Disabled student retires service dog after it's allegedly attacked

By Alicia A. Caldwell
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 10, 1996


Arizona Daily Wildcat

Joy VanVeen and her service dog

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A disabled UA student says she must retire her service dog after it was attacked by an unleashed dog on campus, and she is now trying to get all non-service dogs banned from campus.

Joy VanVeen, animal sciences junior, said she and her service dog have been assaulted on five different occasions on the UA Mall and near the Student Union.

VanVeen said she has asked the Association of Students with Disabilities for its support in banning the dogs from campus.

She said she notified university police after each of the incidents, but officers only responded to her complaints twice.

VanVeen notified Pima County Animal Control regarding the animal in question and was told that Animal Control was not able to approach the campus without the university's permission.

VanVeen said that since these incidents, her service dog can not accompany her to campus.

Without the dog she will be unable to ride the bus to campus, open doors without the assistance of others or carry things while on campus. All of these tasks were performed by her dog.

Her dog can no longer perform these tasks because of the trauma it experienced during the alleged assaults, VanVeen said.

"I now do not have a service dog for at least six months and possibly long after that," VanVeen said. "I have also lost around $800 for the cost of the dog and service training."

Acting Lt. Brian Seastone of the University of Arizona Police Department said there have been only two calls logged from VanVeen and that an officer was dispatched to the scene on both occasions.

Seastone said the owner of the dog in question, Judy Rae Beck, 22, of the 100 block of East University Boulevard, was cited Sept. 23 for failure to comply with the state law requiring all dogs to be on a leash, held by the owner or individual in control of the animal, while in public.

Beck is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 23.

UAPD has received seven animal related calls this semester, Seastone said.

A spokeswoman from Pima County Animal Control said it receives an average of eight calls each month to the university compared to over 2,000 calls per month citywide.

Pima County Animal Control has full control of the entire county, including the UA campus, Seastone said.

All persons not complying with the leash law are subject to citation.

"It is in violation of the state code and it is enforced," Seastone said.

Several attempts to contact Beck were unsuccessful. However, her roommate, Melanie Gilman, said she has witnessed all of the alleged attacks.

"Serene (the dog in question) never attacks other dogs," Gilman said. "She has walked over and sniffed Joy's dog, but never did anything to her or the dog."

Gilman went on to say that Beck's dog is afraid of most other dogs.


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