[nagdu] NJ Senate approves Dusty's Law protecting service animals

[Melissa R Green]

way to go NJ.
Hoping that this will continue for all service dogs all over the country.

Have a blessed day.

Melissa Green
"Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your 
grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ginger Kutsch" <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 2:23 PM
Subject: [nagdu] NJ Senate approves Dusty's Law protecting service animals


> NJ Senate approves Dusty's Law protecting service animals
>
> Posted by: Jerry DeMarco
>
> December 20, 2012
>
> Source:
> http://cliffviewpilot.com/nj-senate-approves-dustys-law-protecting-service-a
> nimals/
>
>
>
> New Jersey's state Senate today unanimously approved Dusty's Law, which
> establishes new crimes for dogs who attack or harm service animals.
>
>
>
> Police cannot investigate such instances as a criminal act but, instead,
> must refer them to animal control agencies who sometimes cannot respond
> immediately
>
> on nights or weekends.
>
>
>
> Police response is critical, proponents say, because of the imminent 
> danger
> to a blind person whose dog is incapacitated or killed.
>
>
>
> Dusty's Law makes it a criminal matter requiring police response. It 
> governs
> any animal that attacks, injures or interferes with any kind of service 
> dog,
>
> including during training.
>
>
>
> It also increases penalties for the attacking pets' owners - up to $500 -
> and allows for restitution to the affected handler and dog.
>
>
>
> The measure goes to the Assembly Law & Public Safety Committee, where
> proponents hope it will be heard in mid-January.
>
>
>
> It then must be placed on the agenda for a vote by the full Assembly, 
> after
> which it would go to Gov. Christie's desk.
>
>
>
> Supporters hope he'll sign it into law by the end of January.
>
>
>
> The bill was drafted by state Assemblyman Bob Schroeder of Woodcliff Lake
> and sponsored in the other chamber by state Sens. Anthony Bucco and Jeff 
> Van
>
> Drew.
>
>
>
> Schroeder called it "the first piece of legislation that affords this type
> of protection to service animals who provide assistance, as well as to 
> those
> who are in training as well."
>
>
>
> The measure "will send a message that people are responsible not only for
> their own actions, but those of the animals they own," he added.
>
>
>
> The measure's namesake: Dusty
>
>
>
> It's named for Dusty, a German Shepherd puppy being trained as a guide dog
> who was mauled by a pitbull in Woodcliff Lake, requiring nearly 100
> stitches,
>
> in July 2010.
>
>
>
> Dusty, who was nine months old at the time, lost four teeth and suffered
> emotional trauma that kept him from continuing his work with The Seeing 
> Eye
> program.
>
>
>
> "Seeing eye dogs are especially vulnerable to injury during an attack
> because they've been bred and trained to be non-aggressive," Jim Kutsch,
> president and CEO of The Seeing Eye, the world's oldest guide-dog school.
>
>
>
> They also "are unlikely to leave their masters' sides, even to save
> themselves," said Kutsch who attended today's 38-0 vote in Trenton with 
> his
> wife, Ginger,
>
> and her guide dog, Pixie (top photo).
>
>
>
> The Seeing Eye, a non-profit philanthropy, serves blind and
> visually-impaired people throughout North America.
>
>
>
> The Kutsches and several other advocates have attended all the committee
> meetings, hearings and votes leading up to the bill's passage.
>
>
>
> The group has included Dusty's trainer, Roger Woodhour, who testified
> several times and today brought along Lennon, the 28th puppy he has raised
> for The
>
> Seeing Eye.
>
>
>
> Also attending today were Dave Johnson, director of Training & Instruction
> at The Seeing Eye; Sue Tillet, a guide-dog user who was also the victim of
> an
>
> attack several years ago, and her seeing-eye dog, Roz; and Audrey Kane, a
> guide dog puppy raiser and advocate.
>
>
>
> Woodhour, who lives in Woodcliff Lake with his wife and has volunteered 
> for
> Seeing Eye for more than 20 years, noted that nearly half of all guide 
> dogs
> are attacked at some time by other animals, ordinarily within a half-hour
> walk from home.
>
>
>
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