[Flagdu] FW: [nagdu] A CCB resolution on changes to have certification for service dogs

Thu Apr 3 13:53:03 UTC 2014

I partially agree with the intent of having service animals more
identifiable, I don't know if requiring documentation is the way to go.
However, I travel a lot with my guide dog and gaining access is a lot
simpler if I showed and ID rather than stating access laws and the fact that
I don't need an ID to gain access.  I do think educating the public is
important and any one who truly needs a service animal is entitled to one.
I have met several veterans that have successfully integrated into public
life when they are accompanied by their "PSTD" dog, but I really do have a
problem with ill mannered, yappy little dogs that people claim they need for
emotional support.  For that matter, we all should be able to carry little
dogs around every where we go.  If anything, I would like to have some way
to require that a service animal will be well behaved and well controlled by
their handler, that the animal does not interfere with other people and
their service animal.  Debbie Hietala 

-----Original Message-----
From: Flagdu [mailto:flagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sherrill
O'Brien
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 4:59 PM
To: 'Florida Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: [Flagdu] FW: [nagdu] A CCB resolution on changes to have
certification for service dogs

Hello all,

I wanted to pass along this email from the nagdu list which of course is
getting a flurry of responses. 
The following resolution is from the California Council of the Blind, to be
presented at their state convention. I'd love to hear your thoughts. How big
a problem is this really, and how can we help businesses to deal with this
challenge?
Sherrill 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of L Gwizdak
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 2:45 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] A CCB resolution on changes to have certification for
service dogs

Whereas: Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act defines the rights
of people with disabilities to access places of public accommodation, and

Whereas: These access rights are extended to service animal handlers as
defined in the 2011 ADA Accessibility Guidelines, and

Whereas: These service animal access rights are also guaranteed by numerous
state and local statutes, and

Whereas, Due to weaknesses in the relevant legislation and the general
ignorance that exists about the legal definition of service animals and of
their access rights, there exists an epidemic of persons fraudulently
bringing their pets into places of public accommodation under the pretext
that they are service animals, and

Whereas, The presence and bad behavior of fake service animals in places of
public accommodation places the access rights of legitimate service animal
handlers at risk, Therefore be it

Resolved by Guide Dog Users of California meeting at the Arden West Hilton
Hotel in Sacramento, California on April 12, 2014 that this organization
shall strive to put an end to service animal fraud by  actively
participating in a coalition of like-minded groups to advocate for the
following changes in law and to engage in  other related activities.

1. The coalition shall seek changes to ADA regulations and to other relevant
federal statutes and regulations  as follows.

1.1. The ADA regulations must be amended to permit providers of public
accommodations to require service animal handlers to show documentation to
verify the status of their animals as a condition for extending their
accommodation rights to their animals.

1.2. Federal law must permit states and local governments to enact service
animal licensure requirements to make it easier for providers of public
accommodations to distinguish service animals from pets, provided that such
licensure requirements do not impede the access rights of service animal
handlers and that the licensure requirements are no more costly than those
imposed on pet owners..

1.3. Federal law must  restrict  the interstate sale of service animal
identification products to legitimate service animal training programs and
to individuals who can provide proof of the status of their service animals.
Vendors who fail to follow these requirements must be subject to fines large
enough to discourage the traffic in fake service animal products.

2. The coalition must develop model state laws and regulations as described
below and then advocate throughout the nation for the enactment of these
statutes.

2.1. States must implement service animal license laws compliant with item
1.2 above.  These laws must provide for the licensing of animals issued
through recognized training programs and also provide for the licensing of
self-trained service animals.

2.2. States must enact prohibitions on the intrastate sale of fraudulent
service animal identification products that are comparable to the
prohibitions described in item 1.3.

3. The Coalition shall develop and execute an education campaign to inform
the public about the definition of a service animal, about the access rights
of service animal handlers and about the negative consequences of and the
legal penalties for service animal fraud.

Frank Welte
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Gduc-l at ccbnet.org
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Lyn and Landon
"Asking who's the man and who's the woman in an LGBT relationship is like 
asking which chopstick is the fork" - Unknown
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mardi Hadfield" <wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2014 7:48 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] It's a go

> Jewel, good luck in your class.Hope you get that special dog and have many
> years of partnership.I hope you won't get rained on to much,lol.Have a
> great time in class. Mardi and Shaman and Neechee.
>
> -- 
> http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
> http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
> _______________________________________________
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