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Listener Julie was kind enough to provide us with research for an episode about service animals: where they come from, how they are trained, what are the alternatives to non-human assistance for disabled folks.

In This Episode

News

• Why California leapfrogged the 2020 primary schedule (CNN)
• Chick-fil-A testing new vegan side dish at select restaurants (ABC)
• Arkansas Outlaws Labeling Cauliflower Rice as “Rice” (VegNews)

Joke(s) in the Middle

Do you want to hear a joke about construction? (thanks, Marja!) What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhino? (thanks, New Amsterdam!)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned in the Middle

• AOC poppin’ off about “elitism” of Green New Deal (Facebook) – clock those gestures, yes girl!
• Chipotle “Pure Imagination” commercial: The Scarecrow (Vimeo)
• Check us out on Livegan! Episode #67!

Main Topic

Thank you to Julie for this wonderful research!!! Content Warning: discussion of use of animals for service, training and breeding practices Before you listen: we do not want this episode to be interpreted as ableist or blaming those who need animal assistance; rather to shed light on what the reality of service animals are and how we should be trying to shape the world to facilitate these functions without the use of a non-human animal, through technology, process or human assistance. Topics covered in this episode: where do service animals come from (breeding, training), how are they assigned to folks in need, some services that these animals provide, what the working life of a service animal looks like, ethical issues with service animals, and alternatives. Resources

• Whitmarsh, Lorraine (April 2005). “The Benefits Of Guide Dog Ownership”. Visual Impairment Research. 7 (1): 27–42.
• Breeding Code of Ethics (Guide Dogs UK)
• An Investigation of the Complexities of Successful and Unsuccessful Guide Dog Matching and Partnerships (NIH)
• Jones, Daisy (2016) Understanding why guide dogs fail to meet their predicted qualification outcomes (MRes thesis, University of Nottingham)
• Guide Dogs of America
• Guide Dogs of UK
• Guide Dogs of West Australia