Perhaps Miss Reinkemeyer should donate $20,000 to her local Democratic club, and have it earmarked for Nixon’s gubernatorial campaign. I hear that makes your troubles instantly vanish.

I was questioned by Todd Bickle of the MO attorney general’s office because we received a diabetes alert dog through HSP. We asked for, and got a fully trained dog. We did not wish to opt for the training program because we knew the dog’s training only started at HSP, would have to be completed by our family and it could takes months or even a year or longer — just as it does to train guide dogs, seizure dogs, and police dogs. This as a case brought reluctantly by the AG, because of daily, intense pressure by one particular family who began contacting other clients and applying pressure to get them to join in the allegations.

HSP makes a very clear distinction between fully trained dogs and dogs-in-training. It is in HSP contracts and on the HSP website.

HSP offers a unique program that teaches others how to train their own dogs — it takes hours of work and a dedication many families may not be up for. Several families who took the class seemed to strongly believe by the end of the class the dog should have been fully-trained.

Training service animals takes 1-2 years of dedication by the trainer. No service animal can be trained in three weeks and HSP never made any representations to that end.

Until a court decision is rendered, it is important for all consumers to remember anyone can file complaints and allegations and it is up to the courts to decide if they are valid. For the handful of folks who attended classes expecting miracles that were not promised, I find it very sad that they may be tainting a reputable organization and the chances of others benefitting from a diabetes alert dog. I also find it very curious the complaints are also brought about by members of a competing organization.

I have also received a diabetic alert service dog from HSP. I also cannot understand how some can suppossedly read and sign a contract in addition to read information that has been clearly posted on HSP’s website, and still think that at the end of their 3 week class they will have a fully trained diabetic alert service dog. As with Laura, I know from personal experience that it takes much longer than 3 weeks to train a service dogh. In addition to that I sent letters to both Mr Dixon and to the case investigator at the AG’s office and never got a response. Kind of makes me wonder whether the AG’s office is really interested in the truth. The diabetic alert service dog that I received from HSP has been the best thing that has happened to inprove the care of my type 1 diabetes. She alerts to 95%+ of ALL of my low blood sugars (and I have a lot), and is one of the best trained service dogs around. She has saved my life on more than one occassion. Why would anyone want to mess that up for others to benefit from is beyond me.

I would like to say that my son received a service dog from Heaven Scent Paws in February of this year. Our dog alerts and has done a wonderful job of helping us to monitor our son’s blood sugar levels. This dog has been a blessing for our family and I would not trade him for anything in this world.

It is my express wish that the Attorney General try to take the time from his busy schedule to speak with other individuals that have completed the Heaven Scent Paws program so that he could see that if you follow what you were instructed or advised from the time you began this process until now, you would see the correct results of this program. This was clearly stated from the beginning of this process of obtaining a service dog that the dog we received would not be a fully trained dog after the three week class we attended but a work in progress.

I would also like to express that it is my opinion that this has been a vendetta by people who are simply jealous of Ms. Reinkemeyer and the program she has worked so hard to build and share with others who have diabetic loved ones.

I second the comment made by Ms. Henninger that I think that this is ludicrous that one small group of individuals who have a seperate agenda with a competing organization can wreak this much havoc on one person who did nothing but attempt to help them and their loved ones.

I apologize, but I forgot to ask a question.
To the Attorney General, when I sent in my letter to your office along with a video of how my son’s service dog acts and trains, I never got a response indicating what you thought. So does that mean that because we were supporting HSP, our information was simply file thirteened in the round basket?

Dearest AG,

What ever happened to hearing BOTH sides of a story??? I’m a college educated woman and this entire story sounds a bit bias to me. Are you taking sides without even consulting with other individuals who have been through HSP and have had success and a better life now to live because of them? I sent in a letter to your office and asked for someone to give me a call and question me on my experience. My husband called and talked to Mr. Brickle and he stated that he would call him back with further questions as needed, but obviously the complaints were better publicity to get your office noticed and in the lime-light and so it’s better to side with and roll with negativity because it sure as h*** gets more attention! Isn’t it ironic to you that all the individuals (mostly females…drama… and one male) who are filing these complaints are now ALL working alongside and with one of HSP’s business competitors. Now you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to put that one together!

I received a Diabetic Alert Service Dog from HSP this past Feb. I maintained tomyself in class and just fucosed on what I was there to attain, a dog taht I would bond with and continue to work with to further enhance his/her alerting skills, as I knew from the day that I applied to HSP that I WASN”T getting a fully trained dog. I knew that it was going to take continuous work on my part when I got back home and taht the alerts would slowly beging and grow stroinger as I bonded with my dog and continued working with him/her at home for months to come.

Kora, my Service Dog from HSP, is a gentle giant and she has saved my life on more than several occassions. She alerts me to my highs and lows and although she isn’t 100%, which I don’t expect her to be, I can tell you that with the daily work and exercise taht I do with her, she has come a LONG way from the time she came home with us. She doesn’t just alert me, she alerts my husband and my 5 y/o daughter. Kora has been in many social events, from weddings, to high social functions with other service dogs and she was recognized as the Service Dog with the best obedience and they even saw her alert to my needs at the function. Now how can you tell me that HSP dogs DON”T work.

Let’s do the equation here. All the dogs are trained the same way through HSP. All dogs were given at the same time (at least the first round) in the Feb. 2008 class, then people started b******* and complaining that they didn’t like their dog, that their dog didn’t work with them, that their dog was this or that. Well, how is that that when ALL the dogs are trained in the same way, most are working and others “aren’t”??? Why don’t you question the way that these individuals who are making all these complaints, have actually continued training with their HSP dogs once back at home? It’s like potty training a child, which as a good parent we all would know that it takes TIME, practice, patience and diligent work. It sure as h*** doesn’t magically just happen. Theses individuals making the complaints weren’t even home from the Feb. 2008 training class for a month and they were already filing complaints. How fair was/is that to HSP or did those individuals have a set out agenda from the get go????

I’ve truly benefited more than 100% from Kora and my association with HSP and I stand for and fight for what I believe to be right and so until a higher authority renders an otherwise decision perhaps eyes should be opened and mouths closed. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but don’t let your opinions hinder a person who might need help against this horrible disease of Type 1 Diabetes that they batle with daily.

You’ve got my e-mail address, PLEASE feel free to contact me at anytime!

I too attended the February class and did witness the group of people that did not seem to be satisfied. I also seen the entire staff of HSP go above and beyond to satisfy these people. I can not speak as to the specific reasons they were not satisfied. I can say that my son’s dog is genuine and has been a blessing. This comes with the training,time,and hard work. The list could easily be longer and that would be fine since it is for my son. The three week class was simply to prepare you for what was to come and was made very clear. I would also like to give an opinion. My opinion is the money used for these dog’s was raised through fund raising for the training,the dog,but ultimately the diabetic. How could anyone ask for a monetary settlement when the money used was not theirs and was given with the love and generosity of many. This does not include the time,effort,compassion,support,ability,knowledge,and so on given by HSP staff.

This is absurd. My son has a service dog that saves his life every day. In order for the dog to alert, it must be trained everyday. It breaks my heart to see someone so loving who tries to make life better for others be attacked. Mr. Nixon better do his homework on this one.

I can not believe this is happening. I guess the squeaky wheel does get the grease. Out of hundreds of people you have 2 maybe 3 people who are not satisfied with the dog they got and now all the sudden HSP can not train dogs. That is the most ridicules thing I have ever heard of. Not to mention these same people are working with the competitor. This is just politics at work. If the AG is picking up on this and taking it forward then I must question the ability of their office and wonder if there is not a hidden agenda. You show me one, just one, business that has 100% satisfaction rate. You are always going to have some people who want something for nothing. If you would read your contract you might just find that there is a section in it that states the dogs are not fully trained and you would have to continue the training. If you wanted a fully trained dog then you should have selected that option with HSP. I think this is going to backfire on the AG when this goes to court because there are going to be A LOT of people there to testify for HSP and all he is going to have is 2 or 3 people on his side, not very good odds.

I “will be” receiving a Seizure Alert Dog from HSP in the near future and can not believe the controversy going on from just one persons opinion on what their dog did or did not do.

It states on the web page that is is a dog in training. How can you apply for a dog and not read the web page. It states it again in the paperwork they send you to read over and in the contract that you sign. This is three different places you can’t tell me they missed all three of them. It tells you that this is a dog in training not a full alert dog. That you will have to do more work at home.

You do not just take it home and say “Go to work” “Ok do your thing”. This is not a vacuum cleaner that you just press the on button and it works. You have to plug it in and move it around the house and do some of the work as well. You cant expect to get a dog and it work for you from day one after just having it for two weeks.

My family and I are on HSP’s side and will be right there by their side the whole way through to the best of our ability here in Texas.

Jewl,

Information on Seizure Response/Alert Dogs
http://www.homestead.com/Tagert/MsJewl.html