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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Hi Cheryl, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>These are the earliest emails regarding the Animal Control incident. Because I am sending them in reverse order as I scroll through my sent mail box, this should be the last one I will be sending for now. Thanks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> markmurraycoleman@gmail.com <markmurraycoleman@gmail.com> <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, November 12, 2025 7:48 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'Denise S. Bollwitt' <dbollwitt@lincoln.ne.gov><br><b>Subject:</b> RE: Concerning report that Animal Control is discriminating against the blind<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Hello Ms. Bollwitt,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I received verification from Brent Heyen, the individual who was denied service on account of his blindness, that he is comfortable with me sharing his name and contact information. His </span>address is 3001 R St and his phone number is 4029425167 . The event occurred on the night of September 4. Brent said that he also has video evidence of the bat. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Mark Coleman<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> Denise S. Bollwitt <<a href="mailto:dbollwitt@lincoln.ne.gov">dbollwitt@lincoln.ne.gov</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, November 12, 2025 6:02 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:markmurraycoleman@gmail.com">markmurraycoleman@gmail.com</a>; Mayor <<a href="mailto:mayor@lincoln.ne.gov">mayor@lincoln.ne.gov</a>>; Lincoln Commission on Human Rights <<a href="mailto:LCHR@lincoln.ne.gov">LCHR@lincoln.ne.gov</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> Kerry L. Kernen <<a href="mailto:KKernen@lincoln.ne.gov">KKernen@lincoln.ne.gov</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> RE: Concerning report that Animal Control is discriminating against the blind<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mr. Coleman,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Thank you for the email. I sincerely apologize for any issues this may have caused. This is not our policy and I would like further information if you have it. If you do, would you have the date, phone number, address or person’s name so that I may listen to our voice recording? I would like to start an investigation into this matter. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=44 height=20 style='width:.4583in;height:.2083in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://app.lincoln.ne.gov/images/eSignature/star/animal_control.png" alt="Animal Control Shield "><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Denise Bollwitt</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><br>Animal Control Manager <br>Lincoln-Lancaster County<br>Health Department | Animal Control <br><br>Office: 402-441-8080<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Fax: 402-441-8626<br><br>3131 O St. <br>Lincoln, NE 68510 <br><a href="https://lincoln.ne.gov/AnimalControl"><span style='color:#0000EE'>lincoln.ne.gov/AnimalControl</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div id=mail-editor-reference-message-container><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=1 width="98%" align=center></div><div id=divRplyFwdMsg><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> <a href="mailto:markmurraycoleman@gmail.com">markmurraycoleman@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:markmurraycoleman@gmail.com">markmurraycoleman@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 11, 2025 4:21:10 PM<br><b>To:</b> Health Animal Control <<a href="mailto:Animal@lincoln.ne.gov">Animal@lincoln.ne.gov</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> Mayor <<a href="mailto:mayor@lincoln.ne.gov">mayor@lincoln.ne.gov</a>>; Lincoln Commission on Human Rights <<a href="mailto:LCHR@lincoln.ne.gov">LCHR@lincoln.ne.gov</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Concerning report that Animal Control is discriminating against the blind<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Hello,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>My name is Mark Coleman. I am the Lincoln Chapter President of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska. I am writing in regards to a concerning first hand report which I received alleging that a blind Lincoln man was denied services from Animal Control on account of his blindness. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>It was brought to my attention that within the last couple of months a blind Lincoln resident telephoned Animal Control seeking assistance with a bat that was loose in his house. Animal Control reportedly told the caller that they would be able to send somebody out to assist, but informed the man that he needed to keep an eye on the bat until Animal Control arrived. When the man explained that he was blind, he reports that Animal Control told him that they could not send assistance unless there was a sighted person present to visually track the bat until Animal Control arrived. Ultimately Animal Control refused to send assistance and denied the man the services he otherwise would have received had he not been blind according to the report. The man in question is a person I know to be of high integrity and to be an accomplished community member.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Can you confirm whether Animal Control has a policy or practice of requiring residents to keep an eye on a bat as a requirement for receiving assistance from Animal Control? If so, is there an exception in policy or practice to ensure that blind people and other people with disabilities not able to meet this requirement are still able to receive the same services as non-disabled Lincolnites from Animal Control as required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act? Is Animal Control willing and able to take corrective action when it falls short of meeting its legal obligations to people with disabilities? </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind is committed to the proposition that nobody should be denied services on account of being blind or having vision loss. As President of the Lincoln Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind Nebraska Affiliate I am willing to work with agencies that are sincerely interested in doing right by meeting their statutory obligation to respect the civil rights and the provision of equal access to services for disabled people in accordance to federal, state, and local law. I respectfully request your assistance in resolving any doubts about Animal Control’s commitment to civil rights and legal compliance that have resulted from a reported service denial to a Lincoln taxpayer and citizen based on his blindness. A prompt response to this request for information would be appreciated.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Sincerely,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Mark Coleman</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Lincoln Chapter President, National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>