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