[Njagdu] Next steps for Dusty's Law, protecting guide dog teams against attacks and interference
Tracy Carcione
carcione at access.net
Mon Mar 26 13:06:31 UTC 2012
Has a senate bill been introduced? We need the same bill in both houses
to get it made into law.
Tracy
> To The NJAGDU Members,
>
>
>
> This is a FYI. I have included a message from Ginger which I received
> Sunday, March 25th and the one I sent on Wednesday to keep the history
> together. I also forwarded the text to Joe with the request to send to all
> on his NFBNJ email lists in New Jersey.
>
>
>
> Vinny
>
>
>
> From: Ginger Kutsch [mailto:GingerKutsch at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2012 7:58 PM
> To: 'Vincent Chaney Jr'
> Subject: Next steps for Dusty's Law, protecting guide dog teams against
> attacks and interference
>
>
>
> Vinny & Lynn,
>
>
>
> Assembly Bill 2728, Dusty's Law, has been referred to the Law and Public
> Safety committee. It needs to be scheduled for a hearing before it can
> move
> forward.
>
>
>
> Please encourage members to call or send an email to their legislators
> to
> ask that they support the bill, sign on to A2728 as a sponsor or
> co-sponsor,
> and encourage the chair of the Law and Public Safety committee to schedule
> A2728 for a hearing.
>
>
>
> You can find Your Legislator at
>
> http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp
>
> or call The Legislative Information and Bill Room at:
>
> toll-free number 800-792-8630
>
> (609) 292-4840
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ginger
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Brian Mackey [mailto:bmackey88 at gmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 6:17 PM
> To: Brian Mackey
> Subject: NFBNJ: Important Issue Dusty's Law new information, get involved!
>
>
>
> From the desk of Joe Ruffalo from Vincent Chaney.
>
>
>
> From: Vincent Chaney Jr. [ <mailto:vgc732 at optonline.net>
> mailto:vgc732 at optonline.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 4:08 PM
> To: <mailto:nfbnj at yahoo.com> nfbnj at yahoo.com
> Cc: <mailto:vgc732 at optonline.net> vgc732 at optonline.net
> Subject: NJ Guide Dog Users Request Support of "Dusty's Law"
>
>
>
> From the desk of Vincent G Chaney Jr, President, New Jersey Association of
> Guide Dog Users (NJAGDU):
>
>
>
> We, the New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users, support Assembly, No.
> 2728, designated as "Dusty's Law". We request all NFBNJ members, family,
> friends and New Jersey citizens to advocate for this bill to become law by
> contacting their two (2) Assembly-Persons today and senators when the bill
> is introduced in the senate. A follow-up message will be forwarded upon
> the
> introduction to the senate.
>
> Please let your Assembly-Persons know you support the bill, Assembly, No.
> 2728, and you are asking them to become a sponsor or co-sponsor. Please
> share this message with anyone without email to open this call to
> everyone.
>
>
>
> Should you not know who your Assembly-Persons or Senator are, you could do
> one of the following:
>
> 1. Call the Office of Legislative Services
>
> Office of Public Information
>
> Phone: 609-847-3905
>
> Toll Free: 800-792-8630
>
> 2. Contact your local library
>
> 3. Call your Town Hall
>
> 4. Click on the link:
> http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp
>
> On this page, look for your city/town by
> browsing through the District list or use a screen reader "find" to search
> for your town.
>
> The link above the list of towns within a
> district gives Senator and Assembly-Person names, phone numbers, address,
> etc. The link below the towns gives professional background information of
> each representative.
>
>
>
> I am including further descriptive summaries of the Assembly No. 2728 and
> conclude with the bill as introduced on March 15, 2012.
>
>
>
>
>
> A revision of a previous bill has been introduced into our State
>
> Assembly by Assemblyman Robert Schroeder. This bill essentially
>
> criminalizes attacks on guide dogs which may interfere with the work of
>
> the guide dogs or may cause injury or death to them. This law increases
>
> jail time to be served and/or fines to an individual who is found guilty
>
> and also includes restitution for vet bills, value of guide dog and costs
>
> to replace and train with a new guide dog.
>
>
>
> The bill is named Dusty's Law because a puppy raiser who lives in Bergen
>
> County was walking a puppy he was raising for the Seeing Eye named
>
> Dusty. The puppy raiser and the puppy were attacked by another dog. The
>
> puppy was injured physically and ultimately was not able to be trained
>
> to become a guide dog because of trauma, as well as the puppy raiser had
>
> suffered a permanent injury to his hand.
>
>
>
>
>
> Pasted below is the new version of "Dusty's Law". This is much stronger
>
> than the old version as this bill makes it a criminal offense for
>
> attacks/interference. Please contact your Assembly-persons to tell them
>
> you support this bill and ask them to sign on as a sponsor or
>
> co-sponsor. One of the most important pieces of this bill is that
>
> because it is now in the criminal code, the police will have to respond
>
> to a call. This gives us round-the-clock protection, not currently
> available
> through animal control.
>
>
>
> ASSEMBLY, No. 2728
>
>
>
>
>
> STATE OF NEW JERSEY
>
>
>
> 215th LEGISLATURE
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> INTRODUCED MARCH 15, 2012
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sponsored by:
>
>
>
> Assemblyman ROBERT SCHROEDER
>
>
>
> District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> SYNOPSIS
>
>
>
> Establishes criminal penalties for killing, injuring or interfering
>
> with a guide dog; designated as "Dusty's Law."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
>
>
>
> As introduced.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> An Act concerning offenses against guide dogs, designated as "Dusty's
>
> Law,"
>
> and supplementing chapter 29 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of
>
> New
>
> Jersey:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 1. a. Any person who recklessly kills a guide dog, or who
>
> recklessly permits a dog that the person owns or over which the person
>
> has immediate control, to injure or kill a guide dog, is guilty of a
>
> crime of the fourth degree.
>
>
>
> b. Any person who recklessly injures a guide dog, or recklessly
>
> permits a dog that the person owns or over which the person has
>
> immediate control, to injure a guide dog, is guilty of a disorderly
>
> persons offense.
>
>
>
> c. Any person who recklessly interferes with the use of a guide
>
> dog, or who recklessly permits a dog that the person owns or over which
>
> that person has immediate control, to interfere with a guide dog by
>
> obstructing, intimidating, or otherwise jeopardizing the safety of that
>
> guide dog or its handler is guilty of a petty disorderly persons
>
> offense.
>
>
>
> d. A person who is convicted of a violation of this section, in
>
> addition to any other penalty, shall make full restitution for all
>
> damages that arise out of or are related to the offense, including
>
> incidental and consequential damages incurred by the handler of the
>
> guide dog. Restitution under this section shall include, but not be
>
> limited to:
>
>
>
> (1) the value of the guide dog;
>
>
>
> (2) replacement and training or retraining expenses for the guide
>
> dog
>
> and the handler;
>
>
>
> (3) veterinary and other medical and boarding expenses for the
>
> guide
>
> dog;
>
>
>
> (4) medical expenses for the handler; and
>
>
>
> (5) lost wages or income incurred by the handler during any
>
> period
>
> that the handler is without the services of the guide dog.
>
>
>
> e. As used in this section a "guide dog" shall mean a dog or
>
> dog in
>
> training which:
>
>
>
> (1) has been or is being raised or trained by a volunteer puppy
>
> raiser or staff member of an organization generally recognized as being
>
> involved in the rehabilitation of the blind or deaf and reputable and
>
> competent to provide dogs with specialized training; or
>
>
>
> (2) fitted with a special harness so as to be suitable as an aid
>
> to
>
> the mobility of a blind person.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> STATEMENT
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> This bill would establish criminal penalties for killing, injuring,
>
> or interfering with a guide dog. The bill is to be known as "Dusty's
>
> Law."
>
>
>
> Specifically, the bill would make it a crime of the fourth degree
>
> for a person to recklessly kill a guide dog, or to recklessly permit a
>
> dog that he or she owns or has immediate control over, to kill a guide
>
> dog. Fourth degree crimes are punishable by a term of imprisonment of
>
> up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
>
>
>
> A person who recklessly injures a guide dog, or recklessly permits
>
> a dog that he or she owns or has immediate control over to injure a
>
> guide dog would be a disorderly person under the bill. Disorderly
>
> persons offenses are punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six
>
> months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
>
>
>
> A person who recklessly interferes with the use of a guide dog, or
>
> who recklessly permits a dog that he or she owns or over which he or she
>
> has immediate control to interfere with a guide dog, by obstructing,
>
> intimidating, or otherwise jeopardizing the safety of that guide dog or
>
> its handler is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense. Petty
>
> disorderly persons offenses are punishable by a term of imprisonment of
>
> up to 30 days, a fine of up to $500, or both.
>
>
>
> The bill also requires a person who recklessly kills, injures, or
>
> interferes with a guide dog to pay restitution. Restitution under the
>
> bill includes the value of the guide dog; replacement and training or
>
> retraining expenses for the guide dog and the handler; veterinary and
>
> other medical and boarding expenses for the guide dog; medical expenses
>
> for the handler; and lost wages or income incurred by the handler during
>
> any period that the handler is without the services of the guide dog.
>
>
>
> The bill defines a "guide dog" as a dog, or dog in training, which
>
> (1) has been or is being raised or trained by a volunteer puppy raiser
>
> or staff member of an organization generally recognized as being
>
> involved in the rehabilitation of the blind or deaf and reputable and
>
> competent to provide dogs with specialized training; or (2) is fitted
>
> with a special harness so as to be suitable as an aid to the mobility of
>
> a blind person.
>
>
>
> A person acts "recklessly" with respect to a material element of an
>
> offense under this State's criminal code when he or she consciously
>
> disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material
>
> element exists or will result from his or her conduct. The risk must be
>
> of such a nature and degree that, considering the nature and purpose of
>
> the person's conduct and the circumstances known to the person, its
>
> disregard involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a
>
> reasonable person would observe in the person's situation.
>
>
>
>
>
> Thank you for making the important calls to each of your two
>
> Assemblypersons.
>
>
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Vincent G Chaney Jr
>
> President, New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
>
>
>
> Forwarded by:
>
>
>
> Brian A. Mackey
>
>
>
> Brian A. Mackey
>
> Mackey Enterprises LLC
>
> 609-953-6988
>
> <mailto:bmackey88 at gmail.com> bmackey88 at gmail.com
>
>
>
> "Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make
> those dreams come true."
>
> - Vince Papale
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Vinny
>
> Vincent G Chaney Jr
>
> 732-251-8650
>
> President, NFBNJ Diabetes Division
>
> President, NFBNJ New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
>
> Vice President, NFBNJ Technology Division
>
> Webmaster: nfbnj.org <http://www.nfbnj.org/> http://www.nfbnj.org
>
>
>
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