Policies

Complaint Resolution Policy

It is the policy of Retrieving Independence that applicants/clients/graduates, volunteers and the general public should have an opportunity to present their complaints and to appeal management decisions through a dispute resolution procedure. Retrieving Independence will attempt to resolve promptly all disputes that are appropriate for handling under this policy. 

  • Retrieving Independence hopes that most concerns regarding disputes/complaints at Retrieving Independence may be settled by the people closest to the issue.
  • This dispute resolution procedure has steps to follow, however, disputes may be resolved at any step in the process. Disputes will be processed until the complainant is satisfied, or does not appeal the decision made during any of the steps of the dispute resolution process. A decision becomes binding on all parties when a complainant does not appeal the decision or when a decision is made in the final step and the right of appeal no longer exists.
  • Complainants who feel they have an appropriate dispute should proceed as follows:
    • Step One– Promptly bring the complaint to the attention of the immediate person in charge. If the dispute involves that most immediate person, then the complainant may proceed directly to step two. The person in charge should investigate the complaint, attempt to resolve it, and give a decision to the complainant within a reasonable time. The person in charge should prepare a written and dated summary of the dispute and proposed resolution for the file. If the complainant and person in charge are not able to resolve the issue or if the complainant is dissatisfied with the decision, the complainant may proceed to the next higher level of management.
    • Step Two– Promptly bring the complaint to the attention of the next level of management, continuing to the Executive  Director/CEO/President, if the complainant is dissatisfied with the decision. If the concern is not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction by the Executive Director/CEO/President, the complainant may submit a request for review in writing to the President of the agency board. The President/equivalent of the agency board will hear the case and make a final decision.
    • Step Three– Should a satisfactory resolution of a complaint not be reached within the mechanism provided by the ADI Accredited Member or Candidate Program, the ADI Operations Administrator will receive a written complaint form from the complainant, and recommend to the ADI program that they make every attempt to resolve the situation. ADI does not judge the merits or attempts to resolve a complaint. ADI is concerned that the ADI Accredited Member or Candidate program meets ADI’s Minimum Standards and Ethics and has a complaint policy and practices a procedure which offers the complainant an avenue of appeal up the chain of command to the board of directors of the program. ADI does not have the investigative expertise or resources to mediate or resolve complaints.
  • Information concerning a complainant dispute should be confidential. Those who investigate a complaint may discuss it only with those individuals who have a “need to know” about it or who are needed to supply necessary background information or advice.

Healthcare Policy

RI’s veterinarian is Dr. Hayley Robinson at Belle Meade Animal Hospital. If you have a medical question or concern about your RI dog, please contact the hospital during regular business hours. Dogs occasionally will have routine vet appointments (typically during weekday/weekend furloughs). You will be made aware of these in advance.

For illness/injury/emergencies during regular business hours (M-F 7:30 am – 6:00 pm, Sat 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, and closed on Sunday):

  • Call Belle Meade Animal Hospital (Office number: 615-352-4370)
  • Let them know it is about a Retrieving Independence dog, they will connect you with Dr. Hayley Robinson
  • If Dr. Robinson is not available, they will connect you with another vet
  • Dr. Robinson does not carry her phone while at work so please do not text during office hours unless she has requested information

If after hours:

  • Text Dr. Tobe Singleton at 615-347-2332 (for concerns that cannot wait until BMAH’s office hours)
  • Note: Dr. Singleton is a mobile vet and is not with Belle Meade Animal Hospital, she may ask that you relay information to BMAH during office hours

If the dog’s life is in imminent danger:

  • Contact Blue Pearl 615-333-1212 (3020 Mallory Ln, Franklin, TN 37067)
  • Blue Pearl has an RI credit card on file
  • Please also try to contact Lesley or Britteny prior to taking your dog to the vet

For other non-emergency questions:

Dr. Robinson: hayley@retrievingindependence.org
Belle Meade Animal Hospital
6210 Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37205
Office number: 615-352-4370 (during office hours)
Dr. Robinson’s Cell: (615) 473-4073
bellemeadeanimalhospital.com

COVID-19 Protocols at BMAH:

  1.  Belle Meade Animal Hospital will be curbside for the foreseeable future. Please pull around to the side of the building (by the back yard where the fence is, towards the parking garage) and call when you arrive (615-352-4370). RI dogs are not allowed into the front of the building for safety reasons. There are no exceptions to this rule.
  2.  Please wear a mask whenever you interact with a BMAH employee. This means when you hand off or pick up the dogs. This is the best way we can protect each other when not able to maintain social distancing.
  3.  Please be patient and flexible with staff. This virus is challenging on everyone and makes everything take longer. They currently have longer hold times, and appointments take longer with curbside service. BMAH has had a great relationship with RI for the last 5 years and would like to continue that relationship. Please know when staff work RI dogs into the schedule, they are adding them to an already busy schedule. Please be patient, respectful and kind to their employees at all times.

Vaccinations:

Britteny will let you know when your RI dog needs annual vaccinations. It is important these get scheduled in a timely manner. Keep in mind, an unvaccinated dog is a liability to RI, and could cause the organization to be fined. If you need assistance with scheduling and/or logistics, please contact Britteny to assist.

Britteny Watson, email: britteny@retrievingindependence.org

Inclusivity Statement

At Retrieving Independence, we strive to live like our service dogs – we accept and value all people. To this do this, we follow these guiding principles:

  • We commit to the equitable treatment of every staff member, volunteer, inmate trainer, potential and current recipients, and of the broader community we serve.
  • We commit to show respect and acceptance, with a focus on celebrating the unique perspectives we all bring to the organization.
  • We acknowledge and honor the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals.
  • We strive to eliminate discrimination in all its forms.
  • We vow to use our voice to speak out against injustice and protect those who are under resourced, under-represented, and marginalized.

Privacy Policy

Retrieving Independence (RI) places a high priority on protecting your privacy. This privacy policy was created in order to demonstrate RI’s firm commitment to the privacy of our members and website users. This policy explains what types of information is collected by the RI website, riservicedogs.org, and how this information is used.

What Personally Identifiable Information is Collected

Council of Nonprofits members that register for riservicedogs.org and individuals that sign up to receive RI e-communications voluntarily provide us with contact information (such as name and e-mail address). We may use this information for specific, limited purposes. You may always “opt out,” either now or at any time in the future, if you do not wish to receive our messages.

IP addresses

RI uses your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server, to administer riservicedogs.org, and for statistical metrics used to track website visitor traffic.

Cookies

riservicedogs.org uses “cookie” messages to automatically help provide better services. They remind us who you are and your preferences for our website based on what you’ve done and told us before. The “cookie” is placed in your computer and is read when you come back to our website. Cookies let us take you to the information and features you’re particularly interested in. They also let us track your usage of riservicedogs.org, so we know which parts of our sites are most popular. You can reject cookies or cancel them by instructing your Web browser accordingly.

How Your Information May Be Used

We use your personal information to provide you with personalized service; to send e-mail alerts to you; to answer your requests; to process any applications; etc. You may choose to opt out at any time, which will cease all communications from us. We may also use your information to track visitors of our website. This lets us see which of our features are the most popular so we can better serve our users’ needs. It also lets us provide aggregate data about our traffic (not identifying you personally, but showing how many visitors used which features, for example) to outside parties.

Email Privacy

RI does not provide, sell, or rent email addresses to anyone outside the organization.

External Links

riservicedogs.org includes links to external websites. These links do not fall under the riservicedogs.org domain, and RI is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of external websites. Your use of any linked website is solely at your own risk.

Modifications

We may amend this privacy policy from time to time; please review it periodically. We maintain the option to modify this privacy at any time by electronic notice posted on our website. Your continued use of our website after the date that such notices are posted will be deemed to be your agreement to the changed terms.

RI Service Dog: Release Dog Guideline

When a dog in the program does not meet all the stringent requirements to be a service dog, they are released from the program. These are still exceptional dogs, and the RI community is dedicated to making sure they go on to have a wonderful life.

Adoption waiting list order: 

  1. Puppy raiser of the release dog
  2. Furlough team of the release dog
  3. General population of RI volunteers
  4. RI board of directors, staff, and past recipients
  5. Family/friends of the puppy raiser
  6. Family/friends of the furlough team
  7. General population, board, and staff family/friends

Due to the large amount of people in the list above, we are no longer accepting applications from individuals in the community who don’t have one of these connections to RI. We feel it’s in the best interest of the dogs to remain in our smaller community of dog lovers!

At the time of adoption, we will have the new family fill out the release information… there is not an application process at this time.

Safety Protocols

We have put together some basic safety tips so that you can be aware of and understand the many health hazards present in the average home and activities and be able to make these safer for the Retrieving Independence dogs while they are in your care. Please remember that while the dogs are with you, they must be supervised at all times.

Staying Safe In The Car

You do need to learn a few things though about traveling with the dog in your car.

Traveling By Car

  • Never let the dog ride in the back of a pickup.
  • Don’t allow him to ride in the front seat, as he can be injured by airbags or thrown into the windshield.
  • Use the dog safety belt to secure the dog in the back seat or add a carabiner to secure the dog in the back section of an SUV.
  • Do not roll your windows down far enough in the car for the dog to jump out.
  • Do not allow the dog to stick their head or paws out open car windows.
  • Never leave the dog in a car unattended. Even if it just seems warm to you, your car can heat like an oven causing the dog to have a heat stroke or worse.
  • The main thing to remember for loading and unloading the dog is that the dog is never outside the car if you are inside the car. The dog always goes in first and comes out last.

The Loading Procedure for All Vehicles

  • Open the car door and make sure you are not standing in the way – make a “tunnel” – make space between you and the car door to allow the dog enough room, physically and visually, to get into the car.
  • Have them “load up.”
  • Ask them to “wait.”
  • Close the door.
  • You get into the car.

The Unloading Procedure for All Vehicles

  • Before you open the door ask the dog to “wait.”
  • You get out of the car.
  • Open the door for the dog.
  • Take hold of the leash.
  • Ask the dog to “unload.”
  • Ask the dog to sit so that they can be calm while you get their bag, your purse, etc.

Safety While Out

Do not let the dog off leash ANYWHERE except in a safely fenced area. All dogs can get distracted by something, run off and potentially get hit by a car. If you do not have a fenced-in backyard, please begin now to think about safe fenced-in areas where you can take the dog to let them play off leash. Maybe a playground, tennis court or a neighbor’s backyard. We do not take the dogs to dog parks. The fenced in areas are usually quite nice, but the dogs in the park may or may not have been vaccinated, the other dogs may not have good communication skills or worse, might be aggressive. You may be putting the dog in danger by taking them there.

Elevator Skills

Knowing how to enter and exit an elevator safely is particularly important.

  • Elevators are extremely dangerous for dogs on leash. You MUST enter an elevator side-by-side. If the door begins to close, you should use your body to block it open.
  • Make sure the dog is safely in or out of the elevator before you move out of the way of the door.
  • Keep the leash short enough that the dog stays next to you – having no opportunity to bolt in or out of the elevator.
  • Watch the dog’s tail when entering and exiting to make sure it is clear of the doors closing.
  • Note: NEVER take the dog on escalators or moving sidewalks. Find the stairs or an elevator to use.

Safety Outdoors

Pay attention to the temperature and plan accordingly:

  • Watch out for hot pavement as it can burn the dog’s paws.
  • If you are going to be out in the sun for an extended period, take something (like an umbrella) to provide shade, water, and a water bowl for the dog.

Be aware of the dog’s safety during outdoor activities.

  • Do not let the dog be around swimming pools unattended. Even good swimmers can find themselves unable to get out of the water without help.
  • If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, please let us know. We will further instruct you on safety around the pool.
  • Please contact us before you take a dog to any body of water that is deep enough to swim in so that we can work together to make sure the dog is safe and you have all the proper tools necessary such as a dog life jacket.
  • Don’t ever let the dog eat or drink anything off the ground that you have not given them permission to eat.
  • NEVER take the dog to firework shows. If fireworks displays are held close enough to your home for you to hear inside the house, please stay home with the dog.
  • If you go to Predators Games, you must have permission and ear protection (Mutt Muffs) for the dog. We may have some you can borrow.

Safety at Home

Look around your home and see if it is a “dog proof” environment. Think about what you would put away –either up high or behind a locked door – if a toddler were coming over to your house. Remember that these dogs have been taught to open doors – so placing potentially dangerous items in a low cupboard will not keep them out of reach for these dogs.

You will need to:

  • Put all medicines, cleaning supplies, antifreeze, and other potential poisons in areas so that the dog cannot get them.
  • Put away small objects and toys – anything on which the dog could choke. Don’t let the dog chew on knotted rawhides, ropes or tennis balls.
  • Make sure there are no poisonous plants in your house or yard – see page entitled Poisonous Plants for Dogs.
  • Check the position of electrical cords. Dogs can chew on these or just get caught on them as they walk past.
  • Close the lids of your toilets. Don’t let the dog drink from the toilet.
  • Know the location of the nearest emergency clinic and have their phone number in your phone.
  • Be familiar with the items covered in the chapter entitled Your Dog’s Health including the page entitled World’s Most Dangerous Foods for Dogs.

Social Media Policy

How we use it and our goals: We want to use social media as a way to educate our communities about the value of service dogs, the importance of proper training, and the impact that our counselors have on the inmate rehabilitation portion of our program.

What we want to avoid: We are not a religious, political, or activist organization. In our communities, we are ambassadors for the service dogs of the world, and we do not deviate outside of that lane unless it is a social issue that falls under our overall mission (i.e., disability rights, removing mental health stigmas, championing the rehabilitation of inmates, etc.)

The individual pages of our dogs are a great tool to raise awareness about the training process. It is important that the individual pages for the dogs do not reference any details about their future recipient.

For the recipients, the individual pages are a great way to ‘see’ their dog before they are placed together. These pages should not be a vehicle for communication between recipients and volunteers, especially as it relates to any questions the recipient has about the dog.

Privacy:  Our agreement with the recipient states that we will absolutely maintain their privacy. This applies to all staff, board members, volunteers, and TDOC staff/inmate trainers. We strive to restrict any specifics related to training of the dog after matching as much as possible and any information shared is to remain confidential.

Engagement: Prior to placement through the first year of placement, all RI volunteers are to limit social media contact with recipients. This not only protects the privacy of the recipients, it also limits any communication that could hinder the bonding and on-going training that is so critical in the first year. Recipients are also given this direction… any contact a volunteer receives that falls outside of this policy should be directed to Dorothy Thompson.

Best Practices

  • We love sharing more about RI and our service dogs on social media. Remember to tag RI and use the dog’s hashtag, such as #riservicedogjunebug
  • Send additional photos and videos to us so we can share them on RI’s channels.
  • Please do not engage in social media, phone, text, or face to face conversations with future and placed recipients before 1 year post placement.
  • Refrain from using the terms ‘mom’ or ‘dad’ as a volunteer for the dog on social pages that the future recipient can see. This helps them feel that the dog was always meant to be with them and alleviates any guilt about ‘taking’ the dog from a volunteer who loves them so much.

Before creating a new page for an RI service dog, contact britteny@retrievingindependence.org to review and confirm acknowledgement of this policy. Pages should be named in this way: Jones_RIServiceDogInTraining