You laughed at my service Donkey...

[drcorey]

Service Donkey?
did people say you have a nice ass?

my last GF had a beautifull cat. and people would tell her she had a nice pussy when she took him out.

[DisneyMom]

Except I have read posts by people that get VERY offended that they would have to have ANY proof that they need a thearpy animal, and of course, point out that the ADA prohibits asking about it. ALSO, several other posters on another board, who seem to know what they are talking about, claim that there is no standard for certifing any kind of assistance animal, but rely on private organizations to "train" the animals.

I know that several people have stated that they would love it if there was some way to determine if the animal was needed, or just a pet that the person didn't want to board.

So it sounds like you can get that "Therapy" gerbil after all! :p:

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

So it sounds like you can get that "Therapy" gerbil after all! :p:

heheheheheheh

guess I have been saving those toilet paper tubes for nothing!!!

(I gotta call richard gere and tell him the bad news!!)

http://www.hampsterdance.com/classics/originaldance.htm


RUM??

[Big Wallaby]

When it comes to therapy snakes, I have but one issue: What about the well-being of people around the person who needs the snake? If you need your therapy snake, I would hope you have a way of hiding it. While I don't mind and even like snakes, I know plenty of people who are completely afraid and go into full panic mode with a full fight or flight response.

Donkey? Sure. Dog, cat, bird, lizard, etc.? Okay, so long as it's well trained. Horse? I can see that being a major asset, so I'll let it pass. Snake? It'd better be kept hidden, for the simple reason that I don't want to deal with people panicking when they see it.

[Mayonnaise]

Not to pooh-pooh anyone's fear of snakes, but there are also people deathly afraid of dogs, and no one disputes dogs as service animals.

8^S

[Syndrome]

She could at least put a tail bag on that horse, just in case. Horses are a lot harder to "potty train" than dogs or cats.
She must have a special coating on her horse's shoes or she would be sliding all over the pavement when she canters down the street.

I'm sorry, as much as I love horses, I think she is taking advantage of the situation by riding her horse into the store. If a person has enough vision to find what she needs in the display cases, and to cross a busy highway, than she doesn't NEED the horse as a guide animal. That horse is obviously gentle and well trained, but horses have a strong flight instinct when presented with something new and scary (such as an 18-wheeler blasting its horn without warning) and I don't think she should be training a horse to be a guide or service animal. Just my two cents worth.

Any other horse experts (Syndrome, etc.) want to chime in??

I actually did an article last year on seeing eye horses (miniature) for the blind. While they are workable, they have some serious limitations. It's not that they're harder to potty train, but rather that their digestive system is designed to be emptied much more frequently than a dogs. Also, their flight instinct has to be overcome with the guide training (one woman with a mini had it slip out when it saw roller bladers, and then she blamed them for daring to be out on a public street). Although different methods have been used to train them, clicker training is the most effective.

As to riding your full sized seeing eye horse in Target, I have some major problems with that. Indeed, the footing could be slippery. You could use studded shoes or borium, but that is hard on the horse's legs and also would damage inside floors. That horse DEFINITELY needs a diaper, and if it doesn't have special training, there is a danger of spooking...that's just part of equine nature. I'm sorry, but I just don't think she could legally justify it like the owners of miniature guide horses can (and those usually wear diapers and shoes, as well as a special harness much like a guide dog's).

[drcorey]

Not to pooh-pooh anyone's fear of snakes, but there are also people deathly afraid of dogs, and no one disputes dogs as service animals.

8^S

welp, I don't pooh pooh anything for at least a few hours after.

[Syndrome]

That woman is apparently a bit of a pot stirrer/attention whore (although I'm sure y'all guessed them from her tons of rambling comments posted after the article). For a while she was living with the horse inside (yes, INSIDE) a one-bedroom apartment. The management company was understandably a bit unhappy.

http://www.10news.com/news/11420889/detail.html

[drcorey]

I have a nice seeing eye rat.
He sits on my hat, and that is that. yep, the rat on the hat. :D:

[Lasolimu]

I have a nice seeing eye rat.
He sits on my hat, and that is that. yep, the rat on the hat. :D:

Wouldn't it be more effective for it to be under the hat so he can control your movements so you can be sure you are not walking into anything?
:remy: