Journey of different kind

Here I sit with my hubby and hearing dog Cherelle waiting for an extremely important appointment with the surgeon who will be putting in my cochlear implant (CI) at some point in the near future.

I am at Oregon Health Science University also known as OHSU after having just completed a MRI on my head. 

Next will come the serious talk about what will be in store for me when I have the surgery on my left ear. Just to be clear. What will not be happening is "normal hearing". I will not be free from needing to wear an external device using batteries and without the device activated I will be as deaf as before. Technically more deaf because what little hearing I have left in my left ear will be destroyed from the surgery. What I hope to gain is more hearing with the CI than what I currently have with my hearing aid. And with speech therapy and hard work the odds are good that I will have improved abilities to understand speech better in that ear. 

No guarantees but at least improved odds. Something I am willing to gamble on.

For more information about Cochlear Implants go to:  http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Cochlear-Implant/

Or: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/ent/services/hearing-cochlear/cochlear-implant-systems.cfm?WT_rank=3

Warmest Regards to all 

With tail wags from Cherelle AKA Cher

Stay tuned..........

Settling In?

Very soon, as of this Wednesday, Cher and I will be ensconced in our new home in Albany, Oregon. Well at least it is new to us if not exactly new to the neighborhood, since it was built in 1999. 

Ms. C, in her almost seven years with me has lived the life of a country pumpkin, then became a nomad when we sold the house for full time travel and living in the motor home. Now she will live the life of a city girl with neighbors all around and a fenced in yard to call her own. OK so Albany, Oregon may not be considered a "city" when compared to say Albany, NY. And those in LA, California (where we attended the Dogs for the Deaf "HollyWoof - 2" event a couple of weeks ago) may scoff at my use of the term, but by Oregon standards it is considered a city, granted a small one. 

Cher has already been working the sounds during our daily work visits to the house as my hubby and I prepare the insides with the requisite new coats of paint on the walls and the cleaning frenzy that overtakes those who have purchased a house that has had previous owners. Today new carpeting will be installed in some of the rooms, making that the final "to do" before we trundle our belongings through the door. 

Until Cher and I become known in the neighborhood I will be putting her hearing dog vest on her when we take our walks.  My neighbors will be learning about service dogs, in our case hearing dogs, and hearing loss and even Deafness, when they see fingers fly when my Deaf friend come visit. Well my friends' fingers fly, mine kind of jerk along. I know that there will be misunderstandings as my neighbors encounter what they may see as my over protectiveness of Cherelle. Why would anyone have so many rules about how to interact with a dog for heaven's sake? Why does that woman make such a pucker face whenever she sees an off-leash dog? Then of course there will be the inevitable mistaking my unresponsiveness as unfriendliness, not understanding that I simply did not hear a neighbor's greeting or spontaneous comment. And there will be the thoughts sometime expressed, sometimes not. "She can't be really partially deaf. Her speech is too good!"  Eventually, the people I call neighbors, will get it, at least as well as someone who is "hearing" can. I am hopeful that Cher and I will be accepted. We will then be what I consider "settled-in".

And before I forget, as promised. Below is the URL where you can see the "HollyWoof - 2" event photos from Dogs for the Deaf. Enjoy.

www.dogsforthedeaf.org/photo-albums/hollywoof-photos-2

Best Wishes from me and tail wags from Cherelle, aka Cher.

Making Miracles Happen

Wow what an experience! Lovely Hearing Dog Cherelle got to meet the very lovely and loving Betty White! Ms. White is a supporter of Dogs for the Deaf (DFD) the organization from which I received Cherelle almost seven years ago. She generously gave of her time by attending the DFD fundraiser "HollyWoof 2 - The Sequel" on October 27th. She also made a matching donation for money raised at the event. I feel very honored to have met Ms. White.  Her love for our furry canine friends is very evident. She is also a most gracious women and has the ability to put everyone at ease.

My hubby's cell phone pic is a bit blurry. I think he was as excited as I was and perhaps his hand not too steady!

We also had the privilege of meeting a number of cast members from the television show "Switched At Birth" who also generously gave of their time to support Dogs for the Deaf at the event. Thank you 

Ms. Marlee Matlin!

And Constance Marie, Ryan Lane, Lea Thompson and (not pictured), Stephanie Nogueras. Ms. Nogueras was kind enough to pose for a photograph but it was so fuzzy as to not do justice to the actress. 

I am very grateful to CEO Robin Dickson and General Manager Vaughn Maurice of Dogs for the Deaf for giving me the opportunity to speak at this event and to share what having Cherelle in my life has meant to me and to thank all of those present for their support in helping DFD to continue their work of rescuing dogs and helping people. Hearing Dogs do make miracles happen in the lives of those who receive them. 

When Dogs for the Deaf posts information and photos from the event I will add a link to this blog.

Until then.......Warm wishes to everyone from me and tail wags from Cherelle aka "Cher".

 

Going to HollyWoof!

Cherelle and I have been invited to be presenters at the upcoming Dogs for the Deaf fundraiser, "Hooray for HollyWoof....the Sequel".  We are doing the Snoopy happy dance! The guest host for this event is Betty White! I am such a huge fan. Another one of my idols, Marlee Matlin will also be in attendance! To get more details and to see who else in Hollywood will be at this fundraiser go to:

http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org/hooray-hollywoof-2-sequel

I suppose I should mention that my often overlooked husband, Larry has been invited too. It is not unusual for the spouse of the hearing dog team to find him or herself standing in the background. After all the person with the dog is the focal point. But make no mistake the spouse is an important part of the team. That person has "on call", backup dog duties whenever the hearing dog recipient is for whatever reason, either incapacitated or not with the hearing dog.  He or she also helps with the ongoing training that is involved with having a hearing dog. This can include the introduction of new sounds for the hearing dog to work.  So this is a chance to acknowledge the lesser known  "Star" in Cher and my lives, my husband Larry Holcomb. This will be his opportunity too.

We will be driving from Corvallis, Oregon to LA but this time not in the motorhome. Since we are in a long term rental spot here, it would have meant that while we were in the immediate LA area we would have been paying for our space in Corvallis, a space to park the RV just outside LA and then our hotel rooms for the day before and night of the event. Cher and I have some rehearsal time the day prior to the event which means we need to be close to the country club where it is to take place. Oh boy now that will be interesting. I haven't done a rehearsal since my high school theater days!  We decided it would be less hassle to hop in the car and take a leisurely two day drive to LA, and then two day drive back to Corvallis after the event. I will admit it will seem strange being on a road trip without the motorhome! 

I have more news to share but I will keep you in suspense a bit longer. Stay tuned............

Warm wishes from me, and tail wags from Cherelle (aka Cher).

Hunkering Down

Well the three of us are preparing to "hunker down" by becoming home owners once again. Larry and I have made an offer on a house in nearby Albany, Oregon. We are hoping that before the holidays arrive Cher will have her first fenced backyard to call her own, a new neighborhood for "walkies", new neighbors to get to know, both two legged and four legged. We have one more big adventure before year's end and that will be the topic for our next blog. A trip of Hollywood proportions. That was a clue that I tossed in there.

Before signing off I thought I would post a few more photos from our time on the road. Some favorite spots we visited.

Warm Wishes to Everyone from me and Tail Wags from Cherelle (aka Cher).

Cher with her human Dad at Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming near Jackson Hole.

From our trip through South Dakota. Cher in front of the abandoned Frerichs Mine in Deadwood SD., located in Whistler Gulch. The former mine is now the home to a bat colony. The fence keeps people out but the slats are spaced to allow the bats to come and go.

In Butte Montana we spent some somber minutes at the Miners Memorial. Butte is a fascinating city, rich with history of mining in the U.S.  

 

Cherelle meets some members of the Rotary Club of Revelstoke in British Columbia. Larry and I attended a meeting as visiting Rotarians. Cher and I did a "meet and greet" after the meeting ended. As always she was very popular and a first class ambassador for Dogs for the Deaf.

Cher does her balance beam routine at the Benton County Fairgrounds. I gave her a "10". The Benton Oaks RV Park and Campgrounds (located in the fairgrounds in Corvallis, Oregon), is where we started and ended our four month experiment of living and traveling full time in our motorhome.

The Journey Continues, Sort Of.

     Yakama Nation RV Park in Toppenish, WA

Well we have successfully made our way back to Oregon and into the Willamette Valley. Cherelle working the sounds like a pro. Good thing too because I've been distracted and l left the refrigerator door practically gaping, something you'd think would be difficult to do in a motorhome. Cherelle heard the door ajar alarm and let me know that I'd better get the thing closed. During a visit to my mother's in Forest Grove, Oregon, where we had lunch and a nice visit, Cher alerted me to both the toaster-oven timer and the microwave. My auntie who has lived with my mom since dad passed away three years ago, always seems to get a kick out of Cher. She and mom make sure that the big water dish is set out and filled for my girl when we visit. Last night we went to a gathering at my sister-in-law's where Cherelle gave me a tap with her nose when some guests knocked on the door and while there alerted me to a mystery sound. She and a couple of the guests heard it but could not quite pinpoint exactly from where it was coming. Cher and the guests were in agreement that the sound was somewhere in the kitchen but then it stopped and did not reoccur, leaving everyone scratching their heads. Me? I had to trust everyone else on the matter but was very proud of Cher showing her skills, working when there were a number of distractions.

    Catching some z's on her cot.

We will be taking a bit of a hiatus from traipsing all over the countryside, staying awhile in the town from which we launched our travels,Corvallis, Oregon.  I have found that I need some of the familiar. It is nice to be someplace where Cherelle and I are a fairly common sight and where I know that the odds of her and me being challenged as a Service Dog Team are slim. It is a relief to interact with people who know I have a severe hearing loss and take it in stride, making the effort that it often takes to communicate with me. 

Every interaction has some stress for me. I need to always and I mean always be concentrating each time I talk with anyone, and more so when there is environmental noise and the individual's voice is not familiar to me and/or soft spoken and/or has an accent and/or the person turns their face away and/or......you get the idea. And as a "tourist" discovering that you are missing out on information that everyone else has access to via audio, is disheartening. Financially it is no bargain to get one third or one half for what you have paid.  All these factors, combined with frequent new environments, does after a time, this case almost four months, push me to my limit. 

So I am taking time to recharge the batteries, so to speak, before further travels. But then every day each one of us is traveling on a journey that is our individual lives.  So then "Travels With Hearing Dog" continues even when the motorhome does not.

Best wishes from me and tail wags from Cherelle (aka Cher). The journey continues...........

Update On The "Oxbow Incident"

The General Manager | Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce contacted me via email to let me know that he was sorry that I had such an unpleasant experience while staying in Penticton, BC. His email was timely and thoughtful which speaks highly of the Penticton Chamber of Commerce. He sent me a complaint form to fill out to file with the Chamber. I replied, thanking him and expressing my regrets at not being able to spend more time in his city.

The Chamber of Commerce cannot address the incident with the owner of Oxbow RV Resort because Oxbow is no longer a current member of the Chamber. However Oxbow has the Penticton Chamber of Commerce member symbol posted predominately on its web page. 

Not for long I imagine since the Chamber now knows.

I have been informed by the BC Human Rights Tribunal that a US citizen is able to file a complaint with the Tribunal. I will need to wade through Section 8 of the Human Rights Code and review Tribunal Guides 1 and 2 before filling out the compliant. My issue may or may not fall within the guidelines. I have 6 months to file. A little light reading in the evenings while I snuggle with Cherelle. (Big wink inserted here.)

I want to thank everyone who has offered words of encouragement, support and words of comfort to me and snide comments about the individual discussed in my earlier blog and Facebook page. Each one has helped alleviate the unpleasantness of that encounter.

Hugs to all of you

Cherelle sends kisses along with the tail wags.

Stay tuned.........

    Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

 

Canada: The Good, The Bad and the Truly Ugly.

I thought I would try for light humor, hence the title, but I just cannot do it. I had a truly ugly experience at a RV park in Penticton, B.C. Canada. It involved not only the denial of access for my service dog, and therefore denial of lodging for me and my husband, but pure harassment about my status as a person with a hearing loss. 

I do want to say that the parts of Canada in Alberta and B.C. that we visited are beautiful and the majority of the citizens warm and friendly and other than three incidents of Cher being accosted by off lead dogs (that is "the bad"), she and I had no problems and were accepted as a team. However the following experience at the final leg of our trip was upsetting enough for me to dampen my spirits and my enthusiasm about that part of B.C. 

The humiliation I experienced yesterday (September 15th, 2013) as we attempted to check into Oxbow RV Resort with my Service Dog was inexcusable. Her ID, which I showed when asked was rejected. "It's a fake" the owner screamed at me (the husband of the husband wife owner team).  When I refused to back down on Cherelle's legitimacy as a Service Dog, he then attacked my disability status. This made the situation more appalling and traumatic for me. The owner harassed me, insisting I prove I was "deaf". I never claimed I was deaf, rather severely hearing impaired. He demanded I show him if I was wearing hearing aids. Flustered and in shock I did. Even then he refuse to believe that I was hearing impaired because in his opinion I did not meet his criteria as "deaf". He attempted to get me alone to conduct his own hearing evaluation on me which felt just plain creepy and at that point I walked away from him badly shaken. Perhaps if I were Canadian rather than American this would not have happened? If his goal was to be so unpleasant as to make us leave then the campaign was a success. My husband and I could not leave Penticton or B.C. fast enough.

However his demeaning and insulting actions will have consequences. I will be contacting the following and registering a complaint: Good Sam, (which is a huge supporter of Dogs for the Deaf the organization that gave me Cherelle), Penticton Chamber of Commerce, The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, B.C. Human Rights Clinic, BC Human Right Tribunal, and The Ministry of Attorney General. There is also an American Attorney who specializes in legal rights of those with hearing loss whose advice I will be seeking. 

When that business owner went from refusing me access because I had a Service Dog to refusing me lodging because he did not want to believe I was hearing impaired, he crossed over into territory he had no business going into and I might add no qualifications to make that determination. I do not want anyone else having to undergo that kind of ugly experience by that individual. 

Warm Wishes from me.

Tail wags from Cherelle aka, Cher.

    Bow Falls at Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Lost In Translation

Note: We will be in Canada September 4th through the 16th. Alberta to Pendicton BC.  I will not be using my cell or iPad because of the expense so it is unlikely that I will be posting until we are back in the U.S. If I snag a decent wifi I might do a short blog. So until the 17th.......... Everyone take care.

 Rest Area outside of Billings MT as we head to Butte.

As we continued our journey which has taken us through Montana, we drove through The Crazy Mountains.  The "Crazies" as they are sometimes called are a mountain range in Montana in the northern Rocky Mountains. With a name like that I just had to look up the story behind it. There were a couple of stories (see Wikipedia) but the one I thought most likely is attributed to what I think of as a case of "lost in translation". The Crow natives considered the mountains to be a place to go for vision quests. Since trappers and other people of European decent were likely not familiar with the concept of "visions" or of going someplace to have a vision, and the Crow may not have had a word for vision, it probably ended up being interpreted (and I am taking liberties here) by non-natives as "the mountains were the natives go to be crazy".  A more accurate name in my opinion would be Vision Quest Mountains. 

And this all relates to traveling with a Hearing Dog how? Well directly it doesn't but indirectly it does relate to my life as someone with a severe hearing loss. The Crazy Mountains label was, as I mentioned, probably a result of miscommunication and misunderstanding.  Both those words describe what happens to me on just about a daily bases and to basically anyone with a hearing loss. The extent of the "lost in translation" experience depends on the extent of and type of hearing loss as well as an individual's skills in dealing with the loss, such as wearing or not wearing hearing aids, (Dependent upon whether or not a person can benefit from hearing aids.) and ability to lip read and put speech into context. For me the experience of communicating with others is a bit like a trip through crazy mountains rather than of going on a vision quest. I will admit though that living with a hearing loss can lead to insights into others and myself. So maybe there is some "vision" involved even if I haven't sought it out. I suppose I could label my hearing loss as a Crazy Mountains, Vision Quest kind of journey. I am very happy to have Cherelle be my guide through part of it!  And there you have the tie-in to Hearing Dog. 

    Overlooking part of Butte MT and one of the many abandoned mines that surround the city.

Warm wishes to everyone from me and tail wags from Cherelle, aka Cher.

From South Dakota to Montana.

        Journeys Museum in Rapid City SD

Well today Cher and I bid farewell to South Dakota and after a full day's drive we say hello to Montana. One night in Billings and then tomorrow we will explore Butte for a few days. 

      Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park, SD

In between sightseeing in SD Cherelle has been working the sounds for me. One of the RV park personnel knocked on the door with an important request and she let know he was there. Larry inadvertently triggered the smoke alarm and she had her nose tapping me in short order. Very importantly as we walked along a bike/walking path her body language indicated to me that something was behind us. I was able to step to the side in time to avoid a bicyclist rushing by. I think the cyclist may have announced herself first but of course I did not hear. Cher did though! She also showed off her skills to some guest we had.

 A very nice and interesting couple visited us who were in the Custer area from North Carolina in their cute RoadTrek motorhome. The woman, Chris is a freelance writer and her hubby, Bob, a photographer. They make a great team and together have had their work about RV travels published in "Motor Home Magazine". Chris is going to write an article about Cherelle and her life as a traveling Hearing Dog. Of course I and Larry may get mentioned too (wink). She will submit the article at the end of October. Cher alerted me when Bob's cell phone rang and when his camera beeped as he took photos of us. We were able to show them first hand how a Hearing Dog team operates. It was very reassuring for Chris who is going through the process of applying with Dogs for the Deaf for her first Hearing Dog. Cherelle and I want to wish her "Good Luck"!  We know she will be an awesome Hearing Dog partner.

Montana's Service Dog Laws are confusing to decipher. It does look like the state honors the federal ADA accessibility guidelines but I was unable to find anything that addresses the issue of injury or death of an Assistance Dog by another person or by a pet belonging to someone. If anyone out there knows please let us know. Right now to me the Service Dog laws in this state are "as clear as mud" as my late father would say.

Adventures in Montana to follow soon......

Warmest wishes to everyone from me,

Karen

With tail wags from Cherelle (aka, Cher).

And Here IT Comes.

I wondered how long it would be into our journey and where it would be before I encountered a real challenge to my right to have Cherelle with me. It was today in Deadwood South Dakota.

Now to let you know that in the over six years that Cher and I have been together we have been in a number of situations where we have experienced what I like to refer to as "misinformed encounters". I take them in stride and enjoy educating the person or persons regarding Assistance Dogs and the rights of accessibility regarding them. In all but one and now two cases have the individuals involved been down ride rude and even belligerent. At least this instance, as you will note from the copy of my letter to the organization, it did not result in my being denied access because I was accompanied by Cherelle.

A note here. I have not identified the enterprise involved because ultimately I was not denied access and because I feel this was an incident of "a bad apple" and not indicative of the organization as a whole. I put this "out there" as they say so that you get a chance to see what people all across the country who rely on Service Dogs inevitably experience.

To whom this may concern.

This morning (Tuesday, August 20th) my husband and I accompanied by my Service Dog, a Golden Lab mix, went to visit X. We stopped into the visitors center/gift shop before heading towards the site itself. A gentleman, who it turns out works/volunteers in the visitors center, perhaps his early 60s, approached me and said "You are not taking that dog even if you could pick it up and carry it."

Where can I begin with my displeasure. First thing, he was not wearing any name tag that identified himself as an employee or volunteer. I did not notice him come out from behind the counter so I just thought he was a rude and misinformed tourist. Secondly, he was very rude in the way he approached me even if, as he mistakenly believed, my Service Dog was not allowed. This brings me to the third and final issue. According to both Federal and South Dakota Sate Statutes, Service Dogs, also known as Assistance Dogs, are allowed wherever their disabled handlers are allowed (SD Law 20-13-23.1). The man could have asked "Is that a service dog required because of a disability?" He may even have asked  "What does your Service Dog do for you?"  He could not have asked what is my disability or demand proof that my dog is a Service Dog. What he most certainly cannot do is challenge me regarding my right have her with me. Please make sure all your personnel are trained on Service Dog protocol. 

Fortunately the two women who were at the admissions booth were better educated because I encountered no problems with them when we went to pay our admissions fee. My husband and I along with my Service Dog enjoyed our educational and reflective walk through X.  My Assistance Dog behaved extremely well and without any incidents. When we left no one would have had a clue that she had been there.

Regards,
Karen Brockett
And Service Dog, Cherelle

This photo is Not from the above mentioned organization.

Cher seems a bit puzzled about and maybe sorry for

the taxidermic bucking bronco.

@ Days of '76 Museum in Deadwood, SD.

Benadryl, Bear Claws and Burnt Eggs.

Karen and Cherelle at Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming.

(No dogs but Service Dogs are allowed on trail.)

As promised in my previous blog here is something about some of the daily stuff of traveling with a Hearing Dog.

Benadryl? Some of you may be wondering what does that have to do with Cher? Those of you who have had to give medication to a dog may have a pretty good idea where this next bit is headed. 

Like many Labs and Lab mixes Cherelle is occasionally plagued by allergies. One of the things that I like to avoid, because she has public access, is a plop down in the middle of aisle 5, fur flying, scratching fit from her. And at a restaurant........ Well you get my drift. The fairly sudden change in geography has triggered allergy issues for both of us. Cher's veterinarian has suggested giving her Benadryl when she seems to be uncomfortable. In the past I used some of that cheese stuff that spurts from a can to cover up the pill. Worked for quite awhile until she got wise to that and became adapt at sucking the cheese off and spitting out the pill. Round one Cher, me zip. Next I purchased those little pouches of doggie yumminess called "pill pockets" and voila problem solved! Joke is on me as it turns out because that was a temporary fix. I discovered this the other day. I took the pill shoved it into the "pocket" rolled it around in my hand to thoroughly hide it and with an excited voice said "Yum Cher a goodie!"  She snapped it up started to chew, swallowed and, yep, spit out the pill. Round two Cher, me zip. Stubborn is my nickname, so I tried again but this time I held her head up slightly thinking that would force her to swallow the pill. Crafty girl that she is, she slid her tongue back as I tilted her head and after quickly chewing and swallowing the tasty pill delivery system proceeded to spit the pill out with such force that it hit me in the forehead! Cher three, me zip and wondering how to win this Benadryl battle. An idea formed. They make this stuff for kids right? Kids hate medicine so it comes in yummy favors. Why don't I try giving her the allergy med in children's form? Off we went to one if those grocery/pharmacy stores, bought the medicine, returned to the RV, measured out an appropriate dosage and..........success. She sucked it right down and seemed to be looking for seconds. Cher three, me one, until?

Bear claws. Those sugary, deep fried dough blobs of goodness we buy at our favorite pastry shop. Yum! Nope. I am talking about those long wicked looking things on the ends of the paws of a bear. Those very big furry creatures that get into garbage cans and raid picnic hampers. What!  Here is how it went down.

Larry and I and Cher, in her role as Service Dog, went to the "Buffalo Bill Center of the West" in Cody, Wyoming. Wonderful place by the way. I highly recommend visiting it. The audio for the displays that have narration are captioned!  Anyway, when you first enter, a Park Ranger does a short presentation about the bears one might encounter while visiting the various parks in Wyoming. I think it is an attempt to keep the tourists from getting nibbled on by the different bears that inhabit the area. FYI, those would be; brown bear, black bear and grizzly bear, oh my!  There is also a bear skin with claws intact, for people to touch and marvel at. I went up to look and touch and marvel and so did Cher. She smelled the fur, she smelled the paws, she smelled the claws and then she began to give them a little taste. At that point, especially since the Ranger was watching all this, I told Cherelle to "leave it", which she did. The Park Ranger was amused and said that there have been other dogs that have checked out the skin and that most of them want nothing to do with it. Trust my girl to try and snack on it! Other than that Cher behaved like a lady the rest of the tour and was not phased by all the wild animal sounds that were recorded and played in the nature section of the center or I might add all the various taxidermy creatures. She even tried to work some of sounds when people would push the buttons to activate the animal calls. 

The final "B". Burnt eggs. I have now learned that unless a smoke alarm is involved Cher will not alert me to burning food. I was boiling a few eggs in preparation for potato salad. I forgot to set the kitchen timer to remind me to check on the status of the eggs.  The next thing I am aware of is Cher tapping me with her nose and leading me to the kitchen section of the motor home. Not because of the eggs but because my husband was calling my name. He had discovered the, by now char boiled, eggs sitting in a dry slightly burning pan!  I have no doubt that had it gotten to the flame stage Cher would have decided that it was something I should know about, but obviously she is of the "don't sweat the small stuff" frame of mind.  A few scorched eggs. No big deal. Think about it. It wasn't bad enough to set off the smoke detector. 

Next state on our travels. South Dakota. Until then........

Warmest wishes from me and tail wags from Cherelle (aka Cher).

Is Cherelle well protected in this state?

        Jackson, Wyoming. "Running with the Elk"

We have traveled from Oregon to Idaho to Wyoming and it has dawned on me that it might be a good idea to chat a bit about the laws regarding Service Dogs in these states. And why, if there is a federal law,do these states and others have their own laws regarding Assistance Animals?

First disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. I have been partnered with a Service Dog for six years and I have taken a keen interest in the rights of those of us who use Assistance Dogs to mitigate our disabilities. This interest has lead me to do quite a bit of reading on the subject. The information I lay out here has been taken from research I have done. The quotes on state laws come from an extremely helpful organization "Animal Legal & Historical Center". Their URL is: www.animallaw.info

Let's talk about why states seem to have their own statutes and if these laws replace the Federal Law. They do not. States cannot overrule federal laws but they may add to the law to clarify it or to offer additional protection beyond what the Federal Law mandates.  I have covered the Federal Law regarding assistance animals in a previous blog.  If you'd like a review or haven't read the blog, a write-up on the law can be found at www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm.  Now on to the "good stuff", the laws in each of the states I mentioned.  I will cover the following: Accessibility. Interference. Housing. Misrepresentation. Identification. Injury to Dog.

Oregon, my home state for the last 50 years, does not differ from the federal when it comes to "Accessibility". The same holds true for Idaho and Wyoming. 

 "Interference With An Assistance Animal". Oregon has added this as the ADA does not address this issue. In Oregon interefering with an Assistance Dog is a Class C misdeaner. Idaho states only that it is a misdemeanor but no mention of fines.  Wyoming has it is a misdemeanor and adds "....and may be fined of not more than seven hundred and fifty dollars". 

On the issue of "Housing". Oregon law states: "A landlord may not refuse to rent a dwelling unit, to a disabled person on the basis of the person's use or possession of an Assistance Dog." Furthermore "A person who is deaf may not be required to pay a fee or deposit for a hearing ear dog."  Idaho and Wyoming also make it unlawful to discriminate in housing against disabled individuals with Service Dogs. In all three states a person with a disability who uses a service dog is liable for damage of property caused by the service dog.

"Misrepresentation of a dog as an Assistance Animal". The Federal ADA Assistance Animal statutes does not address this which may be why both Oregon and Wyoming do not have a laws that prohibits anyone from lying and claiming a pet is a service dog.  In my opinion this is unfortunate but I understand the reasoning behind it. Idaho does address this issue. "Any person, not being disabled or trained to assist a disabled person, who uses an assistive device or assistance animal in an attempt to gain treatment or benefits as a disabled person, is guilty of a misdemeanor." The wording is interesting in that it removes the service dog vs. non-service dog discussion and instead focuses on whether or not the person is faking a disability. 

"Identification of a dog as a Service Dog"  Personally this is something I advocate and practice but is not required in the federal statute. It is not required by Idaho or Wyoming and in Oregon only a Hearing Dog is required to be identified; "A trained Hearing Dog must wear an orange leash". I think this section of Oregon law could be challenged but then who the heck knows or cares? I always have an orange vest on Cherelle when we are out in public so the color of her leash is, I think moot, but in keeping with Oregon's law I also use an orange leash. 

This next legal issue is, in my opinion, as important as accessibility and that is; "Cause of Injury Or Death To An Assistance Dog".  In many states should a Service Dog be injured,traumatized to such an extent as to be unable to function as a Assistance Dog or killed by either a person or by someone's dog, the disabled individual with the Service Dog has no legal recourse to seek or be awarded damages. I am happy to say that Oregon does cover this in its law, "346.687. Theft of or attack on assistance animal; damages recoverable".  Idaho covers injury or death of not only a service dog but also a service dog in training.  Wyoming may pat itself on the back because this state also has a statute; "Injury or killing a service dog prohibited (35-13-206)" and includes penalties.

As we travel to different states I will very briefly outline the service dog laws in a particular state. I will cover what I talked about in this blog. Accessibility, interference, housing, identification, misrepresentation, and injury to dog.  I also promise to let you know about Cher and my adventures. Very soon in fact. So stay tuned..........

        Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody. WY.

Warmest wishes to everyone from me and tail wags from Cherelle aka Cher.

A Serious Potato!

Karen and Cherelle with one serious baked potato.

Two months ago to the date my husband and I, with Hearing Dog Cherelle as assistant navigator, headed down our drive for the last time. We were beginning our lives as full timer RVers.  Our home is now a 35 foot class A motor home. Most of that time, if you have been following this blog, we spent in Oregon traveling around not too far from our former city, Corvallis. As of this last week we finally left the state. First city where we stayed was Boise Idaho.

Idaho, as probably just about everyone knows, boast the potato as its state vegetable. So of course it should have been of no surprise that when the three of us went to the Idaho Historical Museum, that there was a nod to this humble veggie. A very large nod as it turns out! Cher tried to make a new friend at the museum but found him to be a bit stiff.

Before you cringe at the sight of a service dog nosing a display at a museum let me assure you that this particular display is an interactive one. There was a sign inviting people to climb into this replica of a dugout canoe.  I did not take it so far as to have her jump into the canoe.  She is a service dog after all and should maintain some decorum. But a little "check it out" sniff I thought was in keeping with this particular display. After all why should I be the only one on the team to fully enjoy the museum.

Well OK maybe fully enjoy is not the most accurate word to describe my experience.  Idaho Historical Museum is worth a visit and is family friendly with some interactive displays for young and old alike. What it is not, is fully handicap accessible. None of the videos shown on monitors throughout the museum have captioning. 

Another worthwhile place to do the tourist thing and where much to my delight all audio displays and videos are captioned is "Craters of the Moon" National Monument and Preserve. Extremely educational and interesting.  The landscape is most definitely otherworldly.  We stopped off there on our way to Idaho Falls from Boise. Cher was not overly excited because there was no green grass to "take care of business". (Something she is learning to deal with now that we have left the very green Pacific NW.) However the staff were very friendly and seemed happy to see a service dog at the visitors center. 

Currently we are taking a day off while in Idaho Falls. A little down time is necessary from time to time.

More later.

Best wishes to everyone from me and tail wags from Cherelle aka Cher.

There is a dog for that!

This week is International Assistance Dog Week! Assistance Dogs are also known as "Service Dogs". Say thank you to the organizations that train service dogs by giving a donation to your favorite Non Profit Service Dog Organization. Give these great groups support so that they can continue to train assistance dogs so that these fantastic canines can help add "abilities" to those of us with "disabilities".

Hearing Dog Cherelle (from Dogs for the Deaf) sends a thank you. 

Cherelle in Baker City Oregon

Santa Sighting In July?

The Astoria/Warrenton/Seaside KOA (Kampgrounds Of America) was bursting at the seams this last weekend. A "No Vacancy" sign was displayed at the entryway the entire weekend. I was glad that Larry had made reservations early! Could it be the "Christmas in July" event this KOA was having or was it because it was a summer weekend? Or maybe both? Either way the campgrounds, or should I say Kampgrounds, were activity filled.

Friday evening we saw a number of guests decorate their recreational vehicles; also referred to as "RVs" to those in the know, with lights and even a few inflated holiday characters. The RV park had its Christmas best out as well.

This one was our favorite. Cher looks ready to put on some skis and join this Santa on the slopes. She  I agreed though that he'd get further if there was some snow. 

While Cherelle and I were taking our morning walk on Saturday who did we see drive by in a golf cart, dressed in a summer shirt and trademark red hat? Santa! The real Santa, and we know this because he had a real beard, not that fake stuff and no pillow stuffing to make him appear "jolly" either. He greeted us with a boisterous "Good Morning!" I was so caught off guard that I did not get a picture of him. The slow reaction could have been due to the fact that it was 6:30AM and I had not had my coffee yet. Cherelle looked for the reindeer and was disappointed to see that they did not accompany Santa on this trip. Unlike Santa, they must have had the summer off. At least this weekend anyway.

All this hustle and bustle at the KOA did not throw Cher off her game. She worked her usual sounds and a couple of important extra ones. First the tire pressure alarm went off while we were watching TV Saturday evening. Cher alerted me which caused Larry to notice it too. He hadn't heard it either until I paused the TV to find out what was wrong. This was the first time this particular warning alarm has signaled, but Cherelle figured out that it was something that needed to be brought to my attention. Fortunately Larry determined that nothing was amiss. It was a false alarm. Or we hope so. We'll know for sure when we head out on Tuesday morning! The second very important alert was last night when the pizza delivery guy knocked on the RV door. Extra treats for my girl. Yes we had 
pizza delivered to our RV. Talk about "roughing it"!

On that note I'll send you all my warmest regards and Cher sends tail wags.

As long as you are not hard of hearing or deaf.

Imagine paying for goods and services but only receiving half of those goods and services?  What would be your feelings and thoughts?

This is what happen to me when my husband and I went to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum in McMinville, Oregon. We bought our admission ticket which included tickets to the museum's theater which were valued at about $12.00. Theater tickets are sold separately apart from museum admission for those who want to watch the movies but not tour the museum.  I asked the woman at the counter if the movies shown had captioning available or if the theater had other assistive listening devices. I was told sorry no. "But the sound is really loud" the women told me. FYI; cranking the volume up does not mean I can understand what is being said. This is true for many people with severe hearing loss. My husband then said he'd be the only one needing a ticket but the women insisted that she had to also sell me a ticket with admission to the museum even though I was unable to attend any of the movies shown. So I sucked it up,we paid our money and went into the exhibit area. At least, I thought that I could look at the airplanes and various space related items such as the,

Moon Rover. There was also a piece of the Berlin Wall that had been between the cities of Zicherie, West Germany and Bockwitz, East Germany.

However I was further disappointed to discover that I was going to miss out on the extra background information provided about many of the exhibits. Why? Because that information was shown in video format on televisions scattered throughout the museum, none which had captioning. I was unable the hear the TVs.  Information dispersed visually was limited and incomplete compared to the information provided via audio. I felt cheated a second time. 

Maybe Evergreen should have four admission prices: Children, Adults, Seniors, and Hard of Hearing/Deaf?  I will be contacting the museum to bring to their attention that the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been in effect for well over twenty years and includes those with hearing impairments.  Here is a museum dedicated to science and technology and the powers-to-be have not used any of that technology to make the museum fully accessible! 

Well at least I had no problems bringing Hearing Dog Cherelle with me. Thumbs up to Evergreen Air and Space Museum being service dog friendly, two thumbs down for accessibility to those with hearing loss.

Warmest Wishes to all from me and tail wags from Cherelle aka Cher.

My two cents worth

"I am going to buy a service dog vest and put it on my dog so I can take it anywhere I go."

 

Yep I have had some people say this to me while I have my service dog, Cherelle, at my side. Usually at someplace where dogs (as in your pet) are not allowed.

The poster's message is short and to the point but I would like to expand further on why I consider it, might I even be so bold as to say, just plain wrong, to claim your dog is a service animal.

Service dog teams are composed of a specially trained dog and a person with a diagnosed disability. The person with the disability often has undergone some training to learn how to effectively work with her/his service dog to make maneuvering through daily life easier and or safer. Your pet, while providing unconditional love and emotional support, has not been trained for a specific task or tasks that lessens the impact of a disability. Whenever you slap a service dog vest on your dog or claim your pet is a service animal you diminish not only the role of a service dog, but the person with the disability as well. That may not be your intention but to someone like me that is how it feels.

Whenever a fake service dog "acts up", and trust me I've seen it happen, it can create a hostile environment for the legitimate service dog and his or her handler. The business owners, managers and employees will look at future service dog teams, the "real" ones, with suspicion and even hostility. As a person with a disability my life is complicated enough without having to encounter and deal with confusion, hostility or outright challenges about my service dog because the person in a business had an unpleasant experience with someone's pet that the owner was fobbing off as a service dog.

The majority of pets have not undergone even close to the amount of training that service dogs go through. When someone's pet is in a "no pets" setting because that owner is claiming the animal is a service dog and that pet encounters a true service dog, eight times out of ten the pet interferes with the service dog team by barking or growling, or lunging at the service dog or even all three! This can be not only disturbing to the handler with the disability and the service dog but also dangerous. A service dog who feels under attack or becomes overly distracted by an unruly dog cannot focus on its duties. Do you really want to be the cause of an injury to someone with a disability because you wanted to have your pet with you while you were shopping? I hope not. 

Worse case scenario would be if your pet were to bite the service dog and the service dog becomes unable to work due to fear or nervousness as a result of being attacked. In some states interfering with a service dog is against the law. In Oregon it is a class C misdemeanor and "...owner may recover costs and other expenses, including, but not limited to, cost of temporary replacement assistance services incurred as a result of the theft or injury to the animal." There can also be penalties. In Oregon, "...fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 60 days, or both." (www.leg.state.us/ors). Is having your pet with you at all times worth that risk?

So please, the next time you think about claiming that your beloved pet is a service animal consider those of us who use service dogs because we have a disability not because we don't want to be parted from our dog. And if you hear someone say they are going to claim that their dog is a service animal just so they can take it someplace were dogs are not allowed, please explain to them why it is not a great idea. On behalf of service dog teams everywhere I thank you. Cherelle does too.

Best Wishes to everyone and tail wags from Cherelle, aka Cher.

Horses of All Colors

Our stay at the Benton Oaks RV Park has been an interesting one. We arrived a few days ahead of a Four H equestrian event!  Benton Oaks is located within the Benton County Fairgrounds and is managed by the county. The RV park and fairgrounds went from quite, calm and barely occupied to bustling, busy and full capacity. Families and horses provided energy and entertaining animal/people watching. It made morning walks an adventure too! 

Cherelle did not seem overly interested with the horses. However some of the horses did seem interested in her and a few of them seemed to give a shout out greeting to her with loud whinnying. One of the organizers said that many of the horses have been raised around dogs so I have no doubt that they were missing their canine buddies and were happy to see Cher.

Watching the activities at the RV park and fairgrounds got even more interesting when some of the folks who were attending the DiVinci Days celebration camped overnight at the fairgrounds along with their very creative vehicles or "kinetic sculptures". There was a giant foot, and a "Hell on Wheels" kinetic piece, and multiple smaller one-person kinetic works. If you are curious about kinetic sculptures as done by Corvallis DiVinci Days participants go to www.davincidays.org/races-revelry

Cher has been busy during our stay here. She has informed me when there was someone outside our RV. It turned out to be the camp host helping Larry move a collapsed picnic table. Nice to know that she thinks I need to know the presence of someone moving around the outside of the RV. When she and I were sauntering along the road around fairgrounds I noticed that she did a quick glance behind her. I turned to look and saw that there was a car behind us. I quickly moved us to the side of the road so that the driver could pass. And once again when I did not get the refrigerator door closed tight, my girl let me know. Cherelle also came to get me when the camp host knocked on our RV door. Daily she continues work the sound of the microwave beeping. And of course she gets in her naps on the front dash of the motorhome.

We will be leaving here on Wednesday and heading north to McMinnville, Oregon where we will stay at a RV park right next to the air museum. So stay tuned!

Warm wishes from me to all of you and tail wags from hearing dog Cherelle, aka Cher.