Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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PSA: Southeastern Guide Dogs (self.Blind)
submitted by Rocker213
First off, I am not shamming the company. I am in full support of the company and the cause that they represent. On the other hand, I am shamming the management and HR on handling an animal abuser that is a part of the Canine Care Technician team.
A bit of backstory:
My girlfriend is now a former employee of Southeastern Guide dogs. She worked there for a year, and befriended one of her co-workers. Eventually, said co-worker moved in with us, and everything was fine. One day, we were all in the living room talking, and I mentioned that my dog (a 10 year old Lab/Weimaraner mix) didn't know lay down. She decided to give it a try. After a couple of minutes of trying, she had him in a headlock in between her legs while twisting his collar. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was breathing very shallowly. After us screaming at her to let go, my girlfriend pulled her off, and an argument ensued. She moved out shortly after, and never had anything happen legally (because we don't have the funds).
She still works at the company to this day, and this happened in May. My girlfriend relayed the story to lower management, and upper management, but nothing come of it. Today (August 29, 2019) she went to the campus on her off day to speak with HR. She relayed the story to HR, and they said they were never told about it, nor was there anything they could do. In the state of Florida, you can be terminated for practically anything, proof or no proof. I get companies want to handle things differently, but animal abuse should not be ignored, especially from a company that prides themselves in "positive training." The dogs from the company do amazing things for the blind and service community, but I don't feel safe knowing that an employee, who works with the dogs personally with no management present, is a known animal abuser, and has been reported to management and HR. She lost her job due to this, and that isn’t fair to her. You shouldn’t be fired for trying to better your workplace and get rid of a monster.
My girlfriend is not looking to get her job back, we just want this information to be brought to the attention of the communities that this company reaches out to, and hope some sort of change comes to it. Thank you for reading, and please help us make Southeastern Guide Dogs a safe place for your companions.
A bit of backstory:
My girlfriend is now a former employee of Southeastern Guide dogs. She worked there for a year, and befriended one of her co-workers. Eventually, said co-worker moved in with us, and everything was fine. One day, we were all in the living room talking, and I mentioned that my dog (a 10 year old Lab/Weimaraner mix) didn't know lay down. She decided to give it a try. After a couple of minutes of trying, she had him in a headlock in between her legs while twisting his collar. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was breathing very shallowly. After us screaming at her to let go, my girlfriend pulled her off, and an argument ensued. She moved out shortly after, and never had anything happen legally (because we don't have the funds).
She still works at the company to this day, and this happened in May. My girlfriend relayed the story to lower management, and upper management, but nothing come of it. Today (August 29, 2019) she went to the campus on her off day to speak with HR. She relayed the story to HR, and they said they were never told about it, nor was there anything they could do. In the state of Florida, you can be terminated for practically anything, proof or no proof. I get companies want to handle things differently, but animal abuse should not be ignored, especially from a company that prides themselves in "positive training." The dogs from the company do amazing things for the blind and service community, but I don't feel safe knowing that an employee, who works with the dogs personally with no management present, is a known animal abuser, and has been reported to management and HR. She lost her job due to this, and that isn’t fair to her. You shouldn’t be fired for trying to better your workplace and get rid of a monster.
My girlfriend is not looking to get her job back, we just want this information to be brought to the attention of the communities that this company reaches out to, and hope some sort of change comes to it. Thank you for reading, and please help us make Southeastern Guide Dogs a safe place for your companions.
happyforyoubutami 5 points 3y ago
The company is not going to fire someone because someone else says that employee once behaved not-great (but not illegally) on personal time to non-work related property (your dog) in a private setting. Putting a dog in a headlock may seem mean, but it isn’t illegal. And they just have to go by your GF’s word about an action she didn’t approve of. It wouldn’t be appropriate to censure the employee for this, better yet fire them.
You aren’t right about what you wanted to occur.
You aren’t right about what you wanted to occur.
Rocker213 [OP] 0 points 3y ago
In the state of Florida, animal abuse is labeled as a felony. Also, she has been known to slam dogs AT Southeastern to the ground, which the company prides itself on no negative reinforcement.
happyforyoubutami 4 points 3y ago
What you described occurred in your house would not be interpreted as animal abuse.
If she goes against the tenets of the company during company time to company property (the dogs), that’s different. But that wasn’t the main point in your post, so if your girlfriend presented it similarly, I’m not surprised that they took it as a personal experience with the employee rather than employee misconduct on the job.
If she goes against the tenets of the company during company time to company property (the dogs), that’s different. But that wasn’t the main point in your post, so if your girlfriend presented it similarly, I’m not surprised that they took it as a personal experience with the employee rather than employee misconduct on the job.
Rocker213 [OP] 0 points 3y ago
I was fired once for something I did outside of work off the clock. You can be fired because someone doesn’t like the way you look in Florida. A history of animal abuse should be a HUGE red flag to a company like Southeastern. Management has been made aware of her abusing the dogs there, and nothing has been done about it. She leaves the dogs outside without supervision, which is against protocol, she sits on the computer doing school work, which in turn is neglecting the dogs. So yes, she should be fired.
happyforyoubutami 3 points 3y ago
Again, I have no opinion on whether she should be fired for misconduct at work; just that it isn’t surprising they didn’t just act on “she was mean to my dog once.”
You can fire someone for no reason, but once you have “someone you have a negative history with told us about something you did once”, it gets murky. Even if you can legally fire them, that doesn’t mean you won’t get pulled into employment litigation, etc.
Also, if they fired your GF over her telling them this, there is way more going on.
Also, letting the dogs outside or working on the computer while not paying attention to dogs isn’t neglect. It might be being a crappy employee and against protocol, but if that is animal neglect, every pet parent who works from home is neglecting their dogs.
You can fire someone for no reason, but once you have “someone you have a negative history with told us about something you did once”, it gets murky. Even if you can legally fire them, that doesn’t mean you won’t get pulled into employment litigation, etc.
Also, if they fired your GF over her telling them this, there is way more going on.
Also, letting the dogs outside or working on the computer while not paying attention to dogs isn’t neglect. It might be being a crappy employee and against protocol, but if that is animal neglect, every pet parent who works from home is neglecting their dogs.
razzretina 1 points 3y ago
Unfortunately this isn't the first time I've heard of something like this happening outside one of the major three schools. Pilot Dogs is notorious not just for animal abuse but abuse of the blind people attending classes for dogs. I hope this school does something about that trainer. No dog should ever, EVER be high collared that hard or for that long!
Rocker213 [OP] 2 points 3y ago
It really disappoints me that this isn’t a single incident, but is happening elsewhere as well. I really hope my message makes it out so that we can hopefully change this behavior.
ginsenshi 1 points 3y ago
Some of Pilot dogs training methods are a little bit old fashion. My husband had a now retired dog from them and he was trained very well. He, personally, had a good experience with Pilot dogs. I am currently a graduate of Southeastern, and I am getting my next dog from pilot. Both Southeastern and Pilot dogs are I GDF certified
I believe what most people hear about pilot is people just disgruntled with one individual experience and it’s not the school but just people being angry about one individual situation. Southeastern used to have a similar rep reputation.
I believe what most people hear about pilot is people just disgruntled with one individual experience and it’s not the school but just people being angry about one individual situation. Southeastern used to have a similar rep reputation.
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