[NAGDU] “service dog” off leash

[NAGDU President]

Tami,

	The off-leash exception is generally only a temprorary one. For instance, someone with post-traumatic stress disorder may need the dog to enter a place, check for triggers, and then return to the handler. In such a case, the dog is allowed off-leash to make the check but must then be tethered again. Another circumstance may be if a person who uses a wheelchair drops an item further than the leash would allow the dog to retrieve it. Once the item is retrieved, the dog must once again be leashed. HTH!

Marion


Marion Gwizdala, President
National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc. (NAGDU)
National Federation of the Blind
(813) 626-2789
President at NAGDU.ORG


The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise expectations because low expectations create barriers between blind  people and our dreams. You can live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds you back.


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tami Jarvis via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2017 11:49 AM
To: Nancy VanderBrink via NAGDU
Cc: Tami Jarvis
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] “service dog” off leash

The law is that a service dog must be on leash, unless its work requires it to be off leash, in which case it must be under voice control. This is just a guess, but it is possible that if the dog is trained to go find assistance in case of a seizure, the leash would prevent that if the handler's hand did not release it. As for needing to be close to detect a seizure, I have no idea how far away the dog can smell the chemical changes that indicate a seizure is on the way.

Tami

On 10/11/2017 07:12 AM, Nancy VanderBrink via NAGDU wrote:
> Hi all,
> I encountered something odd & concerning in the grocery store.  A woman came up to me accompanied by a dog that was wearing a vest.  I did not have my dog with me at the time because I had taken an Uber and I was getting groceries.  Her  dog comes up and starts sniffing my pants. I noticed that the space between her and the dog was quite large so I out of curiosity asked if the dog was on a leash. She said no the dog was not and that it was a service dog that detected seizures.
> 
> I was concerned because it’s a dog after-all and having no leash in a crowded grocery store seemed odd.  My husband said later I should have asked where she got the dog but she could’ve said it was owner trained.
> 
> It may actually be a service dog and be legitimate but the reason I am even mentioning this in the first place is that I don’t see how she can claim to have full control of the dog when it is not on a leash. Someone actually said that they thought that the leash ordinance would come into affect in the situation and the police could be called but I have a funny feeling they would hesitate to do anything because she could sue.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Nancy
> 
> 
> 
> Please forgive the typos as this message was most likely generated 
> using voice dictation Nancy Irwin
> 
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