[Flagdu] Sarge & the Giraffe`

[Tessa Urban]

This is wonderful! I have visited the zoo but I haven't taken my dog. I wasn't sure how everyone would react with her. This is wonderful and I will be passing along the picture thank you for sharing! 
Tessa

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 2, 2016, at 7:30 PM, NAGDU President via FLAGDU <flagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> 
> 
>                As most of you know, the National Association of Guide dog
> Users, a strong & proud division of the National Federation of the Blind, is
> working to enhance the experience of service animal users visiting zoos in
> the United States. In 2014, Steve Olson, Vice President of Federal
> Communications for the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, and mark Trieglaff,
> President of Acessibility Consulting & Training Services, AZA's ADA
> Consultant, came to NAGDU's annual meeting to discuss access of service
> animal users to their member zoos. This discussion has led to a very close
> and productive relationship with AZA and its members, particularly Tampa's
> Lowry Park Zoo.
> 
> 
> 
>                At our annual meeting this year. Dr. larry Killmar, Lowry
> Park Zoo's Director, will join us for a screening of a training video
> program created by NAGDU and Lowry Park Zoo with the help of the Guide dog
> foundation's Suncoast Puppy Raisers in St. Petersburg, Florida. This video
> program is an historical record of our effort to desensitize LPZ's animals
> to the presence of dogs so as to afford service animal users the highest
> level of access possible. When the project began in January, Lowry Park Zoo
> had eight restricted areas, one of which was the giraffe feeding platform.
> Now the zoo has only two - the Wallaby Walkabout in which people come in
> direct contact with the wallaby and the tram adventure in which there is
> direct contact with a number of wild animals as a tram travels through the
> area. The tram adventure is currently closed for renovations; however, once
> the renovations are completed, the animals will undergo desensitization and
> this attraction will be removed from the restricted areas. 
> 
> 
> 
>                Today, my guide dog, Sarge, a very large German Shepherd,
> and I visited Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for the expressed purpose of
> photographing us on the Giraffe Feeding Platform. Attached to this message
> is a profile picture of Sarge with me. My hand is extended toward a male
> giraffe named Gyote (pronounced jhi-OH-tee), who has just taken a piece of
> lettuce from my hand. A piece of the lettuce is visible hanging out of
> Gyote's mouth as he and Sarge look at each other. They are about two feet
> apart. The picture is courtesy of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.
> 
> 
> 
>                I hope many of you will join us at our annual meeting to
> screen our new video. The meeting will take place from 7:00 - 10:00 pm on
> July 2. Registration will be from 6:00 - 6:45 outside the room. The place of
> the meeting will be announced in the official agenda.
> 
> 
> 
> Fraternally yours,
> 
> Marion Gwizdala, President
> 
> National Asociation of Guide dog Users Inc.
> 
> National Federation of the Blind
> 
> 
> 
> <Sarge and Gyote the Giraffe.JPG>
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