[nagdu] Proposed Act Regarding Service Dogs from the state of Maine.

Mon Mar 2 12:39:58 UTC 2015

Can we please be more precise in our usage? Words mean things. The dogs aren’t fake. They’re real, honest to goshness dogs. It’s the ***people*** who are faking. Remember, it’s the ***person*** who has the right to be accompanied by a trained service dog. The dog has no rights. Thus, it’s the person who is faking, not the very real dog. 

— 
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name

> On Mar 1, 2015, at 11:32 PM, Bridget Walker via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> The real problem is the fake dogs. We need a process to identify them.
> Doctors no matter what need to be a part of this process. My blindness is due to a neurological Robles. No neurologist to make the diagnosis and I don't get my guide dog. How is that right? Are you going to tell me rehab is quoll field to understand an MRI of the brain? I think not. 
> Doctors and rehab need to work together which is how it works in my case. Every part of my team knows about every part of my condition. 
> If you leave it just to doctors or just to rehab it won't work EVER! 
> 
> The goal is to find the fake dogs. Why can't we come up with a screening tool for doctors and by we I mean dog? It could identify things like disability and major life function. When people who don't really need a dog go in for a letter for their doctor the doctor could have that guide. 
> 
> Bridget
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Mar 1, 27 Heisei, at 11:12 PM, Cindy Ray via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> I would hate to see these things come to pass, but here is something we might think about. And before I start, I'm going to say that this is my own personal opinion.
>> 1. We have here a lot of folks faking service dogs. They would have to have a really clear idea what they were looking for in fakes.
>> 2.
>> The day is coming when we will have to show documentation because there are too many fakes going through. I think that while many may need the dogs, the simple questions are possibly hard to answer. I think the time is coming when this will happen. I've always thought so.
>> 3. I really resent getting the medical staff involved here. Blind people don't need a psychologist, a doctor, a nurse, etc. to verify that they are blind, though we do have to have proof of blindness for many things already, including BookShare. 
>> 4. I think that should some bill such as this pass, there would have to be a different means than a certified training or establishment that trains dogs because there are many well trained dogs who are not trained in a school. There would have to be another way found. It is possible that people who have worked at various organizations could hire to states as consultants. I don't like it though.
>> It just feels to me that there is such an influx of duties for dogs anymore, some real some not, that the time is coming when such a law as this might well be enacted. I would be prepared to fight against it, but I think it's day is on the horizon. 
>> Cindy Lou Ray
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sherry Gomes via nagdu
>> Sent: Sunday, March 1, 2015 10:37 AM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: [nagdu] Fw: Proposed Act Regarding Service Dogs from the state of Maine.
>> 
>> Hi all, 
>> 
>> I got this off another list. Another state trying to diminish our rights.
>> 
>> Below is the text of a bill that is being presented to the state of Maine legislature in the near future.  Again, this is very concerning, much like the recent Arizona bill that failed.  If states keep presenting bill’s such as these, I’m afraid one will get passed and negatively impact the rights of legitimate service dog teams.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 127th MAINE LEGISLATURE 
>> 
>> FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2015 
>> 
>> Legislative Document No. 547 
>> 
>> H.P.
>> 
>> 371 House of Representatives, February 26, 2015 
>> 
>> An Act Regarding Service Dogs 
>> 
>> Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
>> 
>> ordered printed. 
>> 
>> 49
>> 
>> ROBERT B. HUNT 
>> 
>> Clerk 
>> 
>> Presented by Representative CAMPBELL of Orrington. (BY REQUEST) 
>> 
>> Cosponsored by Senator SAVIELLO of Franklin and 
>> 
>> Representatives: DOORE of Augusta, LAJOIE of Lewiston, MAKER of Calais, NADEAU of 
>> 
>> Winslow, STANLEY of Medway, TUELL of East Machias. 
>> 
>> Printed on recycled paper 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> table with 2 columns and 33 rows
>> 
>> 1 
>> 
>> Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:  
>> 
>> 2 
>> 
>> Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3922, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 664, §11, is further  
>> 
>> 3 
>> 
>> amended to read:  
>> 
>> 4 
>> 
>> 4. Service dogs. If a service dog has not been previously registered or licensed by  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> the municipal clerk to whom the application is being made, the clerk may not register the  
>> 
>> 6 
>> 
>> dog nor issue to its owner or keeper a license and tag that identifies the dog as a service  
>> 
>> 7 
>> 
>> dog unless the applicant presents written evidence to the municipal clerk that the dog  
>> 
>> 8 
>> 
>> meets the definition of "service dog." For the purpose of this subsection "written  
>> 
>> 9 
>> 
>> evidence" means a service dog certification form approved by the department in  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> consultation with the Maine Human Rights Commission. The service dog certification  
>> 
>> 11 
>> 
>> form must include a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or  
>> 
>> 12 
>> 
>> nurse practitioner indicating that the owner or keeper or a member of the owner's or  
>> 
>> 13 
>> 
>> keeper's household requires the service dog and a certification or other document  
>> 
>> 14 
>> 
>> indicating that the service dog has completed training from an established service animal  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> training organization or has been evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have  
>> 
>> 16 
>> 
>> a sound temperament suitable for a service dog.  
>> 
>> 17 
>> 
>> Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3923-B, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:  
>> 
>> 18 
>> 
>> 1-A. Service dog registration tag. In accordance with subsection 1, the department  
>> 
>> 19 
>> 
>> shall ensure that, with regard to the registration and licensing of a service dog, the service  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> dog's registration tag clearly indicates that the dog is a service animal pursuant to Title 5,  
>> 
>> 21 
>> 
>> section 4553, subsection 9-E. The department shall devise a method of ensuring that a  
>> 
>> 22 
>> 
>> service dog's registration tag is clearly visible to the public.  
>> 
>> 23 
>> 
>> SUMMARY  
>> 
>> 24 
>> 
>> This bill requires that an individual registering a service dog present to the municipal  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> clerk a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner  
>> 
>> 26 
>> 
>> indicating that the individual or a member of the individual's household requires the  
>> 
>> 27 
>> 
>> service dog and a certification or other document indicating that the service dog has  
>> 
>> 28 
>> 
>> completed training from an established service animal training organization or has been  
>> 
>> 29 
>> 
>> evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have a sound temperament suitable  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> for a service dog. It also requires the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and  
>> 
>> 31 
>> 
>> Forestry to ensure that the registration tag of a service dog clearly indicates that the dog is  
>> 
>> 32 
>> 
>> a service animal and to devise a method of ensuring that a service dog's registration tag is  
>> 
>> 33 
>> 
>> visible to the public. 
>> 
>> table end
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Page 1 -127LR0304(01)-1
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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