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Disabled Bite Back Over Animal Guides

Some suspect animal owners of abusing of special privileges

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 4, 2009 2:09 PM CST

(Newser) – Miniature horses trek through supermarkets and monkeys queue up at restaurant buffets these days—all to guide the blind, the disabled, and the anxiety-ridden, Rebecca Skloot writes in the New York Times Magazine. But the increasing prevalence of wild and farm service animals among the civilized is reigniting the debate over accommodations for those with special needs.

Some, including business owners and city officials, suspect people are abusing federal laws to get privileges for their pets, and animal owners have responded with lawsuits and complaints over discrimination. “Many people try to make this issue black and white—this service animal is good, that one is bad,” said one expert. “But that’s not possible.”

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Patty Cooper sits in her wheelchair with her miniature pony, Earl, in Warren, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Patty Cooper nuzzles with her miniature pony, Earl, in Warren, Vt., Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007. She's facing accommodation challenges. (AP)

Many blind people prefer miniature horses to dogs because the horses can live and work for more than 30 years. In that time, a blind person typically goes through 5 to 7 guide dogs. (Shutter Stock)

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Monkey see, monkey see: how primates are trained to serve (monkeyhelpers)

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What’s most striking is that after the initial shock of seeing a horse walk into a cafe, or ride in a car, watching them work together makes the idea of guide miniature horses seem utterly logical. Even normal. - Rebecca Skloot

Since the 1920s, when guide dogs first started working with blind World War I veterans, service animals have been trained to do everything from helping people balance on stairs to opening doors to calling 911. - Rebecca Skloot

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Disabled Bite Back Over Animal Guides