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

Wed Jun 15 13:39:33 UTC 2011

Cheryl,

Thanks for following up on this!  I just wanted to mention that the puppy 
raiser being charged for the puppy in training appears to be a violation of 
Georgia laws.  However when the employee stated that he'd charge a blind 
person with a guide dog too, that isn't actually against the law.  Let me 
explain.  It is most certainly against the law to charge extra for the guide 
dog and if he had actually done this, it could be pursued legally.  However 
he didn't charge extra to a guide dog user, only said he would.  There's a 
huge legal difference in saying that you'll do something and doing it.

Now, with that said, I have no doubt that if this guy had the opportunity to 
charge a guide dog user the extra money he would.  I hope that you will be 
able to get through to him or the hotel management so that this does not 
happen.

Thanks again for your work on this!
Julie

-----Original Message----- 
From: cheryl echevarria
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2011 8:44 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Issue with guide dog in training and puppy 
raiserathotel in GA

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.
  > _______________________________________________
  > nagdu mailing list
  > nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  > 
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
  > nagdu:
  > 
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blind411%40verizon.net<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blind411%40verizon.net>

  _______________________________________________
  nagdu mailing list
  nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nagdu:
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com>
_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/julielj%40neb.rr.com 