Islam Vs. Service Dog

[Lerato]

CelloChick-

 

First of all I want to say that you have dealt with your illness with obvious resiliance and fortitude. You are truly amazing. Yes I think you got the gist of what we were saying. Obviously don't be rude, but I think it's very clear from your writing that you are not at all that type of person. I think that the goal here is to be able to have a relationship with the other people in the store as one of customers sharing the same facility. From what I have read you have done everything you need to do to make that possible - you have a well trained dog with a passive temperment, you are aware of the laws that apply to your situation and are prepared to explain them, and you are aware of and respectful of the changing demographics in your community. With all this in mind there is no reason why you shouldn't act like just another customer in a store with other customers. My advice is pick 1 or 2 stores that you particularly like and where the managers are friendly (or at least courteous). As people tend to shop at around the same times every week you should soon start to recognize some of the customers and they you. After a few times seeing each other in the same place you'll grow accustomed to her as the lady with the veil and she'll grow accustomed to you as the lady with the dog. Also give people the benefit of the doubt. Shop with confidence and a smile as well as the obvious common courtesy and people who you thought may react badly may really surprise you. Yes there may be a negative incident here or there, but it sounds like you have already prepared yourself for what you need to do in those circumstances. Good luck and give Honey a hug for me.

[Ouroboros]

I had an image of ripping wood then zombie-Han lurching down the road...

There you go. Han Zombie is my new name.

[Lycorth]

Cello - sorry to hear about the bullshit

 

Problems like this make one pull one's hair out. Do you just grin and bear it like a bunch of pussies all for the sake of religious freedom, or do you draw a line in the sand, tell the oppressive fuckers to piss off or crawl back down the shithole they came from?

 

Of course, the latter. Fanatics like this aren't coming here to live and let live, as per the founding philosophy of the US, they come here expecting to do as they want and believe they can walk all over whomever they choose, and on the surface it seems like they have the right to be jerks in the name of their semitic spook. In my emotionally-charged opinion, I think this marks them as hostile to the concept of individual rights and freedom, and therefore hostile to this country and all citizens who wish to just live and let live.

 

We throw criminals in jail because they won't respect that right. But we coddle human refuse like these misanthropic goat-fuckers? We show them the deference that only the genuinely open-minded and peaceable should get? Why aren't people made to choose between the known oppressive ideologies they hold to or the ideology of individual rights and freedom that this country supposedly holds dear?

 

Yeah, it's probably unrealistic to institute such a thing now, and if Xians were the ones enforcing it the results might not be too pleasant, but fuck it. Fuck them and their non-existent right to mistreat others in the name of their gutter religion :angry:

 

The sooner this miserable farce of a civilization implodes, the better.

[JeffXL]

Don’t go out of my way to avoid offending people. If someone is offended, it is 100% their job to move away. It’s not my religious hang-up, so it’s not my responsibility to deal with it. I don’t live in an Islamic country or Islamic culture. I’m an American, and as an American I have the unalienable Rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Making sure I get my wheelchair and dog out of someone’s way because they have a religious issue is squashing my liberty as an American citizen! Right?!?!

 

Exactly.

 

I say it thus: If someone's ignorant superstitions won't let him or her live in the world, too bad. No one is under any obligation to bend to another's idiotic taboos. Muslims and Jews don't eat pork? I do. Buddhists and Hindus are vegetarian? Not me.

 

If they don't like it, they can always stick their thumbs up their asses.

 

Oh-- it's a dog's job to protect her owner, as it is for them to bark. Honey rocks. So do you.

 

Best wishes for everything!

[CelloChick]

Thanks again everyone! I can't tell you how much better I feel. I went grocery shopping today and enjoyed myself and my dog. I felt confident, which I haven't felt in a while. I think the main reason why I’m feeling better is I have a plan. I know what to do next time someone hassles me, so I don’t have to risk a chemo-brain moment.

 

Thanks also for all the kind things you said about Honey. Honey is my hero and my independence. Honey never says, “Could you wait a second? I’m busy.” Never snaps at me and says, “You’ve dropped that same damn dollar four times. Hang on to it this time!” Honey just helps without asking for anything in return. Except for my loving leadership. That Honey demands of me.

 

Because I’m in charge, Honey defers to me. As a service dog, I don’t want her making decisions about protecting me. What if I collapsed and paramedics were doing CPR. Would that look like an attack to a dog? Yes. Should the dog attack? Hell, no! A protective service dog is a dead service dog in that situation.

 

Last year, Honey and I were in the store and a man, who was probably autistic, kept hitting my wheelchair. Then he hit himself in the head for a while. Whack chair. Whack head. Over and over. Honey did… nothing. Which is exactly what she was supposed to do. She assessed the situation as a threat, and then looked to me. I let her know that it wasn’t a threat, so she trusted my judgment and stayed quietly at my side. I did get the man to stop hitting my chair.

 

HOWEVER… we were also on the bike path when a stranger approached us. Honey assessed the situation as a threat and so did I. He was being quite provocative and scary. I didn’t say a word to Honey. We just exchanged glances. Instantly, Honey got in front of me, stood her ground, barked, snarled and protected me. I said, “Back off or I let go of the leash!” He ran. I was glad.

 

But, it was still my decision. I’m the leader in this dance. And now I know how to lead Honey better. Thank you all for helping me untie the knot in my mind.

 

CelloChick

[Unknowing1]

CC,

 

No you rock! Great plan!

 

Hold your head high and enjoy life and don't let anyone get you down. Kudos to you and Honey, I misunderstood about Honey, sorry. I remember the first time I saw a muslim lady like that she was all in black except her eyes, it was very startling and I have to say a bit creepy so I can understand how you felt.

 

Wouldn't it be great if people had the same compassion that dogs have? They give so much unconditional love and support and accept us as we are, something that humans don't always do.

 

One thing I want to mention that you may need to plan for. If something happens to you while you are out and about with Honey and you have to be taken to the hospital, please have some type of instruction with you regarding who to call to come and get Honey immediately. Most of the time in an emergency the dog is left behind. Some states and localities are starting to put procedures into their emergency plans on what to do about pets that get stranded when their human companions have an emergency but not all, in our state the dog gets left behind if animal control cannot get there.

[Jun]

Buddhists and Hindus are vegetarian?

 

Misconception no. 9 - Common Misconceptions About Buddhism.

 

CC - I found out today that anyone in Oz who interferes in any way with a helper dog can get themselves into some serious trouble; community detention/service, a hefty fine or time in prison. It is also not necessary to explain your situation to anyone or to be expected to. Just something I learned today.

[Lerato]

Thanks again everyone! I can't tell you how much better I feel. I went grocery shopping today and enjoyed myself and my dog. I felt confident, which I haven't felt in a while. I think the main reason why I’m feeling better is I have a plan. I know what to do next time someone hassles me, so I don’t have to risk a chemo-brain moment.

 

That's wonderful CelloChick. You should feel confident because you are in the right in this situation. Someone else's hangup is exactly that - someone else's hangup. And please do start reporting people who hassle you. It's your right and it will not only help yourself, but also other people with disabilities who use these stores. Laws are only effective so long as there are clear and immediate consequences for those that break them.

 

I loved hearing about Honey. It's funny how we think we are the most evolved species on the planet and dogs go and treat people with a lot more awareness and compassion than we do.

[JeffXL]

Buddhists and Hindus are vegetarian?

Misconception no. 9 - Common Misconceptions About Buddhism.

 

Yes. And there have been Muslims who have eaten pork. All of the Buddhists I've known put ahimsa + vegetarianism together. There are many franchises of Buddhism: Pure Land, Zen... all the way to the weirdo cult of Soka Gakkai, so I'm sure we gots us some meat-eaters.

[Euthyphro's Thorn]

You are truly an inspiration, CelloChick.

 

I misjudged Honey's reaction to the lady in black, but now it's apparent that she reacted precisely the way she was trained to react. Kudos on doing such a great job with her!

 

It's wonderful that she looks to you when she thinks a situation might be threatening, and it's great that she can tell by an exchanged look what you need her to do, as was the case with the man in the park. What would happen, though, if you collapse and need CPR and/or whisking off in an ambulance, and couldn't give her direction because you're unconscious? Since you mention that as a possibility, is Honey prepared for that contingency in case it were to happen?

[R. S. Martin]

Cello Chick, thank you for posting your story and explaining your needs and Honey's training. What an inspiration! Since I love dogs at least as much as I love people, well, what more needs be said. About the only thing I know about service dogs is the stories I have read where they protect their owner. I apologize for speaking where I had no knowledge. Long live the Cello Chick and Honey team!

 

PS. I still grieve the loss of my own Sparkie several years ago. She was a Beagle-hound cross of some sort. I couldn't take her with me when I moved to town. I raised and trained her from the time when she was about six months old. Honey's training was far more intense but the dog-human relationship does remind me of days gone by.

[Naughtyhamster]

I misjudged Honey's reaction to the lady in black, but now it's apparent that she reacted precisely the way she was trained to react. Kudos on doing such a great job with her!

 

She's a cute and lovely dog from the pictures you have posted. I guess Honey was just reacting to your emotional reactions to the lady in the veil. As a teenager I had a dog named Duke who seemed to understand human emotions, and would get irritated and bark if he knew I was behaving wierd because of my hypoglycemia. My mother knew that meant to get me some food fast as if my blood sugar plummeted I could start to act out or even go into a coma. He knew the difference between if my behavior was because of my hypoglycemia or if it was just normal teenage crankiness.

[CelloChick]

I misjudged Honey's reaction to the lady in black, but now it's apparent that she reacted precisely the way she was trained to react. Kudos on doing such a great job with her!

 

She's a cute and lovely dog from the pictures you have posted. I guess Honey was just reacting to your emotional reactions to the lady in the veil. As a teenager I had a dog named Duke who seemed to understand human emotions, and would get irritated and bark if he knew I was behaving wierd because of my hypoglycemia. My mother knew that meant to get me some food fast as if my blood sugar plummeted I could start to act out or even go into a coma. He knew the difference between if my behavior was because of my hypoglycemia or if it was just normal teenage crankiness.

 

Dogs can and do alert to changes in blood sugar. Your dog, Duke was a service dog and a hero. Good dog. People under estimate dogs. They are remarkable creatures and I'm glad Duke helped you.

 

Good dog, Duke. Good boy.

CelloChick

[CelloChick]

You are truly an inspiration, CelloChick.

 

I misjudged Honey's reaction to the lady in black, but now it's apparent that she reacted precisely the way she was trained to react. Kudos on doing such a great job with her!

 

It's wonderful that she looks to you when she thinks a situation might be threatening, and it's great that she can tell by an exchanged look what you need her to do, as was the case with the man in the park. What would happen, though, if you collapse and need CPR and/or whisking off in an ambulance, and couldn't give her direction because you're unconscious? Since you mention that as a possibility, is Honey prepared for that contingency in case it were to happen?

 

The United States Federal law, the American's With Disabilities Act of 1990, guarantees me and my dog the right to go together in an ambulance and into the emergency room. It is illegal to separate us. I have a medical alert medallion that has a phone number to call to get someone to take care of Honey. Honey always travels in the car with me dressed and clearly marked as a service dog. You’ve seen her purple cape. Love that! I also have information in my glove box about her. I’ve yet to put the stickers on my car window alerting EMS to the fact I have a service dog with me, but I will do that soon.

 

I’ve also introduced Honey to every cop and paramedic we ever come in contact with. I want Honey to associate the uniform and the gun with someone who loves her and thinks she rocks. Honey has met the fire department. And everytime I see a cop in the store, I say, “Excuse me, would you mind petting my dog so she knows cops are the good guys?”

 

MAN! Do their faces light up! I’ve had cops get down on the floor and just snuggle up to Honey after a hard day. So, yeah, I’m prepared if something happens to me. Thanks for asking.

 

CelloChick

[♦ nivek ♦]

Ms CC,

 

Owner of and user of many pounds of assorted dogflesh... My mutts have gone from Hawkman, the G.Shorthair cadaver dog, wasn't for shit hunting birds, but loved to find things, had a talent for finding the missing dead. Hellova way to introduce your mutt, "Hi this is Hawk, he sees dead people..".

 

We've had many of our dogs certified with the Canine Good Citizen, used them for visiting hounds to the hurt, injured and shut in folks. Recently lost Ginger the Rottie Queen of haciendaFatman. Other than a rabid distaste for katZ, she didn't try to hurt many others even when strength, size and ability gave her that edge. Old folks loved her, they didn't have to bend down or over to have Ginger visit them.

 

BoClonka the huge Rottie-X was a working dog, worked Security for me on various jobs and incidents where his size and intelligence was a proven asset to what we had going. Mutt was a human-threatening monster at 38 inches at shoulder, 180 usp, and five feet tall standing. Gentle giant off job, was a favorite at many of the pre-schools he'd go visit on their requests.

 

Have has a few similar incidents as yours with folks whose culture and experiences dis-allow common courtesy around canine companions.

 

My advise? Enjoy their discomfort, KNOWING that your life, your companion's work and what you are doing, being a touch free-er than *total dependence on someone else* depends on the hounder.

 

The dhimmi in her black suit and bullshit attitude? Fugg'r, siedways and upside down. Last I checked, and knew this was America, not some State of Dhimmitude, where we have to make the adjustments to the culture around us. AFAIC, you are compelling the dhimmi-gal to have to open her mind and scale back her pre-conceptions of *right and fair* when faced with 'differences'.

 

Why do I think and practice this? 'Cause I'm a goddamn AMERICAN, and in this Country, companion mutts are part of the surface and culture, the allowances and directions we as a People make so folks such as yourself are more Free and Able.

 

The dhimmi and her dislike of your companion can go, umm, well, umm.. I'm thinking "go fuck herself", but trying to be a touch nicer.

 

Good for you about trying to be polite and open to the concerns of others, however you have something now, "The Right of Way", opportuned by Law and Custom, your hounder helping you in Life and function..

The dhimmi and her reaction? Priceless....

 

If the dhimmis and their heritage dis-allow ChelloChick her passage fairly, then they are FREE to go the fuck back to whatever dog-less pesthole society they came from and practice their morality there.

 

Stand your ground and chairspace with your companion CC, I'm damn pleased you have that opportunity.

 

k, loves my goofy mutts, FL

[Onyx]

(((((((Hugs Cello Chick))))))))

 

Honey sounds like a really cool dog and is! My advice for you as a fellow wheelchair user, however, don't be scared of the hijabs. They are a symbol of oppression, your dog is a symbol of freedom. The reason Islam objects to your dog is that their religion lacks peace and love at its core, while dogs know little else apart from peace, love while all Islam knows is to set forth oppression and hatred in its books. The people caiught up in it are oppressed by it, you are oppressed by it and it devours you if you let yourself to be respectful of this monster when its dictums threatens your fullness of life and freedoms. Encourage your dog to walk past the objectors, you become Lady Liberty and your dog your willing fighter! It is not just freedom and love that your dog shows you, she can change your life and others. Simple as that. Be strong and your dog will be equally strong. Fight on my girl!

 

I don't need a dog but if I was in your situation, I would have thought "Fuck the lady, buy my teas and get out of there." and done that. We all love you, Cello Chick.

[Naughtyhamster]

Dogs can and do alert to changes in blood sugar. Your dog, Duke was a service dog and a hero. Good dog. People under estimate dogs. They are remarkable creatures and I'm glad Duke helped you.

 

Good dog, Duke. Good boy.

CelloChick

 

I miss Duke. He had to be put down last year because of a stroke as he had been very elderly for his breed. He lived three years pass his prime for his breed as Staffordshire Terriers usually only live to be 10-12 and he was 14 and three months old when he was put to sleep.

 

He also could detect when I my physically disabled mother had a serious infection brewing in her lymphedemia affected leg. At first Mom thought Duke was being silly by sniffing her leg and growling at it as a puppy, but when she noticed her leg turning red she went to the emergency room and had to stay in the hopsital for a week. The next time Duke sniffed and growled at her leg she went to the doctor on time and saved herself a stay in the hospital.