I am so saddened that two guide dog teams in Utah were recently attacked by loose dogs. I can only imagine the trauma to both guide and handler of these teams. From www.guidedogs.com:
Loose dogs can be a significant threat to guide dog teams. An attack on a guide dog can be costly in terms of veterinary care, retraining, replacement, emotional trauma and loss of mobility for the person who is blind. Please don't take chances with others' safety.
Why are loose or aggressive dogs a liability to Guide Dog teams?
A guide dog that is attacked or intimidated by an aggressive or unruly pet dog may become damaged or traumatized for life and be unable to work as a guide. An attack can also take a hug emotional toll on the dog's handler. In many states, laws are being introduced which protect Guide Dog handlers and their dogs from attack and harassment by errant dogs and people. Irresponsible dog owners can be held financially liable for the actions of their unsupervised pets, and may be accountable for the replacement costs for the guide dog. Under certain circumstances the pet owner can also be incarcerated for up to six months.
What are some tips for being a responsible dog owner?
- Please do not allow your pet dog to roam freely in your neighborhood or to be unsupervised in an unfenced yard. Educate your family about how to prevent your pet from escaping from your yard and roaming in your neighborhood. Self-closing gates can be the answer to keeping your dog at home.
- If you have your dog on leash, make sure that he is under control. Do not allow your dog to be walked by a person who is not strong enough to control or restrain him.
- Learn about canine behavior and take obedience classes with your pet dog. Be sure your dog is well socialized around other animals and people.
- Be aware of your own dog's temperament and potential for biting. Even an overly friendly pet that jumps on people or other dogs can cause serious problems. Dogs are often territorial in their own yards, and sometimes even beyond the boundaries of their own homes. Irresponsibility or apathy in this regard may cost you dearly!
- When choosing a pet dog, research the breed before you bring the dog home. Some breeds require more exercise, attention, control and leadership than others. Although any dog or breed of dog can become aggressive, there are certain breeds that are more prone to problematic behavior than others.
- Be aware of your city and county leash laws and obey them.
- Take pride in being a responsible, intelligent, and capable pet owner.
A dog wearing a harness with a handle is at work helping its blind partner travel safely. Please keep pets away. Always ask before attempting to interact with a guide dog.
By law, obstructing a working guide can result in up to $50,000 in fines. If your pet is overly friendly and regularly jumps on people or other dogs, it could cause permanent trauma or injury to a guide dog.
If you are a witness to an attack on a guide dog team, you can assist by noting the description and location of the attacking dog. Please do your part to protect working guide dogs for the blind.
The journeys of Becky, blind from retinitis pigmentosa, and her beauitiful guide dogs.
5 comments:
Wonderful information! This is good.
I hate hearing about this happening.
My daughter and her pet 18mo. old labrador were recently attacked by a pit bull. Just walking around in her neighborhood. Pretty scary. The owners were not freindly and made a derogatory comment about my daughter when they led their dog away. Sad.
My daughters dog was the one on a leash. Neither of them were hurt, and the pup seems to be handling it fine now, ie not afraid of other dogs.
We just had a dog from our group who graduated as a Guide get attacked by a loose dog. This was the second time in his short working year. It truely is an awful thing when it happens to anyone, but it is that much harder when you count on that dog to be your eyes. Thanks for getting this information out there. There's a big campaign here in the UK lead by Guide Dogs for the Blind (same name different organization) about setting up stricter leash laws. You wouldn't believe the amount of dog running around off leash.
Thanks for posting this. This is so traumatic when you can see, let alone when you can't. And so frustrating. Hopefully people will heed the information provided. It will be a huge help!
Oh my gosh! I hate that this happened and I'm so appreciative of your post! This is SUCH important information to share with ALL! Our golden retriever was attacked on a hike. The owner had his dog on a leash, but couldn't control his dog. As we passed him on the trail his dog got lose. It was incredibly traumatic for Lilly and I. I cannot imagine the emotional toll on a guide dog and his/her owner. Thank you so much for this post!
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