http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30155540/
Mona Romouni is a blind woman living in Detroit. She believed that she would have to spend the rest of her life being dependent on her family, but then she found Cali. No, Cali is not a guiding eye dog, she is a horse! Muslim's believe that dogs are unpure and dirty, so Mona felt that it was unfair to bring one into her household with the rest of her family. Instead, she has trained Cali, a minature horse about the size of a dog, to be her eyes. This is very unconventional to say the least, but it has really changed Mona's life. "Before Cali, 'I had basically given up. I mean, I had been to the point where I thought, 'I'm going to get nothing out of my life,' Ramouni said. 'And having Cali ... showed me that I had forgotten about all the optimism I had as a kid. When I was a kid, I thought I could do anything. I thought everything was possible.'"
The US government is thinking of tightening the restictions of what can be considered a guide animal, so that farm animals aren't included. I can see how people think that using farm animals may not be fair to the animal, or may be unsanitary, or just weird. But, is it fair to restrict the use of animlas if they are truly successful in changing people's lives?
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This is SO cool! I'm an equestrian, and I have been riding since I was like ten years old. I know very well the capabilities of a horse. They are incredibly smart and loyal...if you find the right one. And they learn SO quickly. I think it's very innovative, not to mention absolutely adorable, that Mona uses a miniature horse instead of a dog to help her lead a more normal life. I truly hope the government considers her side of the story before restricting farm animals as guide animals.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note: I am desperately trying to convinence my senior year housemates to get a miniature horse for our backyard. Lol.