Veteran with service cat feels discriminated against

http://news8austin.com/content/top_s...sp?ArID=198461

Having three service animal cats, I have found that pre-education and
letter on doctor's letterhead stating that this is a service animal
smoothed over any situations I might have had. I was always ready to get
defensive should I need to and I carried the law as well as the letter
with me. Of course, I also made sure my animals were trained to be in
public and would behave on a leash as I needed for them to behave before
I took them anywhere.

At some point in the last ten years, all three animals stayed with me in
our local hospital, one of them went to all of my therapy appointments
for almost a year when I needed him to and one has traveled all over
with me. My apartment complex recognizes them just because I say so, so
getting them into my new digs last year when I moved was not a problem
and in 2001 when I tore my knee up and was in the nursing home for
several months, I got to have one there too.

The most I ask of them these days is to keep me warm at night and watch
TV with me. They excel at these tasks and they do make the difference
between life worth living and life not. A friend of mine who had a
service dog had a hard time with the idea of cats as service animals,
but I think that deep down she was jealous that my cats did more for me
than her dog did for her. The dogs she trained were always high strung
and didn't cope well outside of the house with her whereas my cats were
always relaxed, hung tight with me and never had any trouble coping.

I love my cats and all they have done for me. No matter how long my day
has been, each one of them gets attention when I am home so I know how
they are doing and I can give them attention. I can't imagine not having
them as service animals. It has really made a difference in my life.

Bridget

Victor Martinez wrote:
http://news8austin.com/content/top_s...sp?ArID=198461

I saw first hand what an animal can do for someone. My O. T. (Orange Thing)
is such a love I decided to tray and get him to be a nursing home visitor.
I would take him to someone's room who wasn't very responsive, lay him on
the bed and place their hand on him. It was never long before you could see
the fingers begin to skretch the cat. Worked well until someone claimed
their Aunt was allergic so we don't do that anymore. Even those cats that
run on batteries and rise and fall as though breathing can get a response
from some people who don't respond to much.
"Bridget" wrote in message
...
Having three service animal cats, I have found that pre-education and
letter on doctor's letterhead stating that this is a service animal
smoothed over any situations I might have had. I was always ready to get
defensive should I need to and I carried the law as well as the letter
with me. Of course, I also made sure my animals were trained to be in
public and would behave on a leash as I needed for them to behave before I
took them anywhere.

At some point in the last ten years, all three animals stayed with me in
our local hospital, one of them went to all of my therapy appointments for
almost a year when I needed him to and one has traveled all over with me.
My apartment complex recognizes them just because I say so, so getting
them into my new digs last year when I moved was not a problem and in 2001
when I tore my knee up and was in the nursing home for several months, I
got to have one there too.

The most I ask of them these days is to keep me warm at night and watch TV
with me. They excel at these tasks and they do make the difference between
life worth living and life not. A friend of mine who had a service dog had
a hard time with the idea of cats as service animals, but I think that
deep down she was jealous that my cats did more for me than her dog did
for her. The dogs she trained were always high strung and didn't cope well
outside of the house with her whereas my cats were always relaxed, hung
tight with me and never had any trouble coping.

I love my cats and all they have done for me. No matter how long my day
has been, each one of them gets attention when I am home so I know how
they are doing and I can give them attention. I can't imagine not having
them as service animals. It has really made a difference in my life.

Bridget

Victor Martinez wrote:
http://news8austin.com/content/top_s...sp?ArID=198461

Victor Martinez wrote:
http://news8austin.com/content/top_s...sp?ArID=198461

I don't agree with that gym's position but I can sort of see their point.
Most people are used to seeing dogs, not cats, as "service animals". And
their vision tends to be shorter than that of a seeing-eye dog.

Jill