Winter 1999-2000
The Pine Tree Guide Dog Users (PTGDU) is an affiliate of the Guide Dog Users Inc. and the American Council of the Blind of Maine.
Any articles for publication should be forwarded to the editor by January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15 of each year. Editorial staff reserves the right to edit submitted materials.
EDITOR: Ginger Soucy
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Mark Soucy
RR#1 Box 7165
Augusta, ME 04330
GingerS@ime.net>
Welcome all Pine Tree Barker readers! This is my first President’s message of the millennium and hopefully, a bit more exciting than the over exaggerated Y2K. No major disasters, no computer malfunction and the lights didn’t even go out! Or did they?
Okay, so it’s a New Year and with it we have selected some new chairs for our old committees. In this issue, I have listed PTGDU’s committees and their chairs. Please take a look at them and if you have special interests in any, please contact the chair(s) whose phone numbers and addresses are listed at the end of this publication.
Are you interested in taking part in our meetings? We will be having meetings in March, May, and July. These meetings are open to all members and to anyone interested in our organization. Do you know anyone who is not a member of Pine Tree, who is a guide dog user, and/or is interested in guide dogs? Invite them to our March meeting which is to be held in Portland. Davide Marletta and Tracy Libby are making the arrangements for location and speakers for this meeting. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to get in touch with either Tracy or Davide, whose contact information is provided at the end of this publication.
Post cards with the date, time and location of this meeting will be mailed by the first week of March. I would greatly appreciate any ideas or suggestions that any of you might have concerning our May and July meetings. You may contact me either by phone, e-mail, or if you prefer, snail mail. For those of you who have listened to your winter 1999 issue of Pawtracks, you may have noticed that I was listed as the affiliate contact for PTGDU. However, the phone number that was given for me was incorrect. My correct phone number is (207) 622-6963.
In closing, I would like to wish everyone a safe winter as the snow and ice can be quite treacherous for all of us. It can sometimes be extremely difficult to get out and work our guides in this weather. To exercise you and your guide, and stay warm, you might want to try an in-door mall, in-door track, or even a large department store.
Have a great winter and I hope to see you all in March!!
Leona McKenna, President
Pine Tree Guide Dog Users
(Reprinted from the Winter 99 issue of The Pine Tree Barker)
Winter has finally made an appearance and with it comes a variety of problems for our dogs' paws. Since working dogs can seldom wait for better weather to go outside, owners need to take steps to minimize damage and discomfort from snow, ice, salt, and just plain wet conditions. The following ideas are guidelines for foot-care, consult your veterinarian for specific problems.
First, make sure nails are trimmed well. This is obviously a year-round concern but crusting snow and uneven ice can be especially painful to overgrown nails, and broken or detached nails occur more frequently now and require fairly long healing. One warning, trimming nails well results in bringing the nerve and blood vessel in each claw closer to the surface, and on especially cold days (under 20 F or so), dogs can be very sensitive after the trim.
Another problem you may have noted this time of year is the formation of ice pellets under your dog's paws. This is quite common with very webbed feet or in dogs with long hair on and in between their toes (i.e. Labs and Goldens). For working dogs this can be at least distracting, if not painful, and may cause your dog's gait to alter or even result in halts to chew at the ice. Trimming the hair on top and under the paws decreases this accumulation greatly, and the ice can be quickly removed by a quick soak in warm water when you get home or to work. If needed, booties are also an option. (Note: assure
that these are fastened tightly or they may get lost.)
Two more serious problems with dogs' paws during the winter are lacerations and inter-digital ('between the toes') inflammation. Sharp ice or buried foreign objects can easily slice into the pad or webbing of the foot, almost always resulting in lameness, licking, and occasionally an amazing amount of blood. If bleeding is significant, you'll need to see your veterinarian, for at least cleaning and bandaging of the wound, if not sutures and antibiotics. If the wound appears minor and bleeding is minimal, the best course may be to keep the area clean and dry, apply a light wrap with gauze and a non-stick dressing, and give your dog the day off.
Dogs with inter-digital infections or sores often act as though they've cut their foot, but quite often have chronic lesions rather than acute injuries. Persistent moisture, road salt irritation, and deep webbing all contribute to the onset of red, tender, inflamed feet; some dogs also have a strong odor and a discharge from one or all paws. Avoiding this particular problem may require you to wash off and thoroughly dry your dog's feet after each walk in bad weather with corn starch or baby powder can help reduce residual moisture.
Sometimes antibiotics and antibacterial soaks are necessary, if the infection is severe. Again, if needed, booties can be a tremendous help to dogs with recurrent episodes of this irritation, but some dogs don't tolerate footwear well without lots of practice.
If none of these problems sound familiar to you, you're in the lucky minority; they occur quite frequently. Hopefully, you can avoid these pitfalls and enjoy a problem-free winter.
Dale Persing, DVM
Pine Tree Veterinary Hospital
The GDUI Photo Contest deadline has been extended!
Win Big Prizes in the GDUI Photo Contest and help us to create a fantastic Web site! In order to give as many people as possible the opportunity to enter the GDUI Photo Contest announced in last Fall's Pawtracks, the deadline for entries has been extended. All entries must be received by June 15, 2000. Winners will be announced and prizes presented at the GDUI luncheon this July in Louisville--you don't need to be present to win!
We're still hard at work putting together GDUI's new World Wide Web site. We hope the GDUI Web site will become the definitive resource for dog guide information on the Internet.
Ambitious, sure, but together GDUI's members can make it happen! One of the things the Web team considers vital to the project is to portray dog guide handlers in general, and GDUI members in particular, as the dynamic and diverse group we are. We'd like to show the world a wide variety of dogs and handlers working together in every conceivable environment and situation. And that's where you come in! We need your help to present as broad a cross-section of the dog guide community as possible.
This is how you can help: Please send us your photos! We're looking for good pictures of dog guide teams of every shape, size, age and description. We want to present the world with images of an assortment of breeds wearing equipment from different training programs and working with men and women from college age to retirement. We want the world to see GDUI members for what we are; parents, students, businesswomen, farmers, lawyers; people from all walks of life, working with our dogs in urban, suburban and rural environments.
Photos will be judged in the following three categories: "Daily Life," "Adventures!" and "The Bond."
Preference in all three categories will go to pictures showing the dog in harness and to candid or action photos over posed or "mug" shots. Enter as many photos as you'd like. You don't need to specify which category you're entering the picture in. Not only will you be helping GDUI spread the word about dog guides, but you'll also be eligible to win some great prizes, which have been generously donated by various artists and companies.
A panel of independent judges will award first, second and third prizes in each of the three categories and will select one Grand-Prize Winner from among all the entries. We think you're going to be delighted with the prizes, too! Details of what will be included in each first, second and third prize are still changing as new items are donated, but prizes will include mugs and T-shirts with your entry photo printed on them. An enlarged copy of your photo in a beautiful, wooden frame, tasteful jewelry with images of appropriate dog breeds and other cool goodies will be awarded. We're especially excited about the Grand Prize and hope you'll think it's as great as we do. The person submitting the photo that's awarded the Grand Prize will win a portrait of his or her guide dog drawn by an artist specializing in custom animal portraits! The artist will work from photos you supply her - the more you can make available, the easier it will be to capture your dog's unique personality and expression. So you won't even need to take Juno anywhere to sit for the portrait. We've already received a number of wonderful photos but we know there are a lot more out there. So, enter early and enter often! Dig out those prints and negatives of past and current guides or enlist the help of a photographer friend or family member to take some new ones. You could even try contacting the photography department at a local university or community college to ask if a student photographer would volunteer to work with you in exchange for receiving credit on the Web page for any pictures we use.
How to enter:
Please don't send the original or your only copy of a photo! Things can be lost or destroyed in the mail, so please send copies or re-prints. GDUI can't be responsible for returning prints or negatives. Sorry! We'll need you to include a short "photo release" notice with your entry. We're sorry to have to use these, but many businesses can't reproduce images without the express, written consent of the subject of the photo. We can't accept entries which aren't accompanied by a signed copy of the release included at the end of this article.
Entries close on June 15, 2000.
Send your photo, signed release form and contact information (name, address, phone number and/or e-mail address) to:
Carla Campbell
GDUI Photo Contest
198 Spruce Ave.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
People who want to send their entries in as binary e-mail attachments should contact Carla Campbell (campbell@well.com)
for additional information.
Again, entries must be received by June 15 and winners will be announced at the GDUI luncheon in Louisville this July.
Thanks for your help and good luck!
PHOTO RELEASE
Brief Description of photo(s):
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I hereby grant non-exclusive permission to Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) to use the enclosed photograph(s) on its World Wide Web (WWW) site or in other official GDUI printed publications without further consideration, and I acknowledge GDUI's right to crop or treat the photograph at its discretion.
Name:___________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________
City, State, Zip____________________________________________
E-Mail:__________________________________________________
Date: __________________
Telephone:_________________________________
Media accounts irk community, Bangor Daily News, Friday, December 3, 1999
By Beurmond Banville
MADAWASKA - Bertrand Rossignol, who has been blind the last 20 years, runs his errands unobtrusively with India, his guide dog. But the quiet routine of the 69-year-old man's life was disrupted three weeks ago, and he wonders when it will return to normal. An encounter with a Main Street businessman threw Rossignol into the limelight of this northern Maine town of 4,800 people, where he has made his home for two decades.
Accounts of the incident have been carried in the media, angering residents and leading to Questions about what really happened one day last month. On Friday, Nov. 12, Rossignol was running errands, as he does two or three times a week, along Main Street when India defecated on the sidewalk. As he has done countless times, Rossignol picked up his dog's droppings, using a plastic bag he carries. Stanley Levesque, Rossignol's social worker, was leaving the nearby post office at the time. "I heard a man yelling, yelling about a dog's mess, and I saw Bert Rossignol fall. He tripped on a porch as he turned to face the businessman who was yelling at him," Levesque said Wednesday. Bert got up quickly and went towards the man who yelled and the businessman grabbed Bert by the jacket, swaying him back and forth," Levesque said. "Bert went down on his knees and picked up the poop. Levesque said he drove away. He said a woman, whom he did not know, also heard the yelling and witnessed the incident. Levesque, who knew the businessman, Glenn Daigle of Daigle's Furniture, published his account of the incident as a letter to the editor in the St. John Valley Times, a local weekly paper.
The response was swift and harsh, directed at both Daigle and at Levesque for driving away. Daigle said Wednesday that along with the letters to the editor in the local newspaper, he has been receiving anonymous telephone calls and threatening mail.
There also arose a question about Levesque's possible motive for making the incident public - a prior bad business deal with Daigle. "It wasn't my intention to get back at Daigle [for a business deal of three of four years ago], there was no revenge," Levesque said. "I wrote the letter because it was Bert, a blind man people should have respect for." Rossignol talked about the incident Tuesday. He said he was in town, walking away from where he had picked up the droppings, and a guy yelled saying I forgot some." He said he tripped when he turned around, regaining his composure, he went to the man who showed him where it was, and he picked it up again. "I lost my balance, and the man helped me," Rossignol said, referring to Daigle. "The man did not push me, he just took my arm and showed me where it was when I asked him. "He didn't do anything wrong, and he helped me get rid of the dog mess," Rossignol said in French on the telephone. "He talked to me in a normal voice. Stanley saw this happen and he wrote the story, and he told me the following day, saying he would put an article in the paper," Rossignol said. "The man said something, I think he made a joke, about putting diapers on my dog and that made me angry," Rossignol said. "The man was not angry or mean to me, he talked in a normal way. "People talk and I am sorry about that," Rossignol said. "I am in the middle and I only want to get along; I want to forget about the whole thing.
Rossignol lost his sight due to deterioration which started with a firecracker incident when he was 10 years old. He earned a living in Connecticut for years, at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Corp., and working as a cook in a diner. His wife, who came back to Madawaska with him, passed away 14 years ago. He makes his home at La-Malson Acadienne, a residential facility at Madawaska, with India. He has had three guide dogs in the last 19 years. India, a black Labrador retriever, has been with him for seven years.
Daigle said Wednesday that his life has been a "living hell" the last three weeks since the first letter to the. editor in the weekly. He agreed to talk about it publicly Wednesday, for the first time since the incident. He said he was leaving his store when he saw Rossignol and his dog already past the store at the mouth of the driveway, which is about 50 feet away from the store's entrance. "I yelled for Mr. Rossignol and told him his dog had made a dropping, and Mr. Rossignol said, 'Show me and I will pick it up,"' Daigle said. "I have seen Mr. Rossignol do that numerous times over the years and I believed it was a matter of pride for him to do so." Daigle remembered making a comment that someone should make diapers for dogs as Rossignol was coming toward him, "but I never said put a diaper on your dog," Daigle said. "I thought he had not noticed his dog had made a mess, and I told him I would wait for him by the mess," Daigle remembered. "He stumbled on the step to my house and continued towards me. "Mr. Rossignol pulled out a plastic bread bag, put it over his hand and arm and asked me to direct him to where the mess was," Daigle said. "He lost his balance and asked me for help and I grabbed his jacket and helped him to get up. "He asked me where the garbage can was and I told him to give me the plastic bag and I would get rid of it," Daigle said. Daigle said he would not have asked him to pick it up if he had not seen Rossignol do that many times in the past. "I did not yell at him, except to get his attention as he was walking away, because he is a bit hard of hearing," Daigle said. He also denied manhandling Rossignol. "Mr. Rossignol has told me he has no ill will towards me," Daigle said. Daigle went to see Rossignol at his home last Monday, accompanied by Police Chief Ronald Pelletier. Daigle said he wanted to apologize, if Rossignol believed Daigle had wronged him. "I have a clear conscience, especially after having talked with Mr. Rossignol," Daigle said. "What was written about me was not true." Daigle, 43, has been working at the store with his parents since 1979. He said the bad publicity could be the death knell for the business, especially with the crunch on business because of the loss of Canadian trade over the past several years.
Police Chief Pelletier said Rossignol never made a complaint to the police about the incident. Rossignol has complained to police in the past for things such as traffic not stopping when he was attempting to cross a street with his dog. "I learned about the incident, like most people, when it came out in the letter to the editor," Pelletier said. He went to see Rossignol, after the original letter to the editor, to ascertain if an assault or harassment had occurred and Rossignol told him no. Rossignol made no claim of assault or of being manhandled, Pelletier said.
Puppies Behind Bars, Inc. trains prison inmates to raise puppies to be guide dogs for the blind. The puppies are all specially bred Labrador Retrievers who enter prison when they are eight weeks old and live there with their "puppy raisers" for the next 16 months. During this time the raisers are responsible for teaching the pups basic obedience skills, grooming them, socializing them, and giving them the love, which will help build the dogs' confidence. Confidence is the most important trait for a guide dog to have.
During the sixteen months that the puppies live with their raisers, they grow and mature into well mannered, well-trained, and well-socialized dogs, and their puppy raisers grow too. The raisers learn that they can undertake a long-term commitment and stick with it, that they can contribute to society rather than take from it and, perhaps for the first time in their lives, that they can both give and receive unconditional love. Perhaps one puppy raiser put it best when he recently wrote "I am noticing that feelings and emotions which I had closed off for so many years in order to survive in prison are coming to the surface again. This program is allowing me to regain my humanity."
If any of our puppies do not become guide dogs, they will be donated free of charge to families with a blind or visually impaired child. They will be pets rather than working dogs. This will allow the child to learn the responsibilities and love inherent in having a dog, so that when that child becomes an adult and is faced with the decision whether to apply for a guide dog or continue using a cane, he or she will be able to make an informed decision.
Whether as a guide dog for a blind companion or as a pet for a visually impaired child, these dogs will spend their lives in service to people who need them. In the meantime, they will have spent their "puppyhoods" with people who need them as well.
If anyone would like to correspond with puppy raisers in the PBB program, you may contact:
Kent Stanley
1815 Gardenstone Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43235-5901
Email: A HREF="mailto:kstanley@columbus.rr.com">kstanley@columbus.rr.com
Phone: 614-766-0366
(Editor's Note: Thornton is a yellow lab currently being raised at The Bedford Hills Correctional Center. Below is an excerpt from a letter I received from his puppy raiser.)
…Thornton was on his way out for the weekend but he found the rubber ring in his crate when he returned. All the puppies love it, particularly the little ones, it's just the right size to fit their mouths. Thornton is a selfish little boy. When another pup comes to visit him, he tries to lay on as many of his toys as possible so the other pups can't play with them. It is so comical, at times they are like kids, always wanting the toy the other one has.
I am not sure how much I told you about the areas our pups go to. Recently, Thornton went to the infant center. Pregnant inmates may keep their babies with them for up to one year. During the day, the babies go to the infant center while their mothers go to programs. Thornton will have the opportunity to get used to baby noises and play with some of the older ones. He did well on his first trip, giving puppy kisses and not reacting to pulled ears. He has gone to the greenhouse and didn't eat the plants. He did, however, like the pebbles on the floor. He's working on leaving them alone.
Prison is like a small community. All pups will visit a commercial size laundry, the mess hall, library, and offices. In the visiting room Thornton has learned to sleep quietly while I visit. At four months of age, two hours of sleep in a busy place is about his limit.
On his weekends out, Thornton has gone to a library, large Block-Buster store, a mall and his favorite place, the pet store! He also loves classical music according to a weekend sitter.
I shared your letter and picture with the puppy group. It inspired everyone. To see someone striding along confidently with a guide dog made it real for us. Although we have committed or been involved in bad acts, we are not bad people. The puppy program gives us an opportunity to do something positive that will help someone…….
What Breed of Dog Are You?! Check out http://www.emode.com/tests/dog2.html and discover what breed of dog you are most like!! Check out PTGDU treasurer Maryann Mitchell's test results… no surprises there!
You are most like a GERMAN SHEPHERD. You are a no-frills type of person. You are a hard-working and focused individual who doesn't need much pampering. Most likely, you find pleasure in the simple things. You are probably a committed worker and complete all the tasks that you take on. Some might consider you type A because of your desire to be busy and thorough. You are neither pretentious nor superficial, and you are very satisfied with your low maintenance lifestyle. You are easy to be around and a loyal and dedicated person.
These are the answers from dogs when asked: How Many Dogs does it take to put in a light bulb?
Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned-out light bulb?
Border Collie: Just one. And I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.
Dachshund: I can't reach the stupid lamp!
Toy Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.
Rottweiler: Go Ahead! Make me!
Shi-tzu: Puh-leeze, dah-ling. Let the servants….
Lab: Oh, me, me!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I?
Malamute: Let the Border collie do it. You can feed me while he's busy.
Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.
Doberman Pinscher: While it's dark, I'm going to sleep on the couch.
Mastiff: Mastiffs are NOT afraid of the dark.
Hound Dog: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.
Irish Wolfhound: Can somebody else do it? I've got a hangover.
Pointer: I see it, there it is, right there...
Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?
Australian Shepherd: Put all the light bulbs in a little circle...
Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? Light bulb? That thing I just ate was a light bulb?
-The Pine Tree Guide Dog Users have once again been invited to participate at Legislative Awareness Day on Friday, February 25th. This year's event will be held in the Hall of Flags on the second floor at the state house. Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppy raisers plan to share our table for the 2,000 session. All members are encouraged to join us! For more details, Please contact Ginger Soucy.
Now More Accessible for Visually Impaired (Bend, Ore.) Ruff Wear, maker of high-quality gear For Dogs On The Go, recently upgraded its award-winning website, ruffwear.com, improving accessibility for the visually impaired. Now, visually impaired visitors using text-to-speech conversion software can more easily navigate, browse website content and shop online.
"A good percentage of Ruff Wear products are purchased for use in the outdoor recreation market. From the very beginning, we've worked closely with people who rely on their dogs for everyday assistance," explains Patrick Kruse, Ruff Wear founder and chief of R&D. "We learn a lot about our products, how they are used and how to make them more functional by meeting the specific needs of assistance dogs. So, after receiving comments from visually impaired customers who had difficulty navigating our website, we immediately responded by upgrading ruffwear.com to comply with accessibility standards."
Through a series of changes, ruffwear.com now complies with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) "Priority 1 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines." Compliance with these voluntary guidelines was then validated by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) "Bobby" utility. Since 1994, Ruff Wear has provided high-quality, functional gear for active pet lovers, trainers, Canine Companions, backpackers, Guide Dog Users, Inc., search and rescue teams and dogs of every description. In addition to the original Ruff Wear collapsible food and water bowls for dogs, Ruff Wear makes a complete line of innovative Gear For Dogs On The Go.
Ruff Wear gear is available in L.L. Bean, REI, Title Nine Sports, Campmor,Plow & Hearth and Saab catalogs and at fine pet and outdoor retail stores.
For a nearby dealer or a Ruff Wear catalog, call toll free 888-RUFF-WEAR (888-783-3932).
Or visit ruffwear.com.
http://www.ruffwear.com
In memory of Scott Bennett, Dana & Dorothy Cox have once again generously donated funds for our group. Thank you both for your continued support of Pine Tree.
A big thanks to Robert & Irene Soucy for their generous gift to Pine Tree!!
Submitted by Leona McKenna
Advocacy: Davide Marletta
Fund Raising: Tracy Libby
Legislative: Pauline Lamontagne
Membership: Maryann Mitchell
Public relations: Leona McKenna
Publications: Ginger Soucy
Special Interest: To be appointed
PRESIDENT
Leona McKenna
10 Grey Birch Drive Apt.C-1
Augusta, ME. 04330
Phone: (207) 622-6963
Leona.McKenna@maine.edu
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Davide Marletta
11 Winding Brook Dr.
Kennebunk, ME. O4043
Dmarletta@mcbvi.org
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Tom Fillyaw
RR. 2 Box 750
Augusta ME. 04330
SECRETARY
Anne Poland
RR2 Box 2059
Kents Hill, ME. 04349
Annieb@ime.net
TREASURER
Maryann Mitchell
695 Middle Road
Union, ME. 04862
Mitchell@tidewater.net
PAST PRESIDENT
Ginger Soucy
RR #1 Box 7165
Augusta, ME. 04330
Gingers@ime.net
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim King
24 South Pleasant Street
Richmond, ME 04357
Jimking@ime.net
Pauline M. Lamontagne
154 Sewall Street
Augusta, ME. O4330
Pauline.lamontagne@state.me.us
Tracy Libby
PO Box 7966
Portland, ME.04112-7966
Tl7966@ime.net
Sue Martin
76 Hanson’s Landing Road
Ellsworth, ME. 04605
Smartin@downeast.net
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