Trial Stalls Erie Woman’s Effort to Get Guide Dog

Published Jan. 10, 2006

Victoria A.F. Camron

The Daily Times-Call

ERIE — Jamie  Carley  was hoping a judge would decide Monday to remove a neighbor's chow, accused of attacking her guide dog, Racer.

She started crying when the judge set an April 10 trial date instead.

"I was angry. I was very hurt, knowing this is going to drag out another three months," said  Carley , who has been blind since 1991. "I don't want to bring another (guide) dog in here until that dog is gone."

In December,  Carley  returned Racer to the nonprofit Guide Dogs for the Blind in California. Because of its injuries and its fear of other dogs, the 2-year-old yellow Labrador has been retired, she said.

Racer had been recovering from knee surgery at the California school when the chow, named Bear, escaped from his owners' garage Oct. 12 and bit Racer's leg, according to Erie police. Police cited Bear's owners on suspicion of having a vicious dog and allowing the dog to run loose.

After Racer visited the veterinarian Nov. 14 to have stitches removed, Bear again was loose and tried to attack Racer, police said.  Carley 's son, who was between the two dogs, carried Racer into the house. Bear did not actually contact Racer in that incident, police said.

In municipal court Monday, Robert Arnold, who owns Bear with his wife, pleaded not guilty to having a vicious dog and no contest to allowing the dog to run loose.

Emily Arnold later said the couple will not comment on the incidents until the court case is over.

The maximum penalty for having a vicious animal is a $1,000 fine, one year in jail or both, according to Fred Diehl, assistant to the Erie town administrator. The judge also could order the dog destroyed.

Carley knows what she wants, though.

"I want the dog removed so I can move on," she said.

Diagnosed with retinitus pigmentosa when she was 4 or 5 years old,  Carley  watched her eyesight deteriorate until she was 26 years old, she said. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The chemotherapy left her totally blind, she said.

Without a guide dog,  Carley  is not comfortable leaving her house alone.

"I feel safer with a guide," she said. Not having a dog affects  Carley 's independence in ways most sighted people cannot imagine.

"(A guide dog) gives her independence, total independence," said Kim Davalos, Carley 's sister. "She doesn't have to rely on a sighted person."

Guide Dogs for the Blind breeds and trains service dogs at no cost to the blind people who need them, according to its Web site. After dogs are matched with handlers, the two undergo three to four weeks of training at the organization's campus. Training a guide dog costs about $72,000, according to the organization.

"Jamie's been very fortunate; she's had great dogs," Davalos said, but Racer was special. "He picked up on things so quickly,"  Carley  said. For example, Racer needed only one trip to Carley 's mailbox — located a block away, between two other mailboxes — to take her directly there.

"He'd stop and sit in front of that center box," Carley  said, while other dogs needed to repeat the trip several times to learn it. "He was just something different."

Follow Up Article

Judge Orders Dog Out

Blind women to get new canine guide after neighbor removes Lab

Published May 6, 2006

Victoria A.F. Camron

The Daily Times-Call

ERIE — Jamie  Carley  gave up her guide dog, Racer, in December after a neighbor's dog attacked and injured it.

Now that neighbor has to find another home for his Labrador/chow mix, so Carley  can receive another guide dog, a judge ruled this week. If that's not possible within 30 days, Bear must be destroyed.

Erie Municipal Court Judge Fred Steele's order contradicts what he said in court April 11, when he decided Bear was a vicious dog because of the Oct. 12 attack on Racer. Then, Steele said he would not order Bear be euthanized.

However, as long as Bear lives with Robert and Emily Arnold, their next-door neighbor cannot get another guide dog.

Steele also fined the Arnolds $250, plus $50 in fees and court costs. If Bear commits another violation within one year, though, the judge will add $500 to the fine.

Steele's order noted that placing Bear elsewhere would only be temporary because  Carley  is trying to sell her house. He "hopes Ms.  Carley  will use her best efforts to relocate in order to minimize the time that Bear is placed outside the defendant's home," Steele wrote.

Carley has lowered the price on her home to increase its chances of selling quickly, she said. She wants to move from Erie so she can be closer to public transportation.

Meanwhile, Carley , who has been blind since 1991, is getting ready for a new guide dog. After receiving the judge's order,  Carley faxed it to Guide Dogs for the Blind, a California nonprofit agency.

"Not even 15 to 20 minutes later, admissions called me,"  Carley  said. "They thought it was awesome."

Guide Dogs for the Blind breeds and trains service dogs for blind people at no cost, according to its Web site. After dogs are matched with handlers, the two undergo three to four weeks of training at the organization's campus. Training a guide dog costs about $72,000, according to the organization.

Even though  Carley  has had other guide dogs, she must undertake three weeks of training with a new dog, she said. "The most important thing is the bonding period,"  Carley  said. "It gives you time to make sure this dog's going to work, to make sure there's no problems."

While in California,  Carley will say goodbye to Racer, who is retired and lives with the family who raised him.