It's got to be harder than that. Seeing-eye dogs have the shit trained out of them -- figuratively and literally -- so that they aren't an unduly burdensome accommodation. To the degree that the neighbors are conscious that they are living next to an unregulated pony farm, it seems possible that the Spiteri's aren't holding up their end of the "help animal" covenant.
Plus, a community making a large accommodation because a fifty-minute car drive is "difficult" and the fact that we only have one side of the story that pony therapy is a valid way (much less the best way) of building core muscle strength in children stricken with cerebral palsy. And I don't think that we can be so quick to dismiss the possibility that this is a bad situation for the pony being on an enclosed lot without other horsey companions. I won't go so far as to say that the headline should have been "Uppity mother believes that she is above zoning laws, civil responsibilities", but it seems more complex than "Mom good, town bad".
Yeah, this whole thing is a nightmare from a moral standpoint. There are so many different angles to it that having a solid position requires ignorance of the big picture.
Well, there's precedent for miniature ponies being service animals, and plus the definition of service animal can be a lot of things. Seeing eye dogs are trained, and assistance animals are too. But Cats and dogs that are used to help treat depression are service animals and require no training.
Ponies are used in urban areas when they're used as assistance animals, in apartments and stuff. No one complains about smells from them as far as I've seen.
I agree, our local police use horses for downtown patrols and our city doesn't smell like an unkempt stable. But that's sort of my point, because police horses wear diapers and I presume there is a lot of grooming and some sort of magic hay involved. Are the Spiteris significantly less compassionate toward their wider community or are their neighbors just a bunch of whiny haters? I can't tell from here.
I also don't know about the vagaries of Canadian law. In the United States, this might be a rough road for the family. The pony would be much closer in spirit to a therapy animal than a service animal or an emotional support animal, but I get the feeling that a therapy animal comes and goes with the health care professional and its care and treatment is presumably well-regulated. Even emotional support animals aren't "freebies"; frex in Woodside Village v. Hertzmark, FH-FL Rptr. ¶ 18,129 (Conn. Sup. Ct. 1993), the court found that you could justly evict a mentally disabled resident who didn't "scoop up" after his emotional support dog.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 04:41 pm (UTC)JERRY: I know, I hated those kids. In fact, I hate anyone that ever had a pony when they were growing up.
MANYA: ...I had a pony.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-01 03:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 04:46 pm (UTC)And some organized person posted all the email addresses. Even better.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 05:18 pm (UTC)Plus, a community making a large accommodation because a fifty-minute car drive is "difficult" and the fact that we only have one side of the story that pony therapy is a valid way (much less the best way) of building core muscle strength in children stricken with cerebral palsy. And I don't think that we can be so quick to dismiss the possibility that this is a bad situation for the pony being on an enclosed lot without other horsey companions. I won't go so far as to say that the headline should have been "Uppity mother believes that she is above zoning laws, civil responsibilities", but it seems more complex than "Mom good, town bad".
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 05:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 10:05 pm (UTC)Ponies are used in urban areas when they're used as assistance animals, in apartments and stuff. No one complains about smells from them as far as I've seen.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 11:18 pm (UTC)It's seriously outrageous that it costs $800 (plus) to appear in front of town council, though. Here I thought they were called civil servants.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-28 04:51 pm (UTC)I also don't know about the vagaries of Canadian law. In the United States, this might be a rough road for the family. The pony would be much closer in spirit to a therapy animal than a service animal or an emotional support animal, but I get the feeling that a therapy animal comes and goes with the health care professional and its care and treatment is presumably well-regulated. Even emotional support animals aren't "freebies"; frex in Woodside Village v. Hertzmark, FH-FL Rptr. ¶ 18,129 (Conn. Sup. Ct. 1993), the court found that you could justly evict a mentally disabled resident who didn't "scoop up" after his emotional support dog.