Bigger question: Why does Sarah Palin have a Service Dog?

[trumad]

Sarah Palin’s step-stool dog photos have gone viral, after she used the images, in which her son Trig uses the family pet as a boost to reach the sink, to promote a New Year’s message of overcoming adversity by turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Now, the criticism has expanded to include an organization that Sarah says is directly connected to the dog and its training.

Palin posted in April and in August about the Puppy Jake Foundation’s connection to her new pet, noting that the dog would be training with the foundation and its founder, and later crediting again “our friend in Iowa Becky Beach and her Puppy Jake Foundation, along with Canine Craze in Des Moines.”

The Pupppy Jake Foundation is known for training dogs to be adopted by military families, with an emphasis on wounded vets. Their values, as described on their website, include treating dogs with respect, and ensuring that every dollar donated helps to further their mission of providing wounded vets with animals to improve their lives.

However, in light of Sarah Palin’s New Year’s post, people are asking whether the Puppy Jake Foundation is having success in those two values. There are concerns that donated funds were used to train Sarah’s dog, Jill, who was provided to a high-profile politician, rather than a wounded vet. These concerns, at least, are likely moot, since the Palin family is a supporter of the Puppy Jake Foundation, and their own donations may have covered the cost of the animal and his training. Her fame also brings attention to the organization, which is rarely a bad thing for a charity.
In this case, however, Palin’s fame may be doing the foundation some harm after all. Animal lovers are calling for the Puppy Jake Foundation to openly condemn the use of Palin’s dog as a step-stool, and to answer questions about why the former Alaska Governor was given a dog to begin with, as well as whether her family was fully vetted for animal safety.

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1722382/service-dog-organization-faces-criticism-for-sarah-palins-step-stool-dog-fiasco/#FPO2Tc9s1vDPXj21.99

[malaise]

1. Question - I seem to remember that Trig has Down syndrome

Does he qualify for a service dog?
Let me make it clear that I despise his mother and object big time to anyone stepping on a dog, but does the kid qualify for a service dog?

[Arkansas Granny]

4. That was my first thought, too. However, the rest of the family should watch for

and prevent any mistreatment or abuse of the animal.

[malaise]

5. And not celebrate the photo as solving

a 'stepping stone' problem - typical Palin - a complete and total moron - remember she loves killing animals for sport.

[Arkansas Granny]

7. Exactly.

[trumad]

6. It appears the Service dog is not for Trig

The organization provides service dogs to wounded Vets.

[jberryhill]

9. Weren't they wounded in that brawl?

[malaise]

14. OK that's a higher level DUzy

[msanthrope]

27. Meta Duzy...nt

[malaise]

31. I Like that

[jmowreader]

23. There are Down syndrome service dog agencies

Strange thing is, the agency the Palins got this dog through isn't one of them. So I wonder what's up with that.

[Recursion]

2. I would assume for Trig?

I know a couple of kids with Downs who have service animals, though I have no idea what the animals actually do (I assume it's something useful).

[s-cubed]

19. I have no idea about the Palin child.

However, a lot of children with Down's syndrome are frequent runaways. My sister has to keep all doors locked to prevent this. In addition her child wears a monitoring anklet so he can be found. Dogs can be trained to stay with such s child and even prevent them from running.

[Hekate]

32. A good companion dog with "herding" instincts can lead a child home

My Mom told me several times about her Border Collie, Jack, and how she used to wander everywhere in her small town with Jack by her side -- when she was as young as three, which would be an astounding thing today. When it was time to go home, Jack always took her there.

They also provide unconditional love, no more need be said.

Aside from that, everything I have read about service dogs indicates they are trained specifically for the type of disability their owners have. They can fetch things for quadriplegics, they are watchful for warning signs of a seizure in epileptics, are a safe cuddle for the autistic, and so on. It makes sense that some could be trained to pay attention to the special needs of those with intellectual disabilities.

Really, my only objection to Trig standing on his dog is that he should have been taught to stop doing that when he outgrew toddlerhood, as he is now too big. Personally, I wouldn't have let my toddlers do that at all either, because I never trust the snapping point of any dog, though I do know families with big dogs who let their children tumble about with them. YMMV on this issue.

[femmocrat]

3. K & R

trumad! Good find.

[LuvNewcastle]

8. Don't give her attention.

She craves that most of all. The best thing to do is to ignore her and her family.

[trumad]

10. Actually---I think we should destroy her.

[procon]

11. Like all grifters, she probably just wanted a free dog

and didn't care that she deprived a wounded veteran of a service dog that would have improved their quality of life.

It also doesn't speak well of any charity that is deleting negative posts amd refusing to respond to questions about why an expensive, specially trained dog was given over to Palin instead of going to a veteran who really needs a service dog? Unlike other similar groups, the wellbeing of the dogs they place is evidently not a big concern in this case if they don't follow up on this dog's mistreatment in the Palin household.

[jwirr]

12. IF that dog is for Trig then it was not part of the wounded vet program. There are programs for all

kinds of people.

[procon]

15. Except the Puppy Jake Foundation only provides dogs to wounded vets

Their mission stmt says they are "dedicated to help wounded military veterans with the assistance of well-bred and professionally trained service dogs."

Its very expensive to train these dogs and the charity takes in lots of money from people who love dogs and want to help vets. The group needs to explain why they wasted all that time and money by giving a valuable service dog to Palin instead of helping a vet as their program states.

[jwirr]

17. I did not see that part but knew that there are programs not run through the vets that provide dogs

to other disabled persons. She needs to explain how she got that dog.

[LeftyMom]

26. Service animal groups have some dogs who wash out of training.

Perhaps they gave her family/son a dog who wasn't quite suited to life as a wounded vet's service dog for some reason.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

13. How did "Jill" wind up the only one in that family with a normal name?

[grasswire]

29. the dog also has another name

Can't remember what it is, though

[lame54]

16. apparently to reach things

[CincyDem]

18. It's a seeing eye dog - helps her see Russia when she's not up in Alaska. n/t

[jmowreader]

24. She needs one of those, for a different reason

She needs one to help her become a less-worthless piece of shit.

Maybe sending the Palins a dozen Presa Canarios would do the trick.

[MohRokTah]

20. It's possible the dog could not cut the muster in the training.

Not all dogs that begin training are capable of completing it, and it's quite possible this is just such a dog.

Please note, this is not a defense of Palin, but more of a potential explanation for why she has a dog from this foundation.

[uppityperson]

21. Because Sarah was wounded by the gotcha questions during the election wars?

[UTUSN]

22. R#6 & K for all the DUzy posts (& the good point of the o.p.) n/t

[pinboy3niner]

25. See Ms. Toad's post in another thread

This post and others in the subthread seem to have the best info:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6041628

[mnhtnbb]

30. Thanks for the links and info.

It does look like Palin tried to get a dog appropriately trained as a companion for Trig--
but she's such a doofus she doesn't see the need for parental involvement to
teach Trig how to interact with the dog.

[Kennah]

28. I got excited thinking it was to treat her Bat Shit Crazy