lifeofaguidedog-blog - Tumblr blog

lifeofaguidedog-blog · 10 years ago

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First, I'm not a vegan (i love bacon and ribs too much). Second, there is a HUGE difference between animal rights and animal welfare. Pretty much everybody who says they're for animal rights are actually for animal welfare. And third, service dogs really do love their job. Hibachi got irritable and squirrelly if I didn't take him out to work everyday. He would lie by the door and jump up, tail walking, the second I picked up his vest. A couple of months ago my guide dog group had a dog career changed (meaning they were released from the program) because he really did not like working. He now lives with a young family and has more fun playing with his kids than he would if he'd still been working. Every dog is different, therefore, not every dog will enjoy working. Also, service dogs are not underweight. I cannot tell you how many times I have had people come up to me and scold me for my dog being too thin. I've heard whispers behind my back "I just want to feed that poor dog!". I have turned around multiple times when I hear people say that and scold them for being grossly misinformed about what a healthy dog should look like. Most people fatten their dogs up like pigs and think that's normal. No. Service dogs, especially the ones I train, are as fit as they can possibly be. Every time hibachi took a step, the muscle in his legs rippled, much like a trotting horse. The vet was astonished that my dog had abs. He says he's never seen that before. Hibachi was 61 pounds of pure muscle. I was able to count his ribs but you couldn't see the ribs, that's how it's supposed to be. If you're sitting here telling me that you shouldn't be able to feel a dogs ribs I want you to do something for me--feel your ribs. You can count them, right? If not all of them, most of them. Are you underweight? Nope, I didn't think so.

~Lizzy

Veganism, Animal Rights, and Service Dogs

Hey y'all,

So I know this Tumblr has been mostly dedicated to movie and book news recently - and there will be much more of that to come! - but I wanted to change the conversation for a moment to address something that’s been on my mind.

As many of you who follow me on social media know, I am legally blind, and I use a guide dog. But what you might not know is that I am also a vegan and have been for about 3 years now. Since before I even got my dog.

Why would I mention both of those things in the same paragraph? Because, believe it or not, among some vegans and animal rights groups service animals are considered a controversial topic. Some consider it “wrong” that these dogs spend their whole lives “serving” humans. Some have even compared it to slavery (I won’t even go into how problematic that comparison for reasons that have NOTHING TO DO with animal rights). But I’ve also noticed that those making these statements seem very misinformed about the role and life of a service dog. So I’d like to take a few minutes to, as both a vegan and service dog user, clear up some misconceptions.

Let me first start with a disclaimer. I use a guide dog. So what I say from here on out is about guide dogs only. I cannot speak for other service dogs or service dog users. I should also note that I am a vegan because of my opinions regarding animal rights, not for dietary reasons, so if I truly believed having a service animal was cruel, I wouldn’t do it.

So let’s start with some of the misconceptions, shall we?

First, the idea that it is wrong for an animal to spend it’s life serving a person. I want to start by saying that the breeds used for guide dogs are all “working breeds.” So breeds that were born and bred - and often have an instinct to - work. These are the types of dogs that are very intelligent and easily bored if not given something to do. Many of these breeds are prone to causing mischief if not provided with something to keep them occupied. And guide work provides them an outlet for their energy.

Second, it should be noted that the only dogs that make it through as guide dogs are those that seem to enjoy the work. A dog who doesn’t like wearing the harness, that seems easily distracted, or just flat out unhappy working will never pass the requirements to be matched as a guide. Those dogs who don’t pass their tests typically go back to living with their raisers or are adopted by another family. (There are GIANT waiting lists at many guide dog schools for people wanting to adopt failed guide dogs.)

Which sort of leads nicely into my third point. I once read an article on PETA about how awful service dogs are treated after they retire. Or that they are forced to work until they die. This is blatantly untrue. Most guide dogs retire around the age of ten. Many others retire earlier if they have health issues or - in some cases - if they just seem like they aren’t into the job anymore.

After they retire, the dogs are not abandoned or forced into shelters, as PETA might have you believe. The dog’s disabled handler has the option to keep the dog. If for some reason they can’t, they can place the dog with a friend or family member. If that isn’t an option, the guide dog school - again - often has a HUGE waiting list of people who are more than willing to take in a very well trained, well mannered dog.

More over, guide dogs (and other service dogs) are often some of the happiest and healthiest you’ll find. For one thing, they typically are taken to the vet more frequently than you’re average family dog because their health is so important to the handler’s own well-being. And when you spend every minute with a dog, you pick up on subtle signs of sickness that you might not otherwise notice until they’ve gotten worse. (With my dog, Corey, I have caught both an ear infection and some allergies pretty early on.)

Plus, these dogs live the dream. They get to spend every minute with their person. They get to see the world. Every day is a nice, long walk.

I also want to clear up the all-too-common misconception that service dogs are always required to be these robotic, well-behaved creatures. In reality, when a dog gets home, they are allowed to be “off duty.” When a guide dog’s harness comes off, they are just like any other dog. Corey spends her off-duty time chasing the cats, playing with squeaky toys, and snuggling with me on the couch. And that’s been true of every service dog I’ve ever met. They are allowed to have fun, too! And, for many of them, work is fun. The minute Corey sees me walk to the door, she goes to stand by her harness, tail wagging.

IN fact, Corey tends to get mad if we don’t work long enough. If I just take her for a spin around the block, she does NOT want to come back home. She isn’t satisfied until we go into a building - a store, an office, etc. It’s as if she feels like we havne’t accomplished anything until we’ve run an errand.

Service dogs are typically some of the most well-taken-care-of, happiest dogs you’ll meet. And the “service” they do is never something stressful or dangerous for the animal.

So I hope this cleared up some of the misinformation and misconceptions I’ve seen circulating about service dogs. I don’t think it’s a contradiction to be both a vegan and a guide dog user. If anything, having Corey - who is literally with me everyday, who I have bonded with more than I have with any other dog I’ve had - has made me even more passionate about animal rights. If I thought for a second she was being mistreated or was unhappy as a service dog, I’d stop.

But that hasn’t been my experience at all. And I wanted to share that side of the story with all of you, but especially those of you that might have qualms about service dog use from an animal rights perspective.

Love from me and Corey! <3

#guidedog puppy #guidedogsfortheblind #raiseapuppychangealife #GDB #54KO #hibachi #puppy

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