I have noticed a trend in the growth of therapy dogs. As the article states, these are not the same as Seeing Eye dogs. I know of at least one large building in Lakewood with a dog "ban" that has at least one therapy dog.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindeal ... thispage=2
Doug
therapy dogs and renting in and around Lakewood
Moderator: Jim O'Bryan
-
DougHuntingdon
- Posts: 527
- Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 10:29 pm
-
Jeff Endress
- Posts: 858
- Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:13 am
- Location: Lakewood
Doug
It's kinda funny. As a long time pet owner, I have known for years that there is no better therapy for a rotten day at Court, than the wag of Guinness' tail. So, just as we have identified a plethora of classifiable medical conditions, now we identify and label what used to be common sense as medically recomended therapy!
I didn't need a prescription to know that I felt a little more relaxed and my stress lessened when I was reading a book with a cat curled on my lap.
Jeff
It's kinda funny. As a long time pet owner, I have known for years that there is no better therapy for a rotten day at Court, than the wag of Guinness' tail. So, just as we have identified a plethora of classifiable medical conditions, now we identify and label what used to be common sense as medically recomended therapy!
I didn't need a prescription to know that I felt a little more relaxed and my stress lessened when I was reading a book with a cat curled on my lap.
Jeff
To wander this country and this world looking for the best barbecue â€â€
-
Phil Florian
- Posts: 538
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:24 pm
I was always kind of skeptical about "companion" or "therapy" dogs until I saw them in action. As I work in the field of supporting people with disabilities, I see all sorts of new treatments and programs and such to help people with disabilities live in our society. Some are fads, some are crazy or desperate but others are also valid and important, even if it doesn't appear so on the surface.
I know of a family in Lakewood with a child with a disability. He is someone who "looks" different and will be instantly perceived as someone with a disability by the community at large. When out with this young man, it is interesting to see how people respond to him. If I meet people out of the blue with him, many are nice (I mean, this IS Lakewood) but even with the nice you get a certain distance. He uses a wheel chair. He doesn't communicate as most do. He is very grabby. He is, in short, very different. People don't realize he is very caring, very funny and in his own way witty and perceptive, things that a low IQ just can't account for. But people rarely get close enough to know this.
Anyway, he has a companion dog. His dog is a big, beautiful and very friendly retriever that will walk with him in the community. Suddenly, people will come up to the dog immediately and begin petting him. This opens up the lines of communications that allow a caregiver like myself or his parents to introduce the young man, talk about the dog, etc. Suddenly people aren't afraid to get close to this young man. They have an instant bond in a mutual love of a big ol' dog. Now when I see many of these neighbors in the street or around his home, people are always talking to the young man. Not me. And mostly not the dog because the dog isn't always with us. Suddenly, I fade into the background like the wheelchair and he for a few minutes is his own man. You don't know how thrilling that is, especially if you are used to seeing discrimination or outright disdain or distrust or even fear of people who look and act different.
This isn't just having a fun loving dog, either. This dog cost a lot to train, all with donation or parent expense. This dog is amazing. For a person in a wheelchair, I can see how this dog is very helpful. He can pick up a credit card off the floor and gently put it back in the hands of the person. They open doors. They can depress those wall mounted pressure plates that open sliding doors. These are all just bits in addition to the classic commands of heel, stay, sit, side, release, etc. Invaluable. They cost a lot of time, too. They go back for yearly refresher courses to maintain the high level of training. It is a large personal and fiscal investment for people, as much as wheelchairs, hoyer lifts, ramps, etc. for people to just live like the rest of us take for granted. To be simply told "no dogs allowed" simplifies the role of these animals.
Granted, there can be abuse of this but the slippery slope argument shouldn't be used in order to freely discriminate against those who legitimately come by their animals and show a medical need for them.
Dogs have been long time companions to humanity for as far back as we can record history. They have always had the capacity to work and it is only since aristocracy took a love to the little critters that they became more "pets" than useful. This is simply another use of a fine animal that is easily akin to a boarder collie that hustles sheep around, a seeing eye dog that helps a woman get across the street safely or a guard dog to protect one's home and family.
I feel badly that it has to be forced on landlords but I don't feel too badly as many landlords have discriminated against people with disabilities long before helper dogs were involved. This is just a new avenue of doing so. If the case is legitimate for the dog, they have to allow this accomodation. Simple as that. Good article. Thanks for linking it!
Phil
I know of a family in Lakewood with a child with a disability. He is someone who "looks" different and will be instantly perceived as someone with a disability by the community at large. When out with this young man, it is interesting to see how people respond to him. If I meet people out of the blue with him, many are nice (I mean, this IS Lakewood) but even with the nice you get a certain distance. He uses a wheel chair. He doesn't communicate as most do. He is very grabby. He is, in short, very different. People don't realize he is very caring, very funny and in his own way witty and perceptive, things that a low IQ just can't account for. But people rarely get close enough to know this.
Anyway, he has a companion dog. His dog is a big, beautiful and very friendly retriever that will walk with him in the community. Suddenly, people will come up to the dog immediately and begin petting him. This opens up the lines of communications that allow a caregiver like myself or his parents to introduce the young man, talk about the dog, etc. Suddenly people aren't afraid to get close to this young man. They have an instant bond in a mutual love of a big ol' dog. Now when I see many of these neighbors in the street or around his home, people are always talking to the young man. Not me. And mostly not the dog because the dog isn't always with us. Suddenly, I fade into the background like the wheelchair and he for a few minutes is his own man. You don't know how thrilling that is, especially if you are used to seeing discrimination or outright disdain or distrust or even fear of people who look and act different.
This isn't just having a fun loving dog, either. This dog cost a lot to train, all with donation or parent expense. This dog is amazing. For a person in a wheelchair, I can see how this dog is very helpful. He can pick up a credit card off the floor and gently put it back in the hands of the person. They open doors. They can depress those wall mounted pressure plates that open sliding doors. These are all just bits in addition to the classic commands of heel, stay, sit, side, release, etc. Invaluable. They cost a lot of time, too. They go back for yearly refresher courses to maintain the high level of training. It is a large personal and fiscal investment for people, as much as wheelchairs, hoyer lifts, ramps, etc. for people to just live like the rest of us take for granted. To be simply told "no dogs allowed" simplifies the role of these animals.
Granted, there can be abuse of this but the slippery slope argument shouldn't be used in order to freely discriminate against those who legitimately come by their animals and show a medical need for them.
Dogs have been long time companions to humanity for as far back as we can record history. They have always had the capacity to work and it is only since aristocracy took a love to the little critters that they became more "pets" than useful. This is simply another use of a fine animal that is easily akin to a boarder collie that hustles sheep around, a seeing eye dog that helps a woman get across the street safely or a guard dog to protect one's home and family.
I feel badly that it has to be forced on landlords but I don't feel too badly as many landlords have discriminated against people with disabilities long before helper dogs were involved. This is just a new avenue of doing so. If the case is legitimate for the dog, they have to allow this accomodation. Simple as that. Good article. Thanks for linking it!
Phil
-
Mike Deneen
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 12:02 pm
I have absolutely no doubt about the therapeutic abilities of companion animals, especially dogs. I had the pleasure to meet the good folks at Loving Paws, a volunteer therapy dog group based here in Lakewood.
Check them out at http://www.lovingpaws216.org
Therapy dogs have even been used around the country to help kids learn to read....it is quite amazing. I hope to do a story soon about efforts to bring such a program to Lakewood.
Check them out at http://www.lovingpaws216.org
Therapy dogs have even been used around the country to help kids learn to read....it is quite amazing. I hope to do a story soon about efforts to bring such a program to Lakewood.