Hello,
I had signed my dog, Wallace, up for an Intro to Agility Class through the SF SPCA a couple of months ago. Wallace is a very active, energetic, young, well behaved and agile dog. He is also a tripod, missing his left hind leg. I was very excited to take him to this class as I thought it would be mentally challenging, and I also thought that he was physically more than capable to participate and learn.
The first session was yesterday at 10:15 am. Our instructor was Stacey.
As soon as we arrived to the class, Stacey took one look at Wallace, pulled me aside, and told me that he would be unable to participate in the course. She first asked me in a fairly condescending way if I understood what an agility class was. I did, in fact, understand, and I thought it could be something that my little tri-pod dog could actually excel at. She essentially told me that the course would be too dangerous for him, that there were jumps involved, shifting of weight, etc,
Now, while I appreciate her concern for Wallace’s safety, I would never put Wallace through something that would compromise his safety or health. (although, I also recognize that any time I take him out, whether it be to a dog park, Fort Funston, or even a walk, there’s always the possibility of injury to any dog, whether they have all four legs or not.) Wallace is very active and agile. He runs very fast (much to the amazement of most people who see him at a dog park, Crissy Field, etc.,) and leaps, jumps, and plays with no problems at all. He is around 2-1/2 to 3 years old.
I’m attaching the web site description of the Intro to Agility Class. No where on it does it say that the participant must not have any physical disabilities. I made certain that Wallace met all of the prerequisites. He has graduated from two of your training classes: Just the Small Basics, and Just the Basics, Two. Wallace is a very well behaved dog and he loves the mental stimulation of taking classes at the SPCA.
I’m mainly writing because I am very disappointed in how this situation was handled. Frankly, I feel like we/Wallace were discriminated against, and were not given the opportunity to show his abilities. I think there are many ways that this could have be dealt with. Ideally, I think she should have told me her concerns, had me sign the waiver (which I would sign) and let Wallace participate. If there were some specific components that she had particular concerns about with him, I would hope that she could have either modified them a bit, or simply ask us to not partake in those specific ones. I really would have hoped that she would have at least observed Wallace for a session to see what his abilities and level of comfort were. Instead, we were told as soon as we walked in that he would not be able to attend. To be fair, she did invite us to participate in the first session (while being very clear that it would be the only one that we would partake in), which I think Wallace did very well in. She did not let him participate in one component where he would be on an unstable board, which, while I think he would have been absolutely fine with, I was agreeable to not have him do it.
I’ve even talked with a friend whose dog competes in Agility. She was very upset and didn’t understand why Wallace wouldn’t be given the opportunity to at least try. Given all that she has seen of Wallace, she thought it would be something he would excel at.
I’m wondering if this is a general policy at the SF SPCA for all of your Agility classes, or if it was that of this specific instructor? If this is policy, I definitely think you need to re-write your course description stating that the class requirements does not allow dogs with any kind of disability. IF there are other Agility instructors at the SF SPCA who would welcome Wallace into their class, please let me know. I still think that he would enjoy and excel in a class like this.
I still intend to sign Wallace up for other classes at the SF SPCA, even though I’m very disappointed on how this situation was handled. I believe in your organization and think that you offer wonderful classes and opportunities for dogs and cats.
My husband and I are huge supporters of the SF SPCA. We have adopted three cats, and our dog, Wallace from your shelter over the last 16 years. We adopted Wallace nearly two years ago, and the whole experience with the SF SPCA has been fantastic. Wallace and I try to go back to the Mission Campus to visit the staff and volunteers who helped him adjust after his amputation and before his adoption. There are a few staff members, most notably Dirk and Christine who we have maintained a very lovely relationship with. They were very involved with Wallace’s recovery experience while he was at the SPCA, and know personality and disposition very well.
Lastly, I am writing to request a refund for the $175 fee that I paid to take the Intro to Agility Class. This was something that the instructor, Stacey, did offer. Please let me know how best to proceed.
I would love to have a conversation with someone on your staff about how this was handled, and any suggestions on how we should move forward. Please contact me here by email: trina@trinachow.com. I’d be happy to bring Wallace in for an assessment, or just for a meet and greet.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
-Trina Chow
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