From our dear client, Donna, with SD, Dennie!!! Donna writes:
“Last weekend I was admitted to the hospital for a touch of pneumonia. As you can see from the attached picture, Dennie is once again right there in bed me and doesn’t leave my side. As I explained in my previous email, Dennie can tell when my blood sugar is dropping. This is an added bonus as Dennie is my mobility SD. Don’t know what I would do without her.”
WHAT LOVE AND DEVOTION!!!!
Oh, what wonderful things our Service Dogs can do for us! So many different situations, so many different conditions – they are there for us truly everywhere we go! From our dear client, Sarah:
“Here is a picture of Brody- he was my support at the dentist today. He lied in the chair with me for 1 1/2 hours and didn’t move. Everyone thought he did awesome for a 10-month old. I would have never been able to go to the dentist without Brody!”
From our dear friend and former trainer, Tony. Thank you, Tony – your words always have and always will mean the world to me and to all of us – and your opinions are very important to me and all of us at SDE:
“As a client and former trainer I have the utmost respect for Laurie and Service Dog Express, She has made my life so much better and I can handle the simple everyday tasks that most take for granted when she paired me with my properly assessed dog Lucy (God bless you Laurie and what you did for me).
As trainers, the client should come first; their needs are off utmost importance.
I think off myself as not only a client but as an ambassador for Service Dog. I try to educate the public as much as I can, but having just one aggressive hyper or skittish dog can make it so much harder for the public to understand what we are doing or what the dog is for, so a properly assessed dog is essential. I know we would like to place all the dogs with homes but they all can’t be a Service Dog!!..
I get so many compliments on how well behaved my dog is in public; it is a proud and calming feeling to me. So thank you so much Laurie for all that you have done to make my life a lot easier..
Tony Cuciniello
( Service Dog Lucy)”
TONY – YOU ARE VERY CORRECT THAT PROPERLY ASSESSED AND TRAINED SDs ONLY SHOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC. IF THERE IS A DOG THAT WE FEEL IS NOT ACTING APPROPRIATELY, WE WILL WORK AS HARD AS WE CAN TO TRY AND TRAIN THE INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR – EVEN IF IT MEANS HAVING TO REMOVE THE DOG AND HANDLER FROM PUBLIC ACCESS FOR A WHILE. IF THE DOG JUST CAN’T BE TRAINED CORRECTLY, WE WILL ALWAYS BE HONEST AND REALIZE THAT THE DOG IS JUST NOT SERVICE DOG MATERIAL. A DOG CAN LEARN THE COMMANDS, BUT ONCE IT BEGINS TRAINING WITH THE HANDLER, DYNAMICS CHANGE. THAT IS WHY CONSISTENCY AND SUPERVISION BY TRAINERS IS PARAMOUNT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT. MANY DOGS THAT PASS ASSESSMENTS ONLY EXHIBIT BEHAVIORS ONCE THEY ARE PUT IN VASTLY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. THEY MUST BEHAVE CORRECTLY – FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CLIENT AND THE DOG.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Jacqueline, a Vietnam Veteran in New Hampshire, who has been working with a trainer there and her caseworker, sending me videotapes consistently for almost a year of her now SD, beautiful Aussie “Seeley”, performing each command in the Public Access Test and demonstrating three additional tasks specific to her disabilities. Jacqueline has been absolutely diligent and consistent in her determination to bring Seeley up to perfect par as a Service Dog. She has never waivered in her determination to demand absolute perfection, even despite setbacks in her personal life. I am so proud of her and am SO inspired by all her extremely hard work! Seeley officially passed two days ago! Jacqueline writes;
“Dear Laurie,
My experience following your personal instruction in training Seeley has been positively rewarding beyond words. You helped me through very challenging times with Seeley when I was almost ready to give up.
I don’t think people realize how much a person’s quality of life is affected with a well-trained Service Dog. Especially, a dog that has bonded and is specifically task trained to help get through both daylight and nighttime disability issues
.
I use the word “issue” reluctantly, because unfortunately making the choice of including a Service Dog as part of my treatment in managing my service connected (100%) disability of PTSD, MST, depression, OCD, etc… has been made an issue at VA facilities – which to this day, I find perplexing. Civilian medical facilities have welcomed Seeley and I as a SDiT team, whereas VA facilities do not allow SDiT teams. Period. And with your help, I have painstakingly raised and trained my own SD because I know that a well trained dog to address specific needs will improve my quality of life. Period.
Know that your dedication is appreciated every time Seeley responds to my specific needs at all hours of the day and night.
Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline”
DEAR JACQUELINE – THE ISSUES YOU HAVE FACED AT THE VA FACILITIES THERE IN NH ARE ALSO PERPLEXING TO ME. BUT YOU HAVE DONE IT!! YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ME AND I KNOW TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE ALSO STRUGGLING WITH ISSUES REGARDING THEIR SERVICE-RELATED DISABILITIES AND ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND SEELEY!!!
Update on the client who was trying to get her Driver’s License test and she couldn’t get a female to administer the test with her SD in the back seat – they did it! The DMV got her a female assessor, our client was comfortable, the SD was perfect in the back, and she PASSED!!! YAY!!!
Ah…more discrimination from the DMV, San Antonio:
Babcock Driver License Office of San Antonio, Texas
1258 Babcock Road
San Antonio, TX 78201
To whom it may concern:
I have tried many times to contact you by phone, but I always get a busy signal. I am a Service Dog trainer, and my client is due to take her driver’s test on the 11th. My client has a Service Dog, Sea-Jay, who must be present with her at all times due to her medical condition – Sea-Jay is a medical alert dog. Sea-Jay is also a fully-trained Service Dog who is completely laid-back and absolutely friendly. My client was told that none of the female evaluators would be willing to go with her for her driver’s test because of the dog in the back – and that she would have to go with a man. My client cannot be around men she does not know – it is part of her disability. For you to deny her access to a female evaluator based upon the presence of a Service Dog is considered harassment of a Service Dog and harassment of a Service Dog handler, a misdemeanor in the state of Texas.
If you do not allow my client to take her driver’s test with a female, I will be reporting you to the police for this misdemeanor.
You may call me at any time at the phone number below.
Laurie A. Gawelko, M.S.
210-201-3641
CONGRATULATIONS to Wounded Warrior Christopher and his wife Megan, who just had a baby girl – Piper Tensley Willis!!! Christopher and his wonderful SD Maggie were apart for the first two days while in the hospital – humble Christopher didn‘t want the attention to be on, in his words, “the guy with the dog” instead of his wife! How sweet! But it was difficult for him being in a small room with tons of activity and overwhelming amounts of people, trying to get some sleep with an unlocked door – totally understandable with someone with PTSD. He didn’t sleep for 36-37 hours after he took an Ambien after the nurses tried to reassure him everything will be okay. He even woke up several times to change his daughter.
He then decided to go home and get Maggie. When he was walking back into the hospital, he was stopped by Security. The officer wanted to know if I had Maggie’s “papers” with him. He told him no and that ADA states that he didn’t need to have paperwork. He informed me Security at the New Braunfels hospital has had to call the police a few times to confront people with fake service dogs. Maggie had her vest on and she was being her normal laid back self. We (the officer and I) went around a few times and I assured him my SD wasn’t a fake.
Christopher then talked to the nurses on the floor and they stated that they had already talked to their head nurse and she was aware of Maggie and was okay with her! Yay! The nurses on the floor said that they would talk to the officer if he comes to the floor. I reassured him that if he had any other problems, he could call me asap on my personal cell phone.
Christopher wrote that he was not upset nor mad at security here. He said that security had seen a pattern of events and was just acting accordingly (in security’s eyes). Christopher knows about fake service dogs in the news and also believes they are on the rise. But he didn’t feel that an officer confronting him in the dark in front of the hospital requesting papers was the right approach. I agreed. And, of course, SDs are allowed in any hospital except in certain areas where patients are immunosuppressed or there is radiation.
I will contact the hospital to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. BUT, in the meantime, the great news is that everyone is back home, healthy, and happy!!! I asked how is Maggie responding to the baby, and reminded Christopher to let the bonding between Maggie and Piper start as soon as possible. Christopher said that Maggie was doing great! Maggie is great. He was holding Piper trying to calm her, and Maggie laid her head on Christopher’s lap, saying that Maggie’s mothering nature has shined through again!
WE ARE SO, SO HAPPY FOR YOU CHRISTOPHER, MEGAN, PIPER, AND MAGGIE!!!!!!!
I am in awe right now. There are SO many unsung heroes among us. One of them is a client, Natalie. I spoke with her at length this morning. She is helping with the training of a Service Dog for her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s. Natalie is a truly amazing example of one of those people who has chosen as a profession something extremely challenging and SO needed. Natalie grew up in Singapore. She and her family moved to San Antonio some years ago, and Natalie got her law degree from the highly esteemed Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She became a lawyer to fight for humanitarian rights – including human trafficking, which, of course, is close to our hearts at SDE because we have had so many clients who have been victims of this right here in Texas. Natalie told me that it has been SO difficult to find a job as an attorney here in Texas to help fight human trafficking and other humanitarian issues. I am going to reach out to as many associations as I can to put her in touch with them – she is even willing to do volunteer work to help this extremely important cause. Clients – any of you who have been victims of human trafficking – if you know of programs that Natalie could become affiliated with, please send me an email at [email protected]. Natalie is discouraged at her inability to find resources that could use her legal expertise, and might have to consider moving back to Singapore where she would continue to fight for these injustices. She did say that the laws in the United States to protect individuals and their families who have experienced human trafficking are better than any in any other country she has known – for example, she said that in most Asian countries, people with disabilities are looked down upon and resources for them are extremely limited – including Singapore. She said that she has been amazed that in the U.S., victims can receive Service Dogs to help those who have been traumatized; in these other countries, the only Service Dogs recognized are for the blind.
I applaud Natalie and others like her who are doing such important work, have such passion for humanitarian causes, and refuse to give up! Thank you, Natalie.
So proud of Shauna in New Mexico, who was denied service at an Allsups convenient store. Even after the manager called me and asked me to send him ADA Service Dog laws, which I did, Shauna went through this AGAIN:
“Kilo and I went back to that Allsups, and the male was working who was the one I argued with on the phone. The first thing he asked when I walked in is if I talked to the manager. I told him no, but that Laurie from Service Dog Express did, and hopefully the situation is resolved, for it could have turned into a hefty law suit. Then I offered the paper work for him to read, which he did. He then proceeded to argue with me that his fiance has a Service Dog, and everywhere they go, they have to show “paper work”. I told him that I have never had to show anything, nor was I ever questioned. And now that he read the laws, I told him to inform his fiance of her rights, that no place has a right to ask for “paperwork”. He then tried to tell me that places that serve food have all rights to do so! I shook my head, sighed and said NO, they do NOT have the right. He wanted to keep arguing, but I told him to drop it, he read the paperwork, and the law is above any company policy.
He then started to tell me about a woman in a wheelchair who wears a tag around her neck for her Service Dog, and states its the law she does. I told them I believe that is a choice, but not the law. I directed them to check out the ADA laws, and as well contact SDE if they wanted any more information. I bought my Coke and left. I honestly do not wanna go back to that Allsups, ever, but sometimes it’s on my way home. Sadly, my state of mind is still not set right to peacefully deal with confrontations like that, but my SDIT Kilo is amazing at quickly calming me down. He didn’t go in the down position while I was there; he stayed pressed to me the whole time or a bit to my side, bumping my hand with his head.
Shauna didn’t give up! She just called the corporate offices to Allsups, and they were amazing. They even said that those employees should NOT have asked for anything, not even to have mentioned seeing Kilo, especially since he was fully in his vest/gear. She told me she was going to call the district manager here in Roswell to make sure the problem is taken care of, and that that particular Allsups is more educated. She even agreed that I was harassed. I don’t think those people will be having a job much longer, but at least they will be schooled about Service Dogs!”
I AM SO VERY PROUD OF YOU, SHAUNA!! WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH WAS TERRIBLE, BUT YOU STOOD UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND DID THE RIGHT THING!!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!