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Onward,
Alexander, Jeffrey, Becky and Deva
Weekend
Edition
November 11 / 12, 2006
These Dogs Deserve a Day Off, Perhaps
Two Days
Jesse,
a Working Dog
By JASON HRIBAL
One month ago in Rhine, Wisconsin, a
13-year-old dog named Jesse died while trying to save the life
of her friend. A fire had broken out in her home. Springing to
action, she first helped her owner and employer-Jamie Hanson.
Jesse brought her artificial leg and a phone to call for help.
She then, with fire raging all around, dragged Hanson to the
front door of the house. Yet, Jesse was not done, as she heard
meows coming from the second floor. Indeed, her friend, a cat,
was in trouble. Jesse went back into the burning home and up
the stairs. Neither made it out alive.
Jesse was a service dog-one
of an estimated and rapidly growing 20,000+ that work in the
United States. There are four categories of health-services supplied
by dogs. The first is guiding. These dogs help the blind and
visually impaired-guiding them through neighborhoods, traffic,
stairs, sidewalks, buildings, and crowds of people. The second
is hearing. These dogs aid the deaf and audio impaired. They
alert their owners to various and particular sounds: doorbells,
smoke alarms, crying babies, and timers. Moreover, they locate
the exact position of noises. The third kind of service is physical.
These dogs facilitate with mobility. They raise people up off
of beds, chairs, and couches. They pull wheelchairs. They carry
backpacks. They pick up items dropped on the floor. They retrieve
foodstuffs and drink from the kitchen. They open and close doors.
They help people get dressed and undressed. They aid with walking
by providing a counter-balance and brace against falls and slips.
If any serious accident does occur, they press an alert button
and run to get help. The fourth kind of service is mental. These
dogs work for humans who have panic attacks, post-traumatic stress
disorder, and other psychiatric problems. They provide comfort
and contact. They turn on lights and open doors, so their frightened
employers don't have to. They make space in crowds if their employers
get scared. They retrieve medicine and water. They remember the
specific times that the medication needs to be taken.
This type of work is not easy.
Selected puppies are raised in special homes until the age of
fifteen months. From there, they undergo six months to a year
of intensive, daily training to become certified. Once placed
in a home, these dogs are at work: all day, every single day.
Their performance is constantly monitored. Refresher training
is not unusual. While at work, they are not allowed to socialize
with other dogs. They are not allowed to socialize with other
humans. Even in sleep, these dogs always have one eye, ear, or
nostril open and alert. They work until the day they can no longer
satisfactorily perform their job-on average, eight years. Indeed,
by law (the Americans with Disabilities Act), these dogs are
not "pets." They are "service dogs."
Yet, for all of this training,
labor, and legal status, there are large inconsistencies. Following
the fire, for instance, there was an outpouring of public concern.
But the direction of this distress was not towards Jesse, a service
dog who took care of Hanson on a daily basis, who did her job
day in and day out. Rather, this concern was directed almost
exclusively towards her owner. Jamie Hanson described to a group
of reporters how Jesse "sacrificed her life," not for
a cat (as it really happened), but to help save Hanson herself.
She repeatedly referred to Jesse, not as a service dog, but as
"a pet," "a gift," and "a child."
This is a top-down view-one filled with pity, paternalism, and
a human-centric focus. Why is this?
The Delta Society, the largest
organization dedicated solely to service dogs, describes its
mission as "improving human health through service and therapy
animals." The manifold of collective and independent trainers
focus similarly on the human concern. Within their manuals, the
dogs receive merit in regards to their behavioral standards and
training. 'Look!' they boast, 'at the amazing dog, we trained.'
But the dogs themselves-their wants, needs, concerns-receive
little to no attention. These organizations and individuals speak
often of "retirement" for the dogs. But there is no
standardized, financial planning for this. Rather it is voluntary-up
to the owners and trainers to deal with or not. There are national
and state laws regarding service animals. But, in reality, these
legal measures are solely for the protection the owners from
damage or loss of property. There are no labor laws regulating
the working conditions or the health and well-being of these
employees. These dogs may work, but they are not considered to
be workers. There are numerous service-related advocacy groups.
But they protect the rights of the disabled humans, not the dogs.
There are numerous bereavement groups. But, again, their attention
is spotlighted on the humans, not the dogs.
The service-dog industry is
not the only group at fault in the creation of this perspective.
As paradoxical as it may sound, the current application of animal-rights
results in the same conclusion. Here, the focus is on sentience.
"The question is not," Jeremy Bentham explained and
Peter Singer affirmed, "can they [animals] reason?
Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?"
We should feel sorry for animals. They are, according to the
ASPCA, HSUS, and PETA, helpless and voiceless. They are victims.
They are like children.
But something is amiss. For
"every act of giving," as the historian E.P. Thompson
argued, "is an act of getting." We know the gift: it
is pity. But what about the getting? This is where animal-right's
philosophy fails miserably. Animals-as actors: building, creating,
and shaping society (i.e. the getting)-are rarely, if ever, considered.
In fact, their agency, as an historical and sociology reality,
is not only neglected within the animal right's community; it
is oftentimes dismissed as undeserving of consideration. Instead,
animals are perceived and presented as helpless victims and static
characters. These creatures are, consequently, segregated from
society. This is a top-down view-one which serves to reproduce
and reinforce similar beliefs among the general populace. Indeed,
this dominate perspective has not only ignored and marginalized
the animals of the past and the present, but it has erected obstacles
to the relationships we seek to establish with animals in the
future.
Jessie would not want your
sorrow or sympathy. She would want you to recognize her abilities
and skills. She would want you to understand how hard and difficult
her work was. How many among the readership would want this kind
of job? How many among the readership would ever have the level
of energy and patience required to deal with a disabled person:
every single day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,
for 8+ years?
Jessie would want you to examine
her working circumstances and conditions. While mostly non-profit
oriented, the trainers are nevertheless making a living from
these service animals-charging approximately $20,000 per dog
(most of which is paid by foundations and grants). The owners
are saving considerable amounts of money by utilizing these dogs,
as opposed to paying for 24 hour human-care. Veterinarians are
making millions from these dogs. The pet industry-food, treats,
toys-is making millions from these dogs. Yet, what do these service
animals get in return? Where is their cut of the money and profit
that they are producing?
Jessie would want you to recognize
that service dogs are active and productive workers in society.
They are members of the working-class. Service dogs deserve rights
because they have earned them. They should have regular time-off
each week. They should have vacations each year. They should
be paid a minimum wage. This money would be held by a neutral
third-party. It would then be dispensed for time-off. Days spent
socializing with other dogs-playing, running, jumping, swimming,
making friends. No duties. No tasks. No work. The wages would
be used for disability, if they are injured on the job. The wages
would be used for the creation of retirement communities, where
they themselves would eventually retire. Each of these rights
and regulations should be recognized, stipulated, and enforced
by custom and law.
Therefore, in honor of Jessie,
the next time you cross paths with a service dog, your perspective
should be turned up-side-down. Don't glance from above: "Wow,
look at that beautiful, well-trained dog!" But instead,
question for below: "Hey! does that dog ever get a fuckin'
day off?"
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