[nagdu] For New Jersey residents

Vanessa Lowery vlowery at dhr.state.md.us
Tue Jul 17 16:52:20 UTC 2012


See below, but I would also suggest that non-residents also contact the sponsors of the bill.  There is a grad on the seeingeye-l list whose dog was attacked while they were in training at TSE.  Fortunately, it did not negatively impact the dog's ability to continue to work, but the dog did sustain some minor injuries, and it scared the living crap out of both the student and the instructor.

Attention New Jersey residents: The Seeing Eye is seeking your help to pass a law that will help protect guide dogs, puppies and their handlers, instructors and puppy raisers from attacks and interference by aggressive dogs. Attacks and interference on guide dog teams grossly interfere with a blind person's ability to walk freely and safely within the community or anywhere else the team wishes to go. 
Assembly Bill 2728 (Dusty's Law), requires police to respond to a reported attack on a guide dog team. Under the current law, attacks on guide dogs are not a police matter but rather are referred to animal control officers, who often can't respond immediately and aren't typically available at night or on weekends. Police response is important because the imminent danger to a blind individual whose guide dog is being attacked or subjected to interference is potentially far greater than that of pet owners who do not require the services of their dogs to travel safely and independently. Moreover, people who are blind cannot use vision to avoid other dogs or to defend themselves or their guide dogs. 
The bill would also allow for restitution for the affected handler and guide dog and would apply to working guide dogs, guide dogs in training and puppies in training. Visit http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/A3000/2728_I1.HTM to read the full bill. 
We need your help to ensure Dusty's Law is heard in Committee, passed and signed into law. 
What can you do?
*Look up your local representative in the N.J. State Assembly. Information about the legislators that serve in your District can be found on the Web at www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp or by calling Legislative Information and Bill Room at: 800-792-8630 or 609-292-4840. 
*Call, email or better yet personally visit your local State legislators. Write a paragraph or two, including your name, address and why keeping guide dogs and puppies safe is so important to you. If you are a puppy raiser or guide dog owner, explain how this bill will affect you, personally.
*If your representative is listed as a sponsor or co-sponsor of the bill at this page http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/A3000/2728_I1.HTM then thank them for their support. 
*If your representative is not listed as a co-sponsor of the bill, it's important that you ask your Assembly member to sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill. 
*Forward this e-mail and encourage family and friends in N.J. to join this effort by asking them to contact their legislators in support of these bills. 
We need everyone's help to move Dusty's Law forward. Please help in our quest to better protect guide dogs and their handlers. For more information, visit www.seeingeye.org/protect or email advocacy at seeingeye.org. 


Vanessa Lowery, LGSW
Adult and Community Services Division
Adult Services Screening Unit
410-853-3550
VLowery at dhr.state.md.us



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