Theory On Why I Have “Such A Beautiful Dog!”

Opal is a good looking dog. I’m her ‘mum’, so naturally I think she’s drop-dead gorgeous. I have an interesting theory on why strangers find her equally beautiful. It’s simple, really. She sticks out because of her harness (and me attached to the end of it). People notice her on buses and in restaurants and other public places because they are a ‘captive audience’.  She is usually the only dog in their line of sight, so they zero in on her. They examine her more closely on a bus than they would if they saw her as the pet dog running around a park. Their brains work on gathering information about her working status.  They sit and stare, and have time to appreciate that she is smart and doing a ‘good job for the blind lady’. I know that some of those people who are saying to me, “What a beautiful dog!”, are not even particularly fond of dogs, and would totally disregard us if I was just a sighted woman with a pet dog on leash going for a walk.  She IS a beautiful dog, no question about it, and she KNOWS IT, delicate, vain flower, that she is! She is well-groomed and well-behaved, so that adds to her appeal. Like any god mum, I will always think of her as the best looking dog in town, no matter what.

I Love…Like…Tolerate a Parade

Actually, traditional parades do not appeal to me. They are loud and crowded and frighten Opal. (We accidentally wandered into the Pride parade last year and she was blasted with silly string and streamers. The whistles and loud music didn’t help either.)  A parade we do enjoy, or at least tolerate, is the monthly shopping expedition at our local grocery store. Shopping for groceries when you unable to read labels or locate items, can be hard. It is even more complicated, when you have a guide dog.  I like to rest Opal after 40 minutes in harness. It’s only fair.  Here’s how food shopping works for us. I call ahead and ask the manager if someone will be available to help us shop. I always chose a quiet weekday morning. We arrive on time and present ourselves to customer service. The manager normally has booked Dewayne, the produce manager to help us through the bulk of the shopping. Dewayne pulls the shopping cart from the front. I hold the cart handle and follow. Opal is in harness, and I have only her leash in hand, with the handle down. She is on my left side as we meander around, looking very much like a little parade.  Opal obediently keeps up, and I am cognizant of any attempts to dive for food items on the floor. Dewayne tries to use the wider spaces in the Quinpool Road Superstore and tells me if we are going left or right. We wait in place in quiet spots while he goes off to collect a few items. I thwart off the customers who want to impede the flow of the parade (looking to pat Opal or run over her).  Fortunately, most of my shopping is done within the perimeter of the store. That’s where the produce, bakery, and dairy are located in all grocery stores. (We bypass the meat department aka. ‘dead animals’ also located in the perimeter.) In the interior aisles, we avoid the crap over- packaged and processed food, and find our tea, and the odd package of pasta or rice. When efficient Dewayne is unavailable to lead the parade,  grocery shopping can become a long and arduous ordeal.  If the clerk does not know where items are located, we are in for a rough ride. I have been known to abandon a clerk and cart, when I feel that the Odyssey has been too much for Opal. “Sorry, but we’re not wandering around like Bedouins anymore. It’s not fair to my dog…we’ll be back when she’s rested, and you find someone who can get us out of here in a timely manner”. Here’s the way to re-enforce good service for customers who are blind or have similar shopping needs: If the clerk does a good job, make a point of speaking to the manager of the store, preferably at the cash, in front of him or her and praise them up. I point out, that if I am dropping $150.00 in their store, I enjoy and appreciate doing it quickly. I also point out shortcomings; poor choice of produce, too much time spent wandering around, etc.  I make use of the customer service 1-800 number that most food chains have and report good and bad service. I make suggestions about accessible on line flyers, and anything else I think they should be aware of.  I  do my bit, by being prepared when I go to shop, knowing what I want to buy, and the sequence it will be picked up…natural food sections, produce, bread, sundries, groceries, dairy, frozen food. Get familiar with a store and the manager and staff. It is the only way you can hope to have consistent and reasonably acceptable service when shopping if you are blind.  If you are fortunate enough to have a friend or family member help you shop instead of requiring assistance by store employees, be sure to respect their time and effort by being prepared. 

Another Half-baked CNIB Idea

It is no secret that I have a tenuous relationship with the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind).  I’ll grant that they have good O & M instructors (Orientation and Mobility), but my praise stops there. I am grateful that they taught me good caning skills. That’s what they do best, are supposed to do and should continue to do.  My beef with CNIB? They make nutty decisions with little or no consultation with their clients. I’ll get to the latest half-baked scheme they dreamed up in a moment. What really puts a burr under my saddle is their passive acceptance of praise (and money) from people who have no idea what they do (or not do).  More than once, someone has asked me, “What’s your CNIB dog’s name?”  I could spit. Instead I grit my teeth and explain that CNIB HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PUTTING GUIDE DOGS INTO BLIND PEOPLE’s HANDS! In fact,   The CNIB in Toronto was known to have banned Guide dogs from their building for a while in the early years, relegating them to the yard while their handlers were inside.  The organization has a public image that is vastly based on misconception. They do not give “all that free stuff that helps the blind” as people erroneously believe.  Nor do they find employment for people (except some pathetic contracts with casinos that has blind people doing coat check with drunks or similar and infrequent opportunities). Nor do they provide any social programs which some isolated blind folks could really use. Nor do they actually employ many blind people within their organization (except for a few token staff here and there). Nor do they provide a list of services or resources when one is referred…it’s hit or miss what or when you ever find out what they do and who does it, or what other organizations might offer. Nor do they do advocacy work on any significant scale, though they are quick to accept kudos for other people’s work.   I will explain their latest idiotic idea.  The CNIB library in Toronto has historically mailed Braille and Talking books to the blind all over Canada.  Several years ago, the four-track cassettes were finally retired and new technology emerged with the creation of DAISY books. Digital Audio Information Systems books are Cd’s that hold an entire recorded book on a single disc. The Canadian government gave the CNIB library $6,000,000 to convert to the new system. I have no idea what terms came with the money, or how it was used in paying for new discs, mailing cases for them, and new devices to play them on.  They are played on DAISY players. These machines cost $500.00 Canadian. The CNIB got in bed with a Quebec company called Humanware, and a bunch were given free of cost to many blind people across the country. The rush to do this was fueled by unknown factors. Accountability and transparency are not part of the CNIB philosophy.  Now, several years later, these devices are breaking down and no one, except Humanware can repair them. They do so for an obscene price and great inconvenience (shipping to Quebec) to the owners. Remember, most blind people live are unemployed or underemployed and live in poverty.  That’s just a drop in the bucket, as far as I am concerned. Now, the CNIB library very craftily sent out a notice that the audio books on DAISY disc were going to arrive in a new mailing case. Here’s why, I have learned through patient investigation. The discs, are mailed in a cardboard mailer. The name and address of the client is imprinted on the disc. The client listens to the book on CD and then returns it to the CNIB in Toronto, where it is DESTROYED and “recycled”.  The reason given for returning them is one of copyright (even though you can copy the book while you have it). They claimed that there were ‘mistakes’ in the return of CD’s and this is why they have changed the system.  Every client gets a fresh book every time.  I began thinking about the number of books that would be destroyed and ‘recycled’. I tried to find out about the recovery of material in the recycling of CD’s and the amount of material (significant) that would end up in the landfill.  E-mails and phone calls to the library tested my patience. It was not until I threatened ‘Freedom of information’ action, that I was finally told that last year, the CNIB library loaned “over 1,000,000 DAISY books on CD.” They tried to cushion the significance of this by saying that downloads are becoming more popular.  Their own web site identifies that fewer than 17% of blind Canadians are connected to the Internet. Sigh. I have contacted the Ministry of the Environment in Ontario and in Nova Scotia to get some input. They are stunned and are checking into it. No one seems to know much about  the environmental impact of recycling CD’s…there is a significant part that goes into the landfill.  I will be withdrawing my CNIB library membership and following the consequences of this CNIB half-baked idea, done without consultation, as usual. I think they should stop calling themselves a library, if they are not circulating the majority of their collection. 

LOOKING FOR DONATIONS OF OLD EYEGLASSES

My friend has a son who is in a Scout project. They are collecting old eyeglasses which will be processed and distributed to people in developing countries who would otherwise not be able to afford corrective lenses. If you have a pair or two (look in that sock drawer!) somewhere, consider mailing them to the following address. (My friend is Opal’s puppy-raiser’s mom and always doing something nice for someone)

Donna Anderson

401 Village Loop Drive

Apex, North Carolina

27502 U.S.A.

Sort Your Dog Out!

One of the most valuable pieces of advice that I learned from our instructor while training with Opal at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind in Manotick, Ontario, was: ‘Always sort your dog out’. Let me explain. Guide dogs are, in the end, just dogs with special training. They are vulnerable to the same desire for mischief as other dogs. Their curiousity (my Opal is a busybody extraordinaire) sometimes gets the better of them, even when they are in harness. Variables like their level of stress, the ‘newness’ of a situation, the scent in the environment, and their relationship with you at any given moment, contribute to  potential distraction and unwanted behaviour. It takes a long time to get into sync with a new guide dog. It was a year before Opal and I were truly in tune. She is my first guide dog, so perhaps it was a longer process for us. I had been cautioned that I would be ‘tested’ by her, when we returned to Halifax and started out on our journeys together. How true! Dogs are capable of all sorts of mind games. It is their way of determining who is ‘in charge’. For example, Opal would insist on an opportunity to relieve numerous times on our way to the bus stop near our home. I gave her the benefit of the doubt for a while, but called her bluff when I realized that this was just a gigantic ploy to sniff around. More significantly, she wanted to see if I would let her be the boss. Our instructor’s words echoed in my head on Opal’s first visit to my bank. I was trying to do some business with the sit-down teller and the bank manager with Opal at my feet. Opal was getting up and trying to check out the litter basket when I said to the bank manager and teller, “excuse me” and promptly ignored them and ’sorted my dog out’.  I did not return my attention to them until I was satisfied that Opal was back in place and not doing anything goofy. I continue to do this when the need arrises, regardless of who I am with, or where I am… I could care less if I am with a head of state, or an journalist doing a TV interview with me (as was the case last week) or anyone else who is expecting my undivided attention; my priority is to ensure that my dog is safe, comfortable and not bugging anyone. When the day came that Opal realized that this is my consistent response to any silliness or distraction on her part, she started behaving nicely most of the time. She understood (with great relief), that I am ‘top dog’.  This applies to all dogs, pets and service dogs alike. There is nothing more annoying than an uncontrolled dog (or child) misbehaving in public. Sort them out!–they will love you for it because they feel the ‘leader of the pack’ is handling it and is in charge. 

Guide Dog Stamp Issued By Canada Post

THIS FROM MARKETWIRE: “On April 21st, Canada Post issued its first ever Braille stamp featuring Guide dogs. The domestic rate stamp will have the denomination in both print and Braille.  The stamp is being issued to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Association for the Blind which is also being recognized with a commemorative envelope.” the article goes on to explain Canada Post’s commitment to provide Canadians with inovative and interesting products.  ”Stamp designers  Stephen Boake and Andrew Pero of Toronto’s Designwerke sought to keep the design simpleto give prominance to the dog in order to reinforce the intimate connection with the human partner.  The Yellow Lab on the stamp is a Canine Vision Dog Guide from Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. The addition of Braille on the stamp created variuos printing challenges, as did the increase in font size of the denomination, another incorporated element to assist vison-impaired individuals….The 52 cent stamp is avaialable and measures: 38mm X 27mm.  3.5 million stamps were printed to be sold in booklets of 10. Additional information can be found in the newsroom section of the Canad post web site and photos of the stamp are in the newsroom’s photo centre.” I will put the Canada Post link on my blog roll for easy access by anyone who wants more information or a look at the stamp. 

A Sad Reality About Guide Dog vs White Cane

 I first noticed something extraordinary when I  started appearing in shops and on buses with Opal, my Guide dog; people had a totally different response to me….they were friendlier, more helpful, more apt to interact,  and more cognizant of my blindness.  This sad reality left me with mixed feelings. I was conflicted; I loved my new independence and confidence with Opal by my side, yet I felt awkward (guilty)  that my friends who continue to navigate with white canes, were experiencing what I had left behind. This all became crystal clear on the first day I went into my community with Opal.  We went into the local pharmacy at the shopping centre, where I had been shopping for several years. In the past, the experience was, ah…less than pleasant. I would stand around near the counter, and try to get the clerk’s attention so that customer service could be summoned to help me find things in the store. Sometimes I would wait upwards of 15 minutes.  I was left with the feeling that I was imposing on their time.  The very SECOND I entered the store that day with Opal, before I could even open my mouth to request assistance, I heard a clerk exclaim, “Hi, how are you today? I’ll get someone to help you right away. What a beautiful dog you have!”.  I thought that this might be some aberrant experience. Not so. I soon learned that the world is much kinder to me with Opal by my side. Sure, some people remain eternal a-holes, but overall,  I am treated (by default, because of the interest in Opal) so much better than when I travelled with a white cane.  I would like to create a greater awareness of this in the public mind. Do they realize that the person using a white cane is entitled to the same interest, assistance and  interaction as the person with a Guide dog?  I hope to get some comments on this. 

Now that’s what I call a church service worth going to!

Earth Day is coming up on Tuesday. While most churches carried on with their typical fair today, the Universalist Unitarian church of Halifax’s celebrated Earth Day.  It began with Raffi’s ‘Big Beautiful Planet’ song, followed by opening words from the UN Environmental Sabbath Program.  The Gaia singers performed and coaxed the congregation into rather lovely harmonies with “The River is Flowing/Tomogami Round”–…”if we loose this forest, if we ravage this land, we might as well be cutting off our own right hand. For we and the Earth are one, under the moon, under the sun..”

UU’s are not the most dogma-loving creatures. Nor am I. That is why today’s focus on Earth Day was typical of a UU service. UU’s are often accused of being from the church that is…a bit of everything except ‘religion’.  I like that too. I like the open discussion, the inclusive nature and the acceptance that one’s belief’s or tenants (from Christianity, Buddhism, Islam to Atheism, Paganism and Humanism etc.) are personal choices which must be respected.  The Universalist Unitarian focus on community, social justice and planetary concerns have won me over. Yesterday, Opal and I attended UU orientation. We will become official UU’s in two weeks  (I’ll be the one signing).  Happily,  my choice was affirmed in my mind today. Now that’s what I call a church service worth going to! 

Opal does Hollywood (north)

Yesterday started out like any other day. I stumbled out of bed at 5:30 after Opal gave me her usual wake-up kiss.  We normally greet the day before most everyone in our building. I like that. The air seems fresher then and the city is quiet, except for the resident crows and the sound of distant early buses.  I fed the girls and settled to listen to the morning news on CBC radio, our public broadcaster.  I did my chores while Opal caught up on her beauty sleep. We were at the theatre the evening before, so her bedtime had been pushed back and she was a bit tired.  A phone call came in around 11:30. It was an O & M instructor (Orientation and Mobility) from CNIB who wanted to know if we were available for a TV interview.  I asked who wanted to do it and what the piece was. I was passed along to the reporter who was going to be doing it.  She was in the field. Actually, she was in the airport. The piece was about working dogs and they were just winding up with the luggage sniffer dogs at the airport.  The show was ‘Live at 5″, a CTV local feature hour that leads into the supper hour news. I agreed to meet her in one hour at the nearby Walmart.   I groomed Opal in a hurry, even though the girl is drop-dead gorgeous most of the time. The young reporter found me at Walmart and suggested we do the interview outside.  Cyril, the camera guy, met us at the nearby bus terminal. The interview was done right amidst buses and people walking all around. Opal was content to sit while I blabbed responses to the interviewer’s questions about how she has changed my life, what Opal does, her personality and so on. I think Cyril took a lot of closeups of Opal. Then we went for the action shots. Cyril was walking hunched over, BACKWARDS, so that he could shoot Opal as she worked. We went through the same crosswalks and intersections several times at his request.  I could hear Opal thinking, “why are we going back and forth, mum? we’re not getting anywhere.”  Finally, Cyril was happy, and so was the interviewer. I confessed that I did not own a TV (by choice), but would be happy to receive a copy of the piece for my family and friends. Opal and I ambled home. I had just taken Opal’s harness off and given her a fresh drink of water when the phone rang. It was the journalist and Cyril. They had followed us home. “Boy, you guys walk fast”, she exclaimed. They wanted us to come back out to do the teaser for the piece on our front lawn. Opal was getting a little tired of her new fame and star status, but she obliged them with a promo shot. We crouched on the grass. The journalist did a couple of takes saying, “She’s not just another pretty face…” as Opal licked her into a giggling heap.  Finally, it was ‘in the can’. They thanked us and left. I vacuumed my apartment while Opal rested. Friends started phoning soon after it aired, with much praise and kind words. Opal wants to hire a publicist.

When Guide Dogs “Fail”

Guide dog schools often have a breeding program.  Dams and sires are retained to breed pups that will one day become Guide dogs for the blind. At least, that’s the intention. From the moment the pup is born, it will be evaluated to determine its potential as a guide dog. If the pup meets the requirements (size and early health condition), it will be whelped and then placed with a ‘puppy-raiser’ or ‘puppy-walker’ family. The various guide dog schools usually have puppy-raiser programs. The puppy will continue to be evaluated throughout its puppyhood.  I am only generally familiar about the puppy raiser-experience. I can say, that there are stringent requirements and guidelines to meet, before a puppy is placed with someone. Ideally, the puppy-walker will expose the puppy to many things in the 12 to 18 month period that they foster it. Some puppies will fail evaluations along the way. I am not certain about these dogs, but I suspect that the guide dog school find good homes for them, if the puppy-raiser chooses not to keep them.  The dog that survives the evaluation and periodic testing until it is finally ‘good to go’, faces a new and even more arduous series of challenges. The training involved in teaching a dog what it needs to know at the guide dog school  usually lasts upwards of six months. This is the ‘make and break’ period where trainers and apprentice trainers teach the dog the skills it will need to guide a blind person. They don’t all make it. That does not mean that a dog who ‘fails’  guide dog training, has reached the end of the line.   There are all sorts of reasons why a dog would not make it. Perhaps the dog is easily distracted by noise, scent or motion (to the point where it can not overcome the distraction, regardless of all efforts to correct it).  Some of these dogs, will be re-trained for another purpose…. drug, explosive and arson detection, special skills training for a wheel chair user, alert dog and so on. The dogs that are not retrained, will often be offered as pet dogs to good families or individuals.  These dogs are anything but ‘failures’.  They are well behaved, social creatures that can be the pride and joy of someone’s household. If you live anywhere near a Guide dog school (check the ultimate list on the blogroll), and you plan to acquire a dog, consider contacting the school. If you go onto the individual schools’ web sites, you will probably be able to learn if they offer this). They might have a dog (pure bred or cross bred) for you at minimal cost.  The dog will have had excellent health care and attention throughout its young life.  Sometimes the guide dog schools keep a list of individuals who are seeking to buy a dog that did not pass the training. There might be a waiting period, but I think it is well worth it. This is an excellent alternative to buying a pup from a breeder or through a shelter, especially if you are seeking a dog that is already seasoned for sociability. 

A Guide Dog Retires

Opal has been my Guide dog for two years. It has suddenly hit me that we are 1/4 through her working life. This realization both shocks and frightens me. It seems like “we’ve only just begun”.. as the Carpenters crooned long ago. The frightening part is that I can not imagine my life without her, or with a different  Guide. I’m sure I will wrap my head around this reality one day.  A friend who lives in my apartment building, also has a guide dog. Actually he has an authentic Seeing Eye dog. I have explained the difference between a Guide dog and a Seeing eye dog in a past blog.  Next week, he retires his dog, Russo,  and he will leave for Morristown, New Jersey to train with another guide dog. He summed up his emotions very well in an e-mail to me…. “I am very happy, and I am very sad”. Russo is now 10 years old. This is the typical age when guide dogs retire.  Some dogs work longer. Others retire early due to health reasons, or other factors (change in handlers circumstances or for whatever reason, the dog no longer works efficiently). Many people ask me, “what happens to guide dogs when they retire?”  The answer?   It depends. The Guide dog schools have various policies for retiring dogs. Sometimes, the dog is allowed to remain with the handler as a pet. This does not happen too often. If the blind person goes to re-train with another guide dog, there would be two dogs in the household. One working, one pet. The pet (retired dog) must still be fed, exercised, played with, groomed and provided with veterinary care. That dog no longer has ’service dog’ status. No more vet discounts, no more provisions under the access laws if living in a no-pets allowed building. It would be impossible to have a retired dog AND an active guide dog, without a sighted person in residence.  The Guide dog’s harness is returned to or collected by the Guide dog school. It would be impossible for the lone Blind person to ‘walk’ the retired dog (without a harness) multiple times per day, AND to provide both dogs with adequate attention.  Such a situation, would be unfair to both dogs.  Imagine too, when ‘mum’ or ‘dad’ come home with the ‘new’ guide dog,  the difficult transition for the retired dog as it observes a strange dog taking over the guiding job. Most often, the retiring guide dog goes to another home. Sometimes, the dog will go to live with a family member. Other times, the original puppy raiser is given the opportunity to take the dog if their situation is suitable.  Very often, a friend of the handler who lives in the retired dog’s area, will be approved by the Guide dog school to take the dog. If the dog is ‘locally’ retired, then the ex-handler might have the opportunity to visit. I don’t know if that is a good idea or not, given the potential emotional difficulties involved for the dog (and handler). Russo, is going to a rural town one-hour’s drive away to live with his handler’s friend.  They have been visiting, and attempting to familiarize Russo with the new home and location.  I think a solo weekend visit for Russo was undertaken recently. To tell you the truth, I don’t particularly like Russo’s handler much, but I feel for him this week. His church is planning a final ‘goodbye’ service for the dog that has been attending for eight years. When I heard this, I felt a lump form in my throat. The day after the next church service, Russo will travel to his new home without his handler. Opal will no longer be smelling “the big boy” on Sunday afternoons (after Russo has run around off leash in Opal’s relief area, as he has every Sunday since we have lived here). The following day, ‘A’ will leave for Morristown and train with a new Seeing Eye dog.  He will return several weeks later with ‘dog’ (specific information about the dog is not given to the client until they arrive).  I think I will go say goodbye to Russo and wish ‘A’ good luck.

Yet another announcement about announcing bus stops

Why go through the agony of going to a traditional court, when you can access the Court of Public Opinion?  In recent months, I have slogged away in an attempt to force our local transit company to publicly announce what they have been saying to me behind closed doors… (actually a series of correspondence through my legal representative).  The problem? Bus drivers (they like to be called Operators now) in the city of Halifax have never adopted the practice of announcing any MAJOR stops on their routes. They will, announce a REQUESTED stop.  Perhaps I would not have chomped at the bit so voraciously, were it not for the drivers’ haphazard success to announce REQUESTED stops. It is an inconvenience at best and a potentially frightening and confusing experience, for Blind and partially sighted people to be dropped off at a location other than where they expect to find themselves.  I acknowledge that drivers have a lot on their plate at times, with traffic and weather. However, so often, they are occupied with mindless conversations with other passengers, personal cell phone conversations (now illegal when driving in this province, or they simply ‘forget’. It’s a nice gesture for the driver to say,  ”sorry, I forgot” when they finally realize that  they have forgotten to announce the requested stop for the blind passenger and have blown by the stop (or maybe the passenger has asked, “are we at my stop yet?” and have dragged the driver back to consciousness long enough to let them off the bus). However, this is little comfort to the person who may be several yards or blocks beyond their familiar stop.  I am a resourceful type. Being ‘lost’ is a pain in the butt, but at least I have the skills and hootzpah to re-orient myself. Many blind people do not. So, as a result of a complaint about a specific incident which I reported, I was eventually offered a little olive branch. Legal council for the city and Transit management realized (once they studied the precedents which had somehow missed their radar) that they must accept that announcing bus stops is an OBLIGATION rather than a courtesy. To put it simply, transit companies all over the country have been hauled in front of the Canadian Human Rights Commission and other provincial human rights agencies by blind lawyers (see David Lepofsky v Toronto Transit Commission) and these tribunals have ruled in favor of the complainants. IE. Financial hardship (which TTC argued prevented them from implementing a voice enunciator system) was NOT a defense for not meeting the requirements for REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION for the disabled. Cities large and small (Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, North Bay, Sarnia, Woodstock, Waterloo region) have smelled the odor of imminent litigation, and wisely chosen to be proactive and voluntarily draft and enact similar policies  that obliges their transit drivers  to announce bus stops. Some are not very happy about it, but they are, at least acting on it. So a statement was sent to…pacify me?..shut me up? …lull me into complacent abandonment of my claim?..hold me off until AFTER the next municipal election?…I don’t know. The policy issued to me via my lawyer?…Here it is: “ANY person may ask a driver to announce the major stops on the route, and the driver will do so, until that person leaves the bus”. It sounds like they made  a desperate attempt to ACCOMMODATE , without giving it much thought.  How will a driver determine what a ‘major stop’ is, or how they will know when someone is leaving the bus? It did not matter much anyway. They did not tell the public about this new ‘policy’. They even neglected to let the DRIVERS in on it!  This became apparent, when a bunch-o-blind folk put the ‘policy’ to the test. Confusion, hostility, resentment, reigned. Some (3 out of 21) made an attempt to announce something. One driver decided to announce turns, and the other 2 winged it.  The other 18 drivers either refused,  or asked, “why?”  or “what’s a major stop?”, or had absolutely no response. When asked about the directive they allegedly received a month ago, they all said they had not received any such thing. That is when I thought it would be time to share my news with the public. A media release was issued. Radio and other media started phoning me for interviews. It seems that the public has a range of opinion on the whole idea of announcing bus stops. That’s why I believe in the Court of Public Opinion.  The public affairs manager of the transit company was asked by a hot line radio program for an interview to respond to me. How happy I am today!  Metro Transit has fessed up that they don’t have a date for implementing the automated voice enunciator system on buses yet, but at least they have told someone other than ME, that it will be installed eventually. In the meanwhile, drivers are suppose to be getting the elusive directive to urge them to announce major stops upon request. On today’s radio interview rebuttal, I suggested to the transit drivers, that they speak to their union and urge management to fast track the automated system, because after all, it is soooo  hard to remember all those bus stops. 

Opal, you should report me!

I have an oft-used line that I say to Opal…”You should report me!”  I  uttered it today, when for the SECOND time in a week, I made the girl drink water out of a kidney basin. A kidney basin, by the way, is a banana-shaped plastic container which is used as a recepticle when people feel the need to…uh…wretch or vomit.  I insisted on a sterile one, of course!  I was at the blood collection lab at the local hospital with Opal, on this warm spring day for routine blood work. I noticed that Opal was panting. I had remembered to bring a water bottle, but had left behind her travel dish.  Not one to let my girl feel uncomfortable, I asked for something to use as a water dish. (The little bit I managed to dribble into my hand wasn’t cutting it). The blood technician offered a kidney basin.  My poor girl was challenged AGAIN by this thing which I had forced her to use, only a few days ago. She could not seem to decide which side of the curve to drink from, so she alternated.  That’s when I gave her a pat on the head and said, “You should report me!”.  Hey, you do what you need to do. I will not allow my dog to go thirsty. This is also the 60 pound dog that I have CARRIED for several meters on a stretch of sidewalk that was covered in broken glass. This is the dog that I have sat up with entire nights, to make sure that she was going to be OK.  This is the dog that I have moved bedroom furniture for when she was displeased about the new arrangement (could not see out the window… what was I thinking!)  This is the girl I love.

Paul Watson–Eco-terrorist goes too far…again

 Canadian Green Party leader, Elizabeth May announced her resignation from the advisory committee of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society after Paul Watson is quoted as saying,  ”the death of seals is an even greater tragedy than the death of four sealers”.  Mr. Watson, a self described Eco-terrorist, repeated this comment today. Conservationists and Environmentalists are dropping their support of Watson.  He made these comments as the funeral of three sealers in Cap-aux-Meulles, a small community in the Madlelaine Islands was taking place. A fourth sealer’s body is missing.  Mr. Watson has rammed, skuttled and sunk fishing vessels all over the world. The names of the ships he has sunk are painted onto the side of one the cement-hulled boats he uses to ram them.  His ships are also armed with high-powered water cannons and protected with barbed wire. He has used acid, explosives and other means to sink or disable “enemy” ships.  His goal to bring an end to the fishing industry has found him brandishing an AK 47.   a Watson was a co-founder of Greenpeace, but splintered off because of the groups ‘impassivity’.  While the world still grieved in the aftermath of 9/11, Watson announced “there is nothing wrong with terrorism, as long as you win”. The eco-terrorist goal is to return the earth to it’s pre-human condition by any means. Watson’s dogmatic and authoritarian ‘love’ of animals coupled with his hatred of humanity has led him to absurdly remark, “earthworms are far more valuable than people”.  His distorted stance of ‘animals first/humans last’ is bizarre and frightening. His claim that he owes no allegiance to humanity is incongruous with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s  (the group he founded) claim that they “are a vehicle to empower people”. I am disgusted and enraged by the words and actions of Paul Watson. I encourage all Canadians to withdraw support from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and any groups Mr. Watson is associated with, including the Sierra Club, until those organizations remove themselves from any association with Mr. Watson.   I think that Farley Mowat, the great Canadian writer and naturalist, should step forward and comment on this, given that Watson’s premiere ship is named the ‘Farley Mowat’.  For the record, the names of the three victims from the fishing vessel,  l’ Acadian II are: Gilles Leblanc, Bruno Bourque, and Marc-Andre Deraspe.  A fourth man is missing and presumed dead. His name is Carl Aucoin. 

Opal Goes To The Movies

I  plan to go to a movie this afternoon.  My Guide dog Opal is coming with me.  Some Guide dog training schools suggest leaving the dog at home when one goes to the movies because the sound level is too high. I agree. Cinemas tend to crank out the sound beyond a comfortable level. I don’t enjoy it, so I can just imagine what a dog is experiencing.  Dogs have very  sensitive hearing.  There’s also the problem of popcorn all over the floor area that even a well trained Guide dog would find hard to resist.  I have solved both problems, thereby allowing me to have Opal with me.  The major issue of intolerable sound was dealt with by speaking to the cinema manager.  It is important to restrict movie-going to weekday matinees. That is when they are fewest people going to the cineplex. Often, there are only a half dozen people going to any one movie, especially the non-Hollywood blockbuster films which I prefer to avoid.  The manager is always willing to speak to the projectionist (more of a programmer these days) and have them set the sound down.  I also make sure that I enter AFTER all the promotional claptrap that appears before the feature which is always louder.  The popcorn problem is less of an obstacle.  By going to the first show of the day, chances are that the cinemas are quite clear of food on the floor.  I remain vigilant  none the less, with my harness arm ready to sense Opal attempting to snag a snack on the floor, so that I can tug her head up. My free hand is ready to shove into her mouth and yank out the scavenged food if she has moved too quickly. I’m sure some people are grossed out by the idea of probing a dog’s mouth, but if you are committed to your dog’s health and safety, you must learn to ‘get over it’. Your town’s cinemas may have matinees and hospitable management that would allow you to feel comfortable in bringing your Guide dog with you when you go to the movies. Some movie houses also offer free admission to a companion for disabled people.  This is sometimes an available courtesy provision at theatres and other entertainment venues. Some cinemas and theatres offer ‘descriptive’ options for the blind. This involves wearing a head set to hear a description of non-audible action and sets of the film or play you are attending.  Call first to inquire. 

My Guide Dog’s Name is Lucy, Mindy, Rex, Georgie…

Here’s your tip for the day: Do not ask that blind person on the bus or in the supermarket this question: “What’s your Guide dog’s name?”.  Why not?  Chances are, you will be getting an alias.  One of the bits of information I gleaned in Guide dog training, is to answer this question with a phony name.  The rationale behind it is, many people will parrot the name back….”Ooo you’re a pretty dog Mindy!!! Mindy, you are such a smart dog! Hey Mindy!!!”…This can be a huge distraction for the dog. I think the pat fake name given to me at the guide dog school one day in training was, ‘Georgie’.   When I returned home with Opal, and hit MY streets, I soon understood how important it was to have a ’stage name’ for my dog. Trouble was, I had forgotten the pat answer (‘Georgie’) by the time I took that first solo walk with Opal.  We were on a bus going to the ferry terminal, when I  was suddenly faced with this question for the first time.  When a  woman asked,  my brain went numb. What was that name they told us to use, I asked myself.  I drew a blank.  She sounds like a nice person,  I thought.  What difference does it make, I  reasoned.  So, I  proudly announced, “Opal”. The nice lady promptly went ultrasonic in pitch, saying, “Opal, Opal, Opal” over and over using maximum voice output. Opal sprang up like a jack-in-the-box. Needless to say, I decided to come up with an alias for Opal that I would remember for all time.  What easier name to remember than, ‘Lucy’?  Lucy is our cat.  I am certain that Opal wonders why on earth I am always talking about the cat when we are out and about. It may seem unusual, but it is for our own safety.  People we see regularly (neighbours, friends, relatives, committee members) all know her real name.    I  consider that I am entitled to a certain amount of privacy. Therefore, please do not be offended if you later learn that you have been deceived by me or anyone who gives you a fake name when you ask the Guide dog’s name.  Remember, that in public places, there might be others taking notice,  (like kids) who will remember the Guide dog’s name  and one day, start shouting it when they spot the dog working across an intersection where total concentration is required by both dog and handler. 

I Love Lucy

I have written endlessly about my Guide dog, Opal. Today I am devoting my words and long-overdue attention to my cat, Lucy. It is April 1 st today. It is Lucy’s birthday, and that’s no April Fool’s joke.  Little Lucy is seven years old today (more or less).  Four years ago, on this very day, I went to the Bide-a-While animal shelter in search of a feline companion with my friend, Betty.  We were ushered into the ‘cat room’ of the local animal shelter that morning.  In this large room were upwards of thirty cats, all roaming or sitting on ledges and posts, vying for attention in hopes that someone might adopt them.  Betty is a serious cat lover. That is why I enlisted her help.  She also has good ability to describe things, including cats.  I stood in the center of the cat room and hoped for inspiration or a sign that ‘this is the one’.  Betty immediately sat on the floor and began to play with a tiny tabby. “This little guy is so friendly, Helen” she said.  By now I had found a gigantic fluffy cat sitting on a window ledge  and  working on its tan.  ”Hi there”, I greeted the big pussy as I attempted to stroke it.  It replied with an angry howl and clawing swipe at my hand. Hmm, I thought,  I don’t think we’re meant for each other either…  I moved across the room to a four-foot scratching post where a little calico sat quivering.  Betty persisted in trying to connect me with the friendly, beautiful tabby. “This guy is soooo nice. Come see him” she said for the second or third time.  Meanwhile, the terrified calico was doing a number on my heart and head. “Betty, look at all the toes this cat has”, I remarked. “Yeah, a double toed calico”, she explained…”oh my gosh, see how cute my tabby friend is” she went on, still lobbying on behalf of the perfect feline adoption specimen.   I ignored Betty and reached out to the little calico.  She was obviously terrified.  I made up my mind on the spot.  ”Betty, this one really needs a chance”, I said, trying to convince myself that taking on a cat with ‘issues’ was the thing to do.  I rubbed the top of the cat’s head. A little purr came out. “That’s it, we’re going home,  and this girl is coming too”, I announced.  Betty knew better than to disuade me.  We went to the office and filled out the paper work. I paid the adotion fee and was told the following about my new cat: She had been left by a family who “could not handle her”, and maybe one or two owners before that. She was three years old, spayed, weighed seven pounds, had been checked by the vet and given her shots.  They had no knowledge of her name. We put her in the carrier and left the shelter.  At home, a clean litter box, water and food dishes, a scratching post and a few toys awaited her. Betty asked if I had a name in mind.  I thought for a moment and announced, “Lucy”.  This cat for some reason,  reminded me of Lucille Ball. Perhaps it was her ability to survive hard times, or the bit of orange in her multi-coloured coat that made me think of  my childhood heroine.  I always loved Lucille Ball. I thought she was a spunky (yet vulnerable at the same time) woman. I had come to know her, like millions on “I  Love Lucy”.  My life with Lucy turned out to be challenging.  It would be 3 months before she would come to me or allow me to pet her.  She is a nervous cat.  I though she had asthma for a while, but soon realized that she was hyperventilating and only having and ‘attack’  when she was overstimulated by petting.  She did not like to be picked up (still doesn’t) and it soon became clear to me that she had been abused by past owners.  Her belly area was off limits for touching. I suspect she had been picked up and thrown or kicked more than once.   My trust would be earned over time.  Lucy soon became the center of my life and the focus of my attention. This happens when you have no partner or children.  She came with bad habits. Lucy will chew electrical cords, plastic bags, and rubber bands if they are accessible.  She might also be called a glue addict…licking envelope glue and chewing sticky tape of any kind if she finds it. She will lick photographs too and stick her paw in my glass of water, given the chance. Unlike the people who gave up on her, I stuck it out and accepted that I must keep her environment safe. I put away all the things she likes to chew or lick and keep my water glass in my hand until it is empty. She rewarded my patience with love.  Yes, I love Lucy for many reasons. She is a chatty cat who ‘talks’ when I come near.  This is good, given that I can’t see her so I don’t need to worry about her being underfoot.  Like all cats, she has a personality, definitely an ‘attitude’ and ‘moods’ I can’t figure out (who can possibly figure out a cat?).  Two years into our love-fest, I changed her world by changing mine.  I left Lucy at a friend’s house for one month and when she came home expecting a happy reunion with ME, she was intead, greeted by a new roomie; a furry black beast. That would be Opal.  Lucy did not take this change well at first. In fact, she immediately jumped up to a bookcase and cowered there for two days. Finally she descended to eat and use the litterbox, but prefered to live up high for months.  I felt guilty that I forced her to eat in the bathroom (keeping food out of Opal’s reach). I felt like a traffic cop for a while too, what with giving commands,  ”Opal stay!” and “Lucy, go eat!”, my hands waving at both of them as I sent them to separate parts of our apartment.  Grudgingly,  Lucy accepted that Opal was sticking around and not just a temporary burden.  She learned that Opal would do her no intentional harm.  (She also discovered that a lab’s wagging tail can knock a cat over and it’s also not a good idea to be near Opal when she does the supper-time happy dance).  I became so wrapped up with my new guide dog, that Lucy went with insufficient attention for a long while.  Fortunately, she figured out that by demanding what she needed (some ‘luvin’), she would get it from me.  Coming into my bed for a ‘cuddle up’ of ten minutes or so several times a night seemed to make things tolerable for her.  Our relationship will never be as it was, but I like to point out to Lucy that she now has a kind ’sister’.  She asserts herself with Opal by demanding to be groomed first and drinking out of Opal’s water dish. She drags Opal’s bones and toys off to corners, sits in Opal’s toy box, and expects Opal to walk around her when she is ‘resting’ in the center of the floor.  At some point, I stopped running interference and let them sort each other out. That’s what animals do naturally.   She stares at me and then walks away insulted when I say something stupid like, “Lucy come”  (as a result of my habit of giving Opal commands).  What am I thinking!?  Trying to give a command…to a cat?!  Now, Opal, Lucy and I  have group cuddles that could inspire a Halmark greeting card.  Lucy earned her keep at our old place by catching  the mice as the weather turned cold. I almost (ALMOST, but not quite) want to buy her some little mice to catch in our new rodent-free apartment, just to give her something to do. Hopefully, the weather will warm up in Nova Scotia so that I can put Lucy’s harness on and take her outside for some fresh air and leaf chasing.  Walking Lucy feels much like (now that I am so accustomed to going out with 60 lb.Opal),  walking a balloon.  We are planning to buy Lucy a new ‘necklace’ (code word for collar in our home) as a birthday gift for Lucy.  I suspect she hid her old one,  knowing I need to cut her toe nails soon. (Her necklace is handy to keep her from escaping the pedicure).  I don’t know what exact date Lucy was born, so I chose today, her adoption anniversary, as her birthday.  A friend suggested bonbons and ‘I Love Lucy’ dvd’s for her…I have no TV to play dvd’s, so I’ll just wing the entertainment part of her celebration.  Lucy’s idea of a favourite snack is any crunchy food like tortilla chips (organic and unsalted). We will have crackers in bed tonight. Happy birthday, Lucy.  We love you.