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Airline requires potty pads for guide animals
For the latest in miniature horse headlines visit:
http://www.guidehorse.com/law_n_news.htm
In this article we see a major airline requiring
absorbent pads for guide animals flying on Virgin airlines:
http://www.news.com.au/wireless/story/0,8112,3-11369976,00.html
In this case, it appears that an airline employee
assumed that the guide animal did not have sufficient bladder control
and required a pad to allow the guide dog to urinate inside the cabin:
"They didn't tell me I needed one (when I booked) and
(at the airport) wouldn't tell me where I could buy one," Mrs Stewart
said. "I started to cry, which is really embarrassing for me because I
wanted to stay calm and resolve the situation."
She was also refused a refund so she could pay for a flight on another
airline.
Guide Horses are completely housebroken but only have
bladder control for about six hours, meaning that flights on more than
about four hours may be uncomfortable for the Guide Horse.
In the USA, FAA regulations require any guide animals
traveling on a commercial airliner to not present any health or safety
hazard, and it has always been the policy of the Guide Horse Foundation
never to allow a Guide Horse to relieve themselves aboard a commercial
airliner.
Evidently this is also the official policy of Virgin
airlines, as noted in the article:
Virgin Blue spokesman David Huttner told The
Courier-Mail yesterday that staff did not follow proper procedure. An
apology would be given to the Stewarts.
"(Staff) didn't handle today particularly well. We will look at our
training procedures," Mr Huttner said.
He would not reveal if any discipline would be taken against the
employee until he had been briefed by his superiors today. The Stewarts'
money had since been refunded and a credit would be also given to them,
he said.
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Helping Hooves
The Guide Horse
Foundation
Training Program to Train Miniature Horses as Guide Animals for
the Blind
Janet Burleson
ISBN
Retail Price $27.95
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Read the compelling
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Learn the exciting methods used to prepare the tiny horses to
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royalties are being donated to help support the Guide Horse Foundation.
Quotes:
-
Janet Burleson
is one of the world's pioneering horse trainers
– Practical
Horseman Magazine
-
Seeing is
believing
– USA Today
-
Janet and Don
Burleson are . . . Angels
– People Magazine
-
How wonderful
that Janet and Don Burleson have initiated this valuable
experimental program teaming miniature horses with blind people
– Newsweek
-
Miniature ponies
are leading the way for the blind
– ABC News
-
Guide Horses .
. . are as small and disciplined as Guide Dogs
– TIME Magazine
-
Extraordinary
–
ABC 20/20
-
It is often the
little things that win our hearts and minds
– ABC News
-
The Burleson’s
are . . . using horse sense to Guide
–
Boston Globe
-
Twinkie proved that
miniature horses could fill the role, and fill it well
– VetCentric Magazine
-
An Intriguing
Program
- Discovery Channel
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