[nagdu] Issue with guide dog in training and puppy raiser athotel in GA

Mon Jun 13 13:44:21 UTC 2011

I started by speaking to Beverly Hunter at the GA office this morning, the person I am talking with is a puppy raiser with GDF in GA, she stayed at Scottish Inn in Metter, GA.  Dog was allowed in, but when she got bill the hotel charged her $10.00 for the dog, she said that the dog, who by the way had its vest on, said this is a guide dog in training, would you charge a person who is blind for there guide dog and they said yes.

I call this morning prior to calling Beverly at the GA office and I started out by saying I am a travel agent here in NY, would there be a corporate office to contact, since I had learned there are a few scottish inns on the eastern part of the US, he was foreign as well, not sure, he said just owner, no corporate, I said may I speak to the owner, because being a travel professional I was trying to get foot in the door to find out who was in charge.

He said he was the boss, and then I had started talking about this person who stayed at the hotel, she gave me her name and reservation number and I said that it is against ADA to charge for a Service Animal at a hotel, and he hung up on me.

So I am in the middle of finding out if they are a franchise or not by calling some of the other locations and finding out myself, and then if that is the case calling the Corporate office and informing them of this act.

Leading the Way in Independent Travel!

Cheryl Echevarria
http://www.echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/>
631-456-5394
reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>

Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10

Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise & Travel, Inc.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Marion Gwizdala<mailto:blind411 at verizon.net> 
  To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
  Sent: Monday, June 13, 2011 9:36 AM
  Subject: Re: [nagdu] Issue with guide dog in training and puppy raiser athotel in GA

  Cheryl,
      In the state of Georgia, trainers of service dogs have the same rights 
  of access as the disabled person. The law does not require the trainer be a 
  professional trainer, only that the individual can "be identified as an 
  agent" of the training program. Here is the relevant text of Georgia code
  30-4-2 - 4

  .

  (2) Every person engaged in the training of a guide dog or service dog for 
  the purpose of accompanying a person as provided in paragraph (1) of this 
  subsection

  shall have the same right to be accompanied by such dog being trained as the 
  totally or partially blind person, deaf person, or physically disabled 
  person

  has under paragraph (1) of this subsection, so long as such trainer is 
  identified as an agent or employee of a school for seeing eye, hearing, 
  service,

  or guide dogs.

  If your friend would like to seek reimbursement of the fee that was charged, 
  I would be happy to assist in this. Please have this person give me a call.

  Fraternally yours,
  Marion Gwizdala, President
  National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)
  National Federation of the Blind
  813-626-2789
  President at NAGDU.ORG<mailto:President at NAGDU.ORG>
  HTTP://WWW.NAGDU.ORG<http://www.nagdu.org/>

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com<mailto:cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>>
  To: "nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>>
  Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2011 6:26 PM
  Subject: [nagdu] Issue with guide dog in training and puppy raiser at hotel 
  in GA

  >I am keep name off, this had happed to a puppy raiser at my guide dog 
  >school, she was staying in a hotel with her guide dog in training, and was 
  >charged for the dog staying in her room.
  >
  > Puppies do not have the same access rights as the blind person with a 
  > guide dog, she also said if she was blind would she have been charged the 
  > money also, the man said yes, whether he fully understood the question, I 
  > am sure in the state of GA that would have been frowned upon if that was 
  > the case.
  >
  > But puppies are not under the same laws as us, if I understand correctly, 
  > and up to the public facility to allow the guide dog in training in the 
  > facility which wasn't the problem it was the fact that the woman was 
  > charge for the dog in her room.
  >
  > Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
  >
  > Cheryl Echevarria
  > http://www.echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/<http://www.echevarriatravel.com%3chttp//www.echevarriatravel.com/>>
  > 631-456-5394
  > reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com%3Cmailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>>
  >
  > Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel 
  > CST-1018299-10
  >
  > Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise & Travel, 
  > Inc.
  > _______________________________________________
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