[BlindTlk] Court Ruling Affirms Ownership of Guide Dog by Blind Handler

[Ericka]

Praise God!

Ericka Nelson

> On Jun 8, 2021, at 4:55 PM, Marion via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Please distribute the following message as widely as appropriate. If you
> follow us at <Facebook.com/asap411>. You will be among the first to receive
> these announcements.
> 
> 
> 
> COURT RULING AFFIRMS RIGHT OF GUIDE DOG HANDLER'S OWNERSHIP
> 
> 
> 
> June 7, 2021
> 
> 
> 
>                On March 4, 2021, without warning, without cause, and
> without authority to do so, Southeastern guide Dogs cruelly and forcibly
> removed the guide dog of Rev. Susan Blake, an Episcopal priest for the
> diocese of Orlando. Deanna Miller, a guide dog mobility instructor from
> Southeastern showed up at Rev. Blake's home unannounced and demanded to see
> Rev. Blake's guide dog, Didi. Ms. Miller told Rev. Blake that Didi appeared
> to be about four pounds overweight, a violation of their contract and a
> cause for repossession. Ms. Miller literally pulled the harnessed guide dog
> from Rev. Blake's arms as she pleaded with Deanna Miller to not take Didi
> away.
> 
> 
> 
>                On May 20, a Columbia County Sheriff's Office deputy, acting
> upon a court order known as a writ of replevin, retrieved Didi from the
> puppy-raiser's home where Southeastern had placed Didi. Representatives of
> Advocates for Service Animal Partners traveled to Columbia County, retrieved
> Didi, and returned her to Rev. Blake seventy-seven days after she was
> snatched away. 
> 
> 
> 
>                On June 7, 2021, the Honorable Sara Carter held a
> preliminary hearing in Columbia County Civil Court to determine whether Rev.
> Susan Blake or the puppy-raiser is Didi's rightful owner. The judge's
> preliminary ruling is that Southeastern Guide Dogs had no legal right to
> repossess Rev. Blake's dog without an injunction for specific action as
> provided for in their "Transfer of Ownership" agreement. Judge Carter
> affirmed Rev. Blake owns Didi and she should remain with Rev. Blake until
> the final hearing. A final hearing will be held in the near future in which
> the puppy-raisers will be afforded the opportunity to contest these findings
> of fact. 
> 
> 
> 
>                "This is a major victory for guide dog users across the
> country explains Marion Gwizdala, president of Advocates for Service Animal
> Partners which supported and guided Rev. Blake through this process. "The
> judge has ruled that Southeastern Guide Dogs cannot interfere with our right
> to own our guide dogs without a court order."
> 
> 
> 
>                Gwizdala contends Southeastern Guide Dogs is not the only
> guide dog training program that treats their consumers with such cruelty and
> disregard for their fundamental right of due process by employing
> intimidating heavy-handed authoritarian practices. This ruling puts those
> training programs on notice that their blind consumers will not stand for
> this Draconian maltreatment.
> 
> 
> 
>                "This case has created a lot of buzz within the guide dog
> training industry," asserts Gwizdala. "It is causing them to review their
> policies and practices to ensure they are treating their blind consumers
> with dignity and respect." Says Gwizdala. 
> 
> 
> 
> About ASAP
> 
>                Advocates for Service Animal Partners (ASAP) is a network of
> volunteer service animal advocates. Our goal is to encourage, educate, and
> support service animal handlers through printed and electronic publications,
> Informational webinars, recorded educational materials, and direct advocacy
> support, intervention, and mediation. In support of this mission, we also
> work to educate employers, governmental entities, private companies, housing
> accommodations, and the airline industry about the rights, responsibilities,
> and limitations of access under state and federal law. For more information,
> please contact
> 
> 
> 
> Marion Gwizdala, President
> 
> Advocates for Service Animal Partners Inc.
> 
> <mailto:Advocacy411 at gmail.com> Advocacy411 at gmail.com
> 
> 386-2727411 (386-ASAP411)
> 
> Facebook.com/asap411/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> BlindTlk mailing list
> BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindTlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/dotwriter1%40gmail.com