypomania, yet I had no other symptoms at all. Maeve was absolutely quiet and still curled up in the driver's seat as usual. I tried all my tricks to get back to sleep to no avail. At 4:30 I gave up. As soon as I started to move, Maeve came over to my bed and stared at me. She needed out--more than four hours earlier than usual. Once I got her outside it became obvious she was ill. I couldn't believe she'd been able to wait for me. We spend the next hour and a half going in and out of the van -- often in a BIG hurry. I think I actually sensed Maeve's silent distress and woke up because of it. I only wish I'd gotten up right away.

Contrary to all the assumptions about psychiatric service dogs, Maeve and I don't have a Mommy/Baby, cuddly relationship. We're tightly bonded, but not lovey-dovey. Today was an exception. By the time the sun
came up, the stomach distress was slowing down. It was in the forties and it was clear we couldn't go anywhere yet. I turned on the heat and shared my sleeping bag with her. Both of us slept pressed up against one another for the next two hours.

When we're on the road and she's sick it means we cancel all her work, cut down on our driving, make frequent rest stops, and find a quiet, private campsite to wait it out. Cancelling work isn't as benign as it sounds. Some things get cancelled altogether, like our reservation for the ranger program on a pontoon boat. Others can't be cancelled easily. I needed some groceries and I really didn't want to stay in the campground where we were for another night.

You might guess that I suffer a bit grocery shopping without Maeve. We're normally like twins co-joined at the leash -- we're almost never apart for more than 10 minutes. Grocery shopping without Maeve takes me longer than usual, even though there's no one starting conversations with me about her and her hair. I'm disorganized, distracted, and just-below-the-surface anxiety makes me crave food I don't usually buy or eat. I wander the aisles alternatively looking for goodies and trying to talk myself out of buying them. I waste a lot of time and ultimately lose the battle big-time.

Maeve suffers as well. Even though she's clearly not feeling well, she's upset that she's not going shopping and I'm going without her. Maeve has gone with me to probably more than a thousand stores across the U.S. and she loves it. She knows what a store parking lot looks like. She bangs her front paws against the van door when I leave and gives me "the look" when I finally return. Once we're on the road, she's clearly relieved at each rest stop when I take her leash and ask if she wants to go with me, even if she doesn't need the break.

We were supposed to spend the night in a National Park Service campground, but they're often high-density and full of distractions and stressors for a dog. In the NPS campground yesterday and again last night we were charged by a deer which had clearly lost all fear of dogs and people. It happened again this morning during one of Maeve's emergency trips outside.

I broke out the Gunnison National Forest map and we headed for an area that allowed dispersed camping (free camping off the side of a dirt road). We find a great site in an alpine meadow. There's no requirement that Maeve be on a leash so I can leave the van door open to let her come and go at will. We have no neighbors. I get a view that can't be beat (see photo) and it's sunny and 69 degrees because of the high elevation.What a great place to take a break and let her recuperate.

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human

servicehuman@servicepoodle.com
www.servicepoodle.com
www.facebook.com/servicepoodle
www.linkedin.com/in/joanneshortell
call us using "call Maeve and Joanne" at http://www.servicepoodle.com/contact-us

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human We would LOVE to speak to your group free of charge

Joanne and Maeve (her psychiatric service poodle) help people with psychiatric disabilities discover their rights to emotional support animals in no-pets housing without pet deposits or pet fees and their rights to service dogs

Discriminatory Regulations Proposed by the National Park Service

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:45:00 +0000

Maeve & Joanne at Mammoth Visitor Center, Yellowstone NP

The new regulations proposed by the National Park Service in regard to animals have at least two provisions which discriminate against people with disabilities who use service dogs. I've submitted my comments officially. You can read those comments here and there's a link at the bottom to the full text of the proposed regulations. Note: while some of what I'm against in these regulations sounds quite reasonable and common-sense, it really is discriminatory. In the bad old days of the 1950s it was quite reasonable that "white" people shouldn't have to sit next to "colored" people in a restaurant or share the same water fountain because "coloreds" could transmit diseases or be criminals (as if whites couldn't) -- this is much the same as the health and safety concerns of the National Park Service about service dogs. There are safety and health concerns, it's possible some service dogs could cause a problem, but other people and/or their dogs could cause the same problems. The difference in treatment is because one group stands out and is more noticeable and because it's easier to impose restrictions on a small group of people. That's discrimination and it's illegal, not just under the Americans with Disabilities Act (which does not directly apply to the NPS), but also under a civil rights act called the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (which DOES apply to federal agencies like the NPS). Here is how I commented on the changes:

I have a unique set of qualifications to comment on the proposed regulations as they affect people with disabilities who use service dogs in National Park Service properties

I have been determined to be 100% disabled by the U.S. Social Security Administration
I have trained and worked with a service dog trained to do work and tasks specific to my disability for the past four years
I have been a mental health advocate since 2010. My advocacy specialty is the rights of people with psychiatric disabilities to assistance animals under federal civil rights laws, including the FHA, ADA, ACAA, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
I provide outreach, education, and mentoring to individuals and I educate groups, including:

providing in-service training for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (two years running)
presenting a workshop at the Alternatives 2012 conference In Portland, Oregon, sponsored by the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

During the four years I have used a service dog I have crossed the U.S. a half dozen times and spent the majority of my time camping and hiking primarily on public lands (state, BLM, National Forest, Corps of Engineers, etc.), including at least 33 visits to the following National Park Service properties with my service dog:

Chiricahua, Arizona
Craters of the Moon, Idaho
El Malpais, New Mexico
Gila Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico (twice)
Natural Bridges, Utah
Organ Pipe Cactus, Arizona (three times)
Acadia, Maine (four times)
Arches, Utah
Badlands, South Dakota
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Capitol Reef, Utah
Glacier, Montana
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Grand Teton, Wyoming
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee-North Carolina
Joshua Tree, California
Mesa Verde, Colorado
Petrified Forest, Arizona
Redwood, California
Saguaro, Arizona
Sequoia, California
Yellowstone, Wyoming-Montana-Idaho
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi
Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Maine to Georgia
Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts

COMMENTS:

The policies expressed in NPS Director's Order #42 "to make NPS facilities, programs, and services accessible to and usable by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities" have served me well in my use of the NPS properties. I applaud the NPS for its intention to continue to "align its regulations with the ADA and make NPS facilities, programs, and services accessible to and usable by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities" and "to follow, as appropriate, the DOJ regulations that implement title II and III of the ADA."

I am confident that our nation's NPS is no less capable of meeting the standards set by the DOJ than are the non-federal parks, zoos, wildlife preserves, and campgrounds across the United States all of which are covered by the ADA Title II and/or II.

Discrimination is not always obvious, especially when it appears to be based on logical reasons. Before the ADA, it didn't seem discriminatory to exclude children in wheelchairs from public school. Schools had stairs and narrow passages. A wheelchair could become an obstacle in an evacuation and could cause the death not only of the child in it, but those behind it as well. Not excluding the child would be considered terribly negligent. Even many people with disabilities might have agreed.

Any school doing that today would end up paying the Department of Justice a hefty civil penalty and paying their own and the child's attorneys fees' after a civil suit as well. The intention of the ADA was to cause a sea change in the acceptance of people with disabilities and the devices and/or animals they use to mitigate their disabilities. It forced government and business to be inclusive and to think differently about access. The problem was not the child in the wheelchair; the problem on which they should focus was the evacuation.

To a great extent the proposed regulations are consistent with the DOJ's ADA regulations and the intention of Order #42. However, in reading the NPS proposed regulations changes I found two areas in the document that, while well intended, are discriminatory because they focus on the person with a disability as the problem rather than looking with a wider view at the actual problem of wildlife health and safety.

FIRST: REQUIRING HEALTH AND VACCINATION RECORDS AND CLOSING AREAS TO SERVICE ANIMALS

"(5) Upon determining that the use of service animals in a specific areas poses a threat to the health or safety of people or wildlife, the superintendent may require proof of current vaccinations, impose additional conditions or restrictions, or close the area to service animals. any area closed to service animals must be closed to pets. In determining whether the use of service animals poses a threat under this paragraph, the superintendent must: (1) Make a written determination based on objective evidence evaluating the nature, probability, duration and severity of the threat, and (ii) Explain in the written determination why less restrictive measures will not suffice."

Allowing parks to require a disabled person to show vaccination records and be able to prove current treatment for parasites or closing an area to them as described above is discriminatory. In addition, the reference to health and safety of people should be removed entirely. When would the risk to people in a park exceed that in a busy emergency department treatment room, a neonatal ward, etc. -- all places where the DOJ requires service dogs be allowed and the Center for Disease Control concurs?

In an unusual situation where service dogs are "likely" to pose a threat to the health of wildlife, significant measures must also be taken to reduce the threat posed by other groups of people and their dogs. The superintendent should be required to document that all such measures have been put in place before imposing restrictions on the protected class of people with disabilities.

Service dogs alone are quite unlikely to be the primary threat to the health of wildlife because:

The DOJ guidelines require service dogs be under the control of their handler at all times and be leashed unless it is necessary for them to be unleashed to perform their work. This significantly limits the exposure of wildlife to service dogs.
It is acceptable under DOJ guidelines to require service dog handlers to dispose of their dogs' waste properly (including a pack-it-out rule where appropriate) and we are highly compliant with dog waste disposal regulations/instructions. We are no strangers to poop bags.
With the possible exception of veterinarians who own dogs there is no group of people LESS likely to skip basic vaccinations and heartworm treatment than service dog handlers. A fully trained service dog often costs $20,000 to $35,000 which is NOT covered by medical insurance or Medicare. They cannot be replaced quickly. One usually spends many months, in some cases years, on a waiting list. Owner-trained dogs take no less time to replace as they require thousands of hours of work to rear, socialize, and train. While one waits or trains one is left without assistance; there is no such thing as a rental dog to cover the gap.

Note: Concerns about "fake" service dogs also are not a legitimate excuse to discriminate under DOJ guidelines, and those people unethical enough to lie their way through the questions allowed by the ADA are unethical enough to type up their own fake medical records. Both my dog's rabies certificate and vaccination record could be typed from scratch in minutes by any dog owner -- they are simple text on plain white office paper.

Compare a national park with a neonatal unit in a hospital, which under the ADA may not require any documentation, including a rabies certificate, of a service dog handler. A rabid dog certainly is a severe danger to newborns and recovering new mothers, but the Center for Disease Control has no problem with service dogs in hospitals. It's possible they could transmit rabies, but not likely enough to warrant infringing on the right of their handlers to go about their lives as do people who are not yet disabled.

Why? Any human visitor is more likely than a service dog to pass a deadly infection to an infant or others on the ward. We are used to seeing grandmothers, friends, etc., in hospitals -- they don't stand out on the ward the way a service dog does. It is natural, but illogical, for humans to believe that the unusual is more dangerous than the commonplace. People who use service dogs suffer from discrimination as a result of such exaggerated perception of the risks they pose compared to the risks others pose.

Let's take parvo as an example. Wolf populations can be severely affected by an outbreak of the deadly canine parvo virus spread originating with infected dogs. At first glance it seems that service dogs would be a significant risk and asking for proof of vaccination logical. However:

Service dogs are not likely to be unvaccinated,
A vaccinated dog can still spread the virus by having eaten or stepped in the vomit or feces of an infected dog. I've never seen a national park campground that is clean of dog feces. Even if the park allows no pets, the rest stops on the highways leading to it are always littered with dog feces.

Any human being can spread the virus via clothing, equipment, or shoes -- even if they do not have a dog with them and even if they do not own a dog. Parvo is ubiquitous in cities and towns. It is long-lived and survives laundering. Hiking boots with their deep treads often are contaminated with feces and would require disinfecting with a bleach solution to kill the virus.

The fact that it is so much easier to ask service dog handlers for documentation than to inquire of or enforce restrictions on a greater number of people does not make it legal, rational, or appropriate to do so before regulating those other people.

Before imposing bureaucratic procedures on service dog handlers a superintendent should be required to document in writing that he/she has first taken all feasible measures that do not single out people with disabilities and should be required to keep those measures in force as long as there are restrictions on people with disabilities. The following are examples of what measures might be taken to control parvo before and during any restrictions on the users of service dogs:

Prohibiting young puppies from entering the park.
Requiring vaccination records for every dog that enters the national park. An infected pet could contaminate clothing and gear or stray away or be killed and taken into the backcountry by a predator.
Asking those from states without rabies vaccination laws such as Kansas and Missouri whether they own a dog (people who don't have to vaccinate for rabies are more likely not to vaccinate for parvo) and, if so, requiring proof of vaccination even if the dog is not accompanying them.
Providing poop bags and disposal sites in all areas pets are allowed and policing those areas frequently.
Providing shoe/gear sanitation stations
Taking extreme measures against local dogs, including hunting dogs, who might cross the park borders.
Requiring a permit for hiking. Sample questions: "Have you handled a puppy, do you volunteer for a shelter or rescue, have you been to a pet store, have you hiked or camped anywhere where there was a lot of dog feces? Are you going to be hiking in the shoes you wore then or using the same gear here?” These are similar to questions currently asked when issuing cave permits used to protect bats from white nose syndrome.

SECOND: REQUIRING DEMONSTRATION OF RECALL

"(2) A service animal must be controlled at all times with a harness, leash, or other tether, unless the restraint device would interfere with the service animal's safe, effective performance of work or tasks or the individual's disability prevents using these devices. In those cases the disabled individual must be able to recall the service animal to his or her side promptly using voice, signals, or other effective means of control. This must be demonstrated when requested by an authorized person." [emphasis added]

The ADA does not allow anyone to subject a person with a disability to a test as a requirement for access and there is no compelling reason NPS staff need to do so. Under DOJ guidelines, if a service animal is causing a problem because it is not under control, the person can be directed to bring it back under control. If the person cannot quickly restore control the person may be ordered to remove it from the park. That is sufficient to deal with the rare occasion of a problem service dog off-leash.

WHY DISCRIMINATION MATTERS GREATLY

Adding unnecessary stress to the lives of people with disabilities of any type is cruel and can easily prevent those people from fully enjoying the use of a national park. In fact some of them could be denied access entirely. Any sort of confrontation with a park ranger is stressful, especially if the ranger is demanding something the person with a disability cannot easily provide.

A disproportionate number of the people with disabilities subjected to these regulations will have psychiatric diagnoses and/or brain injuries and will be more vulnerable than the average person to such confrontations. The number of veterans with dogs trained for PTSD or TBI assistance alone is significant. People with brain disabilities are more likely to be 100% disabled (and thus have more time to do outdoor activities) and are more likely to be physically able to participate in many of the activities available in a national park.

People with brain disabilities also are the most likely to be injured by unnecessary restrictions or inappropriate questions.They might well leave and never come back -- which actually was my first reaction when an ill-trained ranger at my first of Yellowstone’s visitor centers yelled from across the visitor center at me to “get that dog out of here” as soon as I entered with my vested and perfectly behaved service dog. I spent an entire day in my campsite at Craters of the Moon too sick to drive or hike safely after an inappropriate challenge to my use of a service dog in an outdoor auditorium. Possible reactions from a disabled person might include panic attacks, bursting into tears, dissociating, becoming enraged, etc. None of these things should be the price of entry to a national park.

If you’re going to question, demand documents, or test the abilities of such people, the rangers will need training in dealing appropriately with people with brain disabilities. My experience in many NPS properties tells me that NPS has not been able to provide effective staff training about even basic information about service dogs. As to invisible disabilities, many are completely clueless. When I told a ranger standing outside the main entrance at the Mammoth Visitor Center that I couldn’t use the tiny, inaccessible ladies room because there wasn’t enough room for my service dog, he directed me to go around the building through an area closed off to the public because an elk was birthing her calf. This was so I could get to the wheelchair entrance in the back and take the elevator from there to the only accessible bathroom. I was dressed in hiking clothing and boots and the ranger had watched me easily walk up to him. On my way back down I realized the elevator stopped at the main floor of the visitor’s center. He could have directed me up the few steps to the main entrance without disturbing the elk and without exposing me to other annoyed rangers who tried to stop me from crossing the restricted area. It never occurred to him that I didn’t need the wheelchair entrance.

Specific to inoculations records and proof of heartworm treatment, how would people with disabilities would know -- before they reached the park -- that they needed it? No other entity in the entire country can require this for public access. I don’t routinely carry this in my purse, let alone in my backpack. Effective communication would require an expensive, on-going publicity campaign the NPS which would further burden the already insufficient budget allocations available to make NPS facilities accessible.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE DISCRIMINATORY PORTIONS OF THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS:

It is not illegal to offer additional services and information to people with disabilities. An information packet that included information about possible problems a service dog could cause mixed in with useful information to enhance the health, safety, and enjoyment of a handler/service animal team would accomplish much of what the inappropriate parts of the proposed regulations intend. A service dog liaison in the visitor center who could provide such information would be another example.

I would have loved to have had information about the poisons my dog would encounter on the boardwalks of Yellowstone BEFORE I spent a full day not only working her bare-pawed on the boardwalks but also repeatedly "downing" her shaved belly on them while I snapped pictures -- and subsequently spending several extra days in my campsite at Mammoth waiting for her to recover. Information in Saguaro National Park that a cougar may be attracted by a person running with a dog and attack from behind without warning is something with real value to a service dog user. I really appreciated a ranger warning me about the sharpness and abrasiveness of the lava rock on the trails of Craters of the Moon.

Combining such helpful information with concerns and suggestions, e.g., to keep the wolves safe from parvo, would likely get a very positive and cooperative response from service dog handlers.

Thank you for your consideration of my comments. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Joanne Shortell

http://www.servicepoodle.com/contact-us

You can read the full proposed rule at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NPS-2014-0002-0001

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human

servicehuman@servicepoodle.com
www.servicepoodle.com
www.facebook.com/servicepoodle
www.linkedin.com/in/joanneshortell
call us using "call Maeve and Joanne" at http://www.servicepoodle.com/contact-us

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human We would LOVE to speak to your group free of charge

Joanne and Maeve (her psychiatric service poodle) help people with psychiatric disabilities discover their rights to emotional support animals in no-pets housing without pet deposits or pet fees and their rights to service dogs

Want to Do Good? Share Positive, Useful Information

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:13:00 +0000

My readers proved this to me again last night. A young Oregonian who lives with Asperger’s Syndrome, has lost her mom, and is moving into a group home may not have to give up the cat which has shared her life from age 9 to 22. Why? Because people shared my recent guest blog post published by HealthyPlace.about our rights to emotional support animals in our housing.

The message arrived via my Contact Us page late last night. I could feel her pain as I read it and called her right away. I was able to give her good news and hope by putting her in touch with her local fair housing organization. I should say WE were able to do this, because it took a network to get the information to her. She had been sharing her troubles with a friend in Pennsylvania and the friend had seen my article. She gave her the website address. Who knows how many people were involved in the chain of forwarding before it reached the friend in Pennsylvania.

Earlier the same day a woman who is a Crisis Peer Counselor Coordinator at Spirit Peer Empowerment Center in California read the post after a friend from Connecticut shared it. There are homeless shelters in her area turning away people with psych disabilities because they won’t give up their pets. She contacted me for more information which she’ll use in her work. That prompted me to document the regulations concerning shelters and dorms on my website and add it to my service provider’s page.
So thank you, sharers; you did a really good thing. Let’s all try to do more sharing of good, helpful information.

Image By Yodaspirine (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Guest Blogging on Prozac Monologues and Healthy Place

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:55:00 +0000

I've got two guest blog posts published on two different blogs recently. Please take a look and share if you like them:

A veteran with PTSD considers living in a van in New Hampshire with his wife, two small children, and two large dogs. He can’t find housing that will accept the dogs he can’t live without. A peer specialist fails to get a homeless woman with a psychiatric disability into a shelter because she won’t be separated from her cat. A woman with bipolar disorder pays hundreds of dollars each year in illegal fees to keep the cat who helps her sleep. These people are real. Their needless suffering and expense occurred because few people understand our rights under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).

read the rest at Emotional Support Animals and Your Housing Rights on Welcome to HealthyPlace.com

AND

My current therapist is a nurse practitioner who can prescribe psychiatric drugs. My previous therapist was an MSW who could not. Both, however, could write a prescription for an emotional support animal (ESA). A short, simple letter (see sample below) from a doctor (any medical doctor, not just a psychiatrist) or any therapist will allow a person with a psychiatric disability or a chronic pain condition to have pets in no-pets housing, to avoid any pet deposit or pet fee, and to avoid size limitations or species restrictions.

read the rest at Rx for Joy - Joanne Shortell (this is a repost of an article I wrote about a year and a half ago)

View from our mobile office in Kemmerer WY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 02:15:00 +0000

Mental Illness Travels with Me, but I’m Driving

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 May 2013 01:31:00 +0000

On the Grand Canyon Rim Trail

It sucks when I get to someplace spectacular and find out that my disabilities are determined to get in the way. It happened last year at Bryce Canyon (see Recovery on the Road) with migraines and hypomania and it happened again this year at the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon with anxiety.

I was doing so well that first morning. I had camped outside the national park to reduce the stress of finding a place to stay in it after dark. I got up right on time, took Maeve for a walk around the whole campground, and headed into Grand Canyon National Park. It was fairly early in the season and I was shocked by how many people were there. Maeve started alerting me when I was talking to a ranger at the visitor center, not that I understood her at first, and I started to crash. I wanted to pick up and drive anywhere other than the Grand Canyon, right away. Instead I went into self-care mode and recalled some lessons I've learned along the way.

Lesson One: Take Time Out

The Grand Canyon was right there … right behind the visitor center, but I couldn't get a glimpse until hours later. I went back to my safe place, my campervan, to regroup. I fed myself, read about easy hikes and bike rides I could do, and I gave myself time to come down from the stress.

Lesson Two: Once You Get Started . . .

I needed to decide quickly whether or not I was staying because campsites were hard to find. Once I decided I should try to stay I went immediately to acquire a campsite. Once I got to the window, I found myself reserving a site for two nights rather than just one. The hard part was getting to the window.

Lesson Three: Discretion is the Better Part of Valor

If I wasn't feeling well due to the weekday crowd, I probably shouldn't force myself to handle the weekend horde. I moved to the less crowded east side of the park for the weekend.

Chinese lion representation

Result: A Great Visit

I hiked or biked nearly the entire Grand Canyon rim trail, Maeve posed for close to a hundred pictures (mostly taken by Asian tourists who mentioned that she looked like a lion), we hiked part of the south rim that is not usually hiked by tourists, and we got great pictures (see our Grand Canyon Photos). We also educated a number of people about psychiatric service dogs. We saw much of the more remote North Rim too. Even though I had to take a few days off, I actually got to hike below the canyon rim at Bryce Canyon for the first time. I was so happy! We did three hikes into and back up to the rim of Bryce Canyon.

P.S.: the staff of the Grand Canyon did fine on the service dog issue.

Lion photo credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Vassil

Service Dogs and Money

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:12:00 +0000

What are the costs associated with a service dog?

The cost of the dog: The dog may cost from nothing to thousands of dollars. Some breeders will donate a dog to be trained, some people find an appropriate dog at their local shelter, some people, as I did, pay full price from a high-quality breeder: close to $2,000 dollars. NOTE: Do NOT buy a dog at a store; they are notorious for health and temperament problems and you'll get a lower quality dog that ends up costing more than one from an excellent breeder.
The cost of a service dog trainer’s time or service dog organization fee: It is not unusual for a non-profit service dog organization to charge a fee of as much as $25,000 for a fully trained dog and for training of the person to handle the dog. On the other end of the spectrum, one can train one’s own service dog. The chance of success goes up, however, if you have an experienced service dog trainer training and consulting with you. There are also trainers who will take the dog and do the basic training for you and then train you to train the dog the rest of the way. This service falls between the other two in cost. One program that did this charged approximately $10,000. In my case I chose to learn to train the dog on my own with help from a pro. I ended up way under budget because I got lucky in my choice of dogs and because the trainer was very generous in donating her time to act as a consultant in choosing the dog and pointing me towards training resources I could use to educate myself. I ended up only using a few hours of paid training time: under $200. This is unusually low.
Travel costs if the trainer or organization is not nearby. Most organizations will require you make at least one trip to the organization for training.
Vet/insurance costs: Having a service dog go into heat or having a male service dog reacting to females in heat is not a good thing. You will need to have your dog neutered. There are low-priced clinics available in many communities for people with limited incomes, your town hall or animal control officer will know about them. Call a local vet to find out what the full price is. Your dog should be microchipped, it’s a small price, and it increases the chances you’ll get your very valuable animal back if you get separated. In addition one needs to budget for on-going vet expenses. Your service dog will need regular checkups, rabies shots, etc., and, like most dogs, will experience an illness or two and some injuries in the course of his/her life. Note: pet insurance does not cover 100% of expenses; you'll need a budget in addition to the premium.
Food: Service dogs need to be in great health to work properly and to have a long working life. You are not going to want to feed your dog poorly when so much depends on him/her and when you’ve invested so much money and/or time in training.
Toys and gear: You’re going to want a vest or harness for the dog to wear when working, leashes, a collar, and who knows what else. Dogs also need toys.
Dog license: another small necessity. Usually modest cost especially for neutered dogs.

How to Pay for Your Service Dog and His/Her Upkeep

Your own income: at the very least you need to ensure that you can take care of basic upkeep costs (vet, food, toys) from your own income. It’s not fair to take on a dog when you don’t have the money to feed it and provide basic care.
Family: You may be able to get some help from relatives if you can explain how the dog will enable you to live a healthier life.
Churches and other local organizations have been known to help raise funds for the acquisition of a service dog.
On-line fundraising sites: friends of my friends have successfully used http://www.giveforward.com// and gofundme.com to raise a portion of the costs of their service dogs (I can’t recommend either personally because I haven’t used them).
Have a yard sale or sell things you make and let people know the proceeds will help you with your service dog expenses. My favorite leash is handmade by another service dog handler. I bought it when she ran a special promotion to raise money for a winter coat for her service dog. (note: if you’d like to support a person with a psychiatric service dog, consider buying your leash from her too: https://www.facebook.com/ActionLeashes?ref=hl).

View of Our Mobile Office in the White Mountains of Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:16:00 +0000

NE Arizona, 9000 feet elevation

Good Day Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:18:00 +0000

Today was a beautiful day in El Malpais (the badlands). Sunny, not too windy, not too hot. We had to stay at the campsite because my electric assist bike had to be charged and I needed to do some cooking.
The solar panels really got a workout, but come the end of the day my bike, my computer, my tablet, my MiFi, my phone (and extra battery), my rechargeable light, my bluetooth transmitter were all fully charged. In addition they powered my refrigerator and I made coffee, a half dozen mugs of tea, and a batch of vegetable curry stew that would feed six.

I love my solar panels. They keep life simple and inexpensive. Most people on the road use propane to run their refrigerator and cook. Propane refrigerators are picky about being level and open flames can start fires. I need something simple and safe so I use a DC refrigerator designed for solar applications and an electric induction cooktop. Not only is this simpler and safer, but people who use propane to cook with are incredibly jealous of how fast I can boil water and cook on the induction cooktop. Even at low settings it’s much faster than propane.Another thing the panels allow me to avoid is having a generator and having to deal with gasoline for the generator.

Unlike many people on the road, I don't plug into an electrical hookup at campsites, I run an electric cord from my vehicle out to the campsite (see pics).

For more pictures of our campsite at El Malpais, see: https://picasaweb.google.com/114144636190633757417/ElMalpaisNM?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Cliff Dwellers Hike

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:45:00 +0000

Maeve and Joanne in one of the Cliff Dweller's caves

Maeve with Cliff Dweller caves in the background

What Has Six Legs, Two Wheels, and is Really Green?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 03:02:00 +0000

No, it’s not a grasshopper on a dogcart . . . .

It’s a girl and her service dog biking to a hike! (the girl is taking the picture)

The new addition to the Maevemobile is an electric-assist bike. This allows me to move fast enough to satisfy Maeve and cuts down on the number of times we start the Maevemobile when we're parked. At Gila Cliff Dwellings, we biked a couple of miles round trip to the visitor's center and back, took a rest and then biked 2 miles to the trailhead leading to the cliff dwellers site, hiked up to the site, and biked back to our campsite.

We'll write about our encounter with the rattlesnake in another post. Yikes!!!!

Subscribe to SPOT (Service Poodle Outreach/Outdoors Tour) by Email so you don't miss a post!

View of Our Mobile Office Near Safford AZ

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:56:00 +0000

Soaking in a Hot Lithium Spa with a Gila Monster

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:47:00 +0000

We’re back on the road again after a longer-than-expected holiday hiatus. New Mexico is where I expected to be by now, but a kind gentleman at our first night’s stop in Arizona’s Coronado National Forest near Safford told me about this spot outside the same town. I figured I’d spend a night, but I’ve been here for two and expect to stay for at least another two nights.

This place looks like the dunes at Cape Cod (if you squint a little so you don’t see that at the top of the dunes are desert plants or that a gila monster is walking through them and if you don’t look at the mountain to the northwest). The wind and heat here also make me think of summer at the beach. The only thing missing is the ocean.

There is water, however. Two hot tubs filled with 106 degree water pumped through them by a solar-powered water pump. Because the water is constantly refreshed, there’s no need for added chlorine or other chemicals. An added benefit is the lithium contained in hot spring waters in this eastern part of Arizona and in western New Mexico.
A local gentleman who goes three times a week says the Lithium helps his depression. I got curious and did a little research. Yes indeed one can absorb lithium through the skin.* Maybe that’s why I feel so good, energized, and yet calm here. More likely it’s the fact that we’re back on the road again and back to the wonderful healthy lifestyle the Maevemobile allows me to live.

Since you read this far, I’ll confess. The Gila monster wasn’t actually IN the hot tub with me. It walked by a stone throw away. By the time I got out of the hot tub and back to the Maevemobile where the camera was there were only foot and tail prints left of him.

*Metals and the Skin: Topical Effects and Systemic Absorption by Richard H. Guy, CRC Press, Apr 5, 1999

Unhappy Valentines Day? One Easy Step to True Love

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:51:00 +0000

Perhaps you've been looking for love in all the wrong places. I can tell you how to find a true love -- one who will love you until death do you part. I can tell you how to find a love who will always be happy to see you, even when you are in a foul mood. I can tell you how to find a love who will happily give you more attention and affection than you give them. I can tell you how to do this in one simple step . . . .

ADOPT A PET FROM A SHELTER!

May you and your new love have many happy Valentine's Days in the coming years!

Love,

Joanne (and Maeve)

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human

servicehuman@servicepoodle.com
www.servicepoodle.com
www.facebook.com/servicepoodle
www.linkedin.com/in/joanneshortell
call us using "call Maeve and Joanne" at http://www.servicepoodle.com/contact-us

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human We would LOVE to speak to your group free of charge

Joanne and Maeve (her psychiatric service poodle) help people with psychiatric disabilities discover their rights to emotional support animals in no-pets housing without pet deposits or pet fees and their rights to service dogs

Pros and Cons of Cats

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:31:00 +0000

Cats: Is it advisable to have a cat? I answered this question tonight on Quora.
Cats are terrific bang-for-the-buck pets. They are graceful, playful, wonderful to touch, and beautiful. You can get truly beautiful cats of any age at any shelter in the United States. Free kittens are frequently offered by private parties who have neglected to neuter their cat or who have rescued an abandoned litter.

Cats are cheaper to feed than dogs, and, if neutered, vaccinated, and kept indoors, usually require little veterinary care. Cats are social, but not nearly as susceptible to separation anxiety as dogs (separation anxiety is usually the cause of incessant barking, garbage strewing, incontinence, etc., that can happen when a dog is left home alone). Cats can be left alone for a weekend if given access to sufficient dry food and water. Being left home during work hours, even long work hours, is not usually a source of great distress to cats if they are well cared for and given attention before and after work. Cats can happily live indoors in a small space and so are very well suited for apartment living.

As Letrisa Miller mentioned, there are multiple studies showing the mental and physical health benefits of pets, including cats. You could read about this in the American Psychological Assocation's The Truth About Cats and Dogs: Pets Are Good for Mental Health of ‘Everyday People’ and read the opinion of the U.S. Center for Disease Control at Health Benefits of Pets. I have an Emotional Support Animal who is a cat. You can read about how she helps me deal with bipolar disorder at How an Untrained Cat Can be an Assistance Animal.

Another thing Letrisa Miller mentioned is allergies. While some people are allergic to cats, one should also consider the studies that indicate that children with pets are less likely to develop all sorts of allergies.

The downside of cats is scratching furniture (not all do it, but it's often an issue, especially with young cats), problems with urine marking (again, not all do it and usually it's a temporary problem if you keep the litter clean and identify and remedy the stressor that is causing the problem), and cleaning the litter box. The latter requires some care because in addition to rabies (for which you of course will have the cat vaccinated) there is another disease of note that one can catch from a cat. It's called toxoplasmosis and it's usually contracted by the person who cleans the litter box. It can cause problems with a fetus, so pregnant women should have someone else clean their cat's litter box. You're more likely to get this disease from your food than from your cat, however:

While many people think handling cats and their litter boxes are the primary ways pregnant women are infected, a new European study on how to prevent the devastating disease . . . shows that up to 60% of all transmissions can be prevented by limiting exposure to inadequately cooked or cured meat

(see Take These Precautions to Prevent Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy)

View from our mobile office in AZ

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:11:00 +0000

Makes us think of home, friends, and family (CT was struck by a blizzard yesterday). Maeve would prefer the amount of snow in CT, butI think I'll be able to live with no more snow than this.

How An Untrained Cat Can be an Assistance Animal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 04:23:00 +0000

Cats are sleep specialists

Emotional support animals (pets who help people with disabilities without having special training) can reduce the need for drugs and other medical treatment, especially for people with pain or psychiatric disabilities. The U.S. government recognizes their value and requires they be allowed, without deposits or fees, in nearly all housing units in the country.

Sleep is so challenging for someone with bipolar and so important in managing bipolar disorder that John McManamy, a science writer and bipolar sufferer, has called bipolar disorder "a sleep disorder with mood symptoms." When I can't sleep properly my moods starts spiraling up into hypomania and when I'm suffering from hypomania I can't sleep properly. Due to past reactions to antidepressants, my hypomanic moods are usually combined with depression -- what are called mixed episodes in which suicide is a distinct danger. I avoid tranquilizers or sleeping pills, so what do I do when I can't sleep?

I take my cat Sibol to bed with me every night. She sleeps on my chest or curled up in my arms. If I wake with racing thoughts and my body nearly twitching with energy, I stroke her and focus on the feel of her fur and the sound of her purring. It's not just that it's nice to have the cat there, petting an animal causes a release of oxytocin in both of us. She purrs louder as a result and I get enough calming effect to help me stay in bed and continue petting her. The cycle continues as long as it takes to get me back to sleep.

This doesn't just benefit me. Because of my disability my medical expenses are paid for by Medicare. My cat costs the government nothing, but can save anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars in prescriptions and hospitalizations.

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human

servicehuman@servicepoodle.com
www.servicepoodle.com
www.facebook.com/servicepoodle
www.linkedin.com/in/joanneshortell
call us using "call Maeve and Joanne" at http://www.servicepoodle.com/contact-us

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service HumanWe would LOVE to speak to your group free of charge

Joanne and Maeve (her psychiatric service poodle) help people with psychiatric disabilities discover their rights to emotional support animals in no-pets housing without pet deposits or pet fees and their rights to service dogs

Share Your Burden With a Beast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Emotional support animals (ESAs) can lighten the burden of mental illness and anyone in the U.S. who has a psychiatric disability (including children) is guaranteed the right to have such animals live with them in all but a very small percentage of dwellings by the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Every U.S. apartment complex, condo, and co-op is included and the rights are not just for renters; owners' associations also must allow ESAs. One cannot be charged pet deposits or fees for ESAs. The best part of all is that this right is cheap and easy to exercise: millions of potential ESAs can be found in animals shelters across the nation, no special training is necessary, and no lawyer is necessary.

What's the difference between a pet and emotional support animal? Nothing except that the owner is a person with a pain or psychiatric disability and uses the animal for "emotional support," that is to say the animal helps them enjoy their life in the home and makes it easier to live with their disability. Six-week old kittens and puppies too young to be housebroken can be emotional support animals. Iguanas and bunnies can be emotional support animals.

Can I take my ESA to places other than my housing where pets are not allowed? Generally speaking, no. There are some exceptions, e.g., for flights on airlines where you have a note from your doctor stating you are disabled and require the animal either on the flight or at your destination. There are psychiatric service dogs who can be trained to assist you and accompany you in public, but unlike ESAs they must be dogs and they are required to be specifically trained for public access and to assist you. They are wonderful too and those of us who use them often credit them with keeping us alive.

Where can I find out more about ESAs and psychiatric service dogs? Go to www.servicepoodle.com for more information. Note: everything on this site is free and there is no advertising. There is even a page
where you can call me or send me a message if you have a question. Some of the pages most relevant to ESAs are: How to get an emotional support animal; Just the FAQs: Emotional Support Animals; Where to go to file a complaint or get help; Examples of judgments under FHA

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human

servicehuman@servicepoodle.com
www.servicepoodle.com
www.facebook.com/servicepoodle
www.linkedin.com/in/joanneshortell
call us using "call Maeve and Joanne" at http://www.servicepoodle.com/contact-us

We would LOVE to speak to your group free of charge

Joanne and Maeve (her psychiatric service poodle) help people with psychiatric disabilities discover their rights to emotional support animals in no-pets housing without pet deposits or pet fees and their rights to service dogs

Working at the Beach in Oregon

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:42:00 +0000

Maeve and I are really enjoying our time on the Oregon coast. We've been hanging out at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, Oregon, most of this week working and playing. For the first time Maeve is truly enjoying the beach. She's loving the freedom of playing fetch, running, and playing with other dogs. I'm loving the walks on the beach and watching the surf (and the surfers) while I finish up my handouts for our presentation next week and plan our trip down to southern California following the conference in Portland. My cat, Sibol, is enjoying my company in the van while I work and the respite from travelling so much. This is the perfect way to recover from a long cross-country trip and get ready for the conference. Thank you John McManamy for suggesting it!
Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human

servicehuman@servicepoodle.com
www.servicepoodle.com
www.facebook.com/servicepoodle
www.linkedin.com/in/joanneshortell
call us using "call Maeve and Joanne" at http://www.servicepoodle.com/contact-us

Joanne Shortell, Maeve's Service Human We would LOVE to speak to your group free of charge

Joanne and Maeve (her psychiatric service poodle) help people with psychiatric disabilities discover their rights to emotional support animals in no-pets housing without pet deposits or pet fees and their rights to service dogs

View of Mount Hood from our mobile office

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 23:19:00 +0000

View from our mobile office at Cape Lookout in Oregon

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 00:53:00 +0000

View from our mobile office outside Riverton Wyoming

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:38:00 +0000

View from our mobile office in Badlands National Park, South Dakota

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 03:39:00 +0000

View from our mobile office in Michigan?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Sometimes my GPS exhibits a whimsical streak. We ended up unexpectedly in Michigan today. That was okay and we just kept going. Until this scene brought me up short. I had to get a location check as well as a reality check. Yes, we were still in Michigan, in Horton Michigan to be precise. I wonder if Dr.Seuss named his elephant after this place. Seems like he'd be comfortable here.