[nagdu] New Law Targets Service animal Impostors

Thu Jul 2 01:57:14 UTC 2015

That is a really good point.
I see this as a good start.
Keep us posted florida.   

Have a blessed day.
Best regards,
Melissa R Green and Pj
Love is being committed with
out a guarantee.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu
[mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.o
rg] On Behalf Of Tina Thomas
via nagdu
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2015
6:22 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the
National Association of Guide
Dog Users'
Cc: Tina Thomas
Subject: Re: [nagdu] New Law
Targets Service animal
Impostors

It will be interesting to hear
what
strategies Florida comes up
with to enforce this law. 
Tina       

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu
[mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.o
rg] On Behalf Of Marion
Gwizdala via nagdu
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2015
1:25 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the
National Association of Guide
Dog Users'; New Jersey
Association of Guide Dog
Users; 'New York Association
of Guide Dog Users'; 'Florida
Association of Guide Dog
Users'; 'Blind Talk Mailing
List'
Cc: Marion Gwizdala
Subject: [nagdu] New Law
Targets Service animal
Impostors

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Use 

FROM: Florida Association of
Guide Dog Users 

DATE: June 30, 2015

TO: All media

RE: New Criminal Law Effective
July 1, 2015

CONTACT: Sherrill O'Brien,
President

     (813) 935-0474

Sherrill.obrien at verizon.net

NEW LAW TARGETS SERVICE ANIMAL
IMPOSTORS 

     On July 1, a new law
providing criminal penalties
for those who pass their pets
off as service animals took
effect. This law, sponsored by
Representative Jimmy Smith
(R-Inverness) makes it a
second degree misdemeanor for
any person to knowingly and
willfully misrepresent herself
or himself as using a service
animal and being qualified to
use a service animal or as a
trainer of a service animal in
order to take advantage of the
civil rights protections
afforded to disabled people
with legitimate trained
service animals. Those
convicted of a violation of
this statute would face a fine
of $500 and be required to
perform 30 hours of community
service. The entire text of
this law is attached to this
message. 

"The goal of this law is
two-fold," says Representative
Smith. "Its intent is to
enhance the quality of life
for those disabled individuals
with a legitimate need for a
service dog and to make the
public aware of the serious
detrimental effects caused by
their fraudulent actions." 

Sherrill O'Brien, president of
the Florida Association of
Guide dog Users (FLAGDU), a
division of the National
Federation of the Blind,
supports the new law and
believes it will be a
deterrent to those who abuse
the system.

"I especially like the idea of
requiring impersonators to
perform community service,"
says O'Brien. "It helps to
offset the community
disservice they have
committed!"  

# # #

About the National Association
of Guide dog Users

                The Florida
Association of Guide Dog Users
is an affiliate division of
the National Association of
Guide dog Users, the nation's
leading membership
organization for blind people
who use guide dogs.  NAGDU is
a strong and proud division of
the National Federation of the
Blind. We conduct public
awareness campaigns on issues
of guide dog use, provide
advocacy support for guide dog
handlers who face
discrimination, support sound
policy and effective
legislation to protect the
rights of guide dog users,
offer educational programs to
school and civic
organizations, and function as
an integral part of the
National Federation of the
Blind. For more information
about the National Association
of Guide Dog Users and to
support our work, you can
visit our website at
<HTTP://WWW.NAGDU.ORG
<http://www.nagdu.org/> > or
send an email to
<Info at NAGDU.ORG>.

About the NAGDU Guide &
Service animal Mobile App

The National Association of
Guide dog Users sponsors the
NAGDU Service Animal
Information & Advocacy Mobile
app! This innovative app
provides general information
about the state and federal
laws that protect the civil
rights of disabled individuals
who use service dogs. The app
contains the full texts of the
Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) and each of the
state statutes that affirm the
rights of those who use
service dogs, as well as
general guidance concerning
access to specific types of
establishments, such as
hotels, restaurants, taxicabs,
health care facilities and
more. In addition, this app
provides the ability to
directly connect with a live
advocate who has been
specially trained to resolve
access issues as they occur
and send an email for more
specific guidance. This app is
provided by the National
Association of Guide dog Users
at no charge as a public
service. To download the app,
simply type the term "NAGDU"
into the app store's search
field.

About the National Federation
of the Blind

            The National
Federation of the Blind is the
oldest and largest
organization of the blind in
the United States. The NFB
knows that blindness is not
the characteristic that
defines you or your future.
Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people
because low expectations are
the obstacles between blind
people and our dreams. You can
live the life you want!
Blindness is not what holds
you back. The Federation
provides scholarships to blind
students; support for those
who are blind or losing their
eyesight; advocacy for the
blind facing discrimination;
and educational programs for
the general public on topics
of blindness. The NFB is not
an organization that speaks on
behalf of the blind; we are
the blind speaking for
ourselves.

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