spiritdogs
Posted : 5/22/2008 6:49:35 AM
None of us can see the future.... we can plan the best we can and work
hard but not one of us is able to truly see the world as it will be in
ten minutes from now let alone ten years.
So true. But, I also think that we often know ourselves better than others do. And, I know that some people would certainly cave in to the more expedient or "sensible" solutions to a problem than others. Some of us, who may seem arrogant to others, would be lunging, kicking and screaming, with dogs in tow, to our cars... That isn't so much arrogant as it is just a love of our animals that is, perhaps, more intense than others realize, and so we don't fit the norm. How many of the mothers and fathers among us could imagine giving up a child just to get a low income apartment??? We all know that people with children end up in these situations, too. More's the pity that we don't do more as a society to help them, or the pet owners in their cars either.
I'll tell you a little story. In my day job, I run a program that helps elders try to keep their pets. I had a client who placed herself in this position. At the time, she was 58, lost her apartment, was living on disability payments, and had two small dogs. A social worker had suggested public housing, but she was told that she had to give up one of the dogs. Nope. She refused, even though it was pretty close to November (in New England). Next thing I know, someone is calling me asking what I can do for her. The only thing I could think of was to have her apply for Section 8 (long wait lists). Well, someone pulled a string or two, given that she was going to be in danger of freezing soon, and she got the voucher. At that point, I told her not to bother going to tons of apartments and be told "no dogs". I got her to advertise in the apartments wanted section of the newspaper. Lo and behold, the ad was answered by a woman who needed a tenant and had a dog of the same breed as my client. But, the story doesn't end there. This woman is affected by several disorders for which she might be entitled to a service dog. So, she trained her dogs until they got their CGC's, then she trained both of them to do tasks for her to make life easier. She identified them as service dogs, and now, although some people think she's just nuts, she actually goes around to various organizations and speaks to people about disabilities, especially "invisible disabilities". She has made an impact on her community, has saved her dogs and trained them for a higher use, and is living with dignity - not to mention with memberships in various mental health and disability advocacy groups. She finally got public housing - with both dogs and a letter from the local housing authority giving her permission to have them due to their service dog status. (Yup, one for each disability - unconventional, sure - but she is legitimately disabled, and I can vouch for the fact that, without them, her life would be severely diminished.)
It really is all about the lengths to which we are willing and able to go. This woman could have been called arrogant, and I'm sure she was. But, really, she was just unable to part with her family, and willing to put her life on the line. Miracles happen.