Donna.Veno@f304.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Donna Veno) (07/13/90)
Index Number: 9132
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi, Linda. Yes, I was once President of GDUI; yes, I do have a guide
dog, but I sadly cannot recommend the school from which I got her. I
got her from International Guiding Eyes in Sylmar, CA. I might add here
that *never have I *ever been involved with a school whose sighted
"leadership" so pattently ignored the concerns/requests/demands of its
blind students! I would recommend a cat before I'd recommend any blinks
support that school! Lee Mitchell and Morris Hall were director and
assistant director of training, respectively. I have been using dogs
for 26 years--I got my first at age 14, and Mitchell and Hall were the
best trainers I have ever had. The "leadership" of IGE, which is a
machinist union-supported school, decided to let Lee go, and as I
understand it, Morris quit thereafter in protest. Blinks from across
the country who were grads of the place called Sylmar, wrote letters,
and to the best of my knowledge, the Union never gave us the courtesy of
a response, or at least I never got one. The guy who was running the
show once told me he was gonna host the ACb convention's guide dog
affair there in Sylmar, and he was gonna have a fireworks display! Can
you believe it? Blinks, dogs and fireworks? What a combo! But, this
is far more than you asked for. I don't know if Lee or Morris are doing
private training; I know that Lee's wife owns a grooming shop in Sylmar
or San Fernando, and I would strongly recommend you try to track Lee
down because I guarantee you, you won't *ever find a better trainer!
Sorry for the soapbox, and I hope I haven't offended any recent IGE
grads. Those of you who have gone there and loved it should, bedcause
we shoudl all take pride in the school from which our guides graduate.
I miss that feeling of pride a great deal.
--
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