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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> A man walks into a bar with a
dog. The bartender sees them and shouts, "Hey! You can't bring that pig in
here!"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>"This isn't a pig," the man replies, "it's a
dog!"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>"I was talking to the dog!"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> Well, as of July 1, 2012, you
will find it easier to bring that pig into a bar in the state of Florida. Today,
with the unanimous vote of the Florida senate, state law has been amended to
provide that a service animal means "any domesticated animal that has been
individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a
person with a disability". In spite of the fact that the United States
Department of Justice, due to numerous abuses of the law by those who claimed
that their exotic or unusual pet was a service animal, implemented new
regulations that took effect on March 15, 2011 that redefines a service
animal as only a dog or, in some cases, a miniature horse, the Florida
legislature has open the doors so widely that a standard horse could walk
through! Interestingly, because of the same abuses the DOJ attempted to resolve,
the Florida senate also voted to impose criminal penalties for those who
fraudulently misrepresent their pets as service animals. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> As we consider Florida's new
definition of a service animal, we must define what is a domesticated animal, a
task that is not easily done. The <FONT
face="Times New Roman">Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition (1990) </FONT><FONT
face=Arial>says, "</FONT><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">The fundamental
distinction of domesticated animals and plants from their wild ancestors is that
they are created by human labour to meet specific requirements or whims and are
adapted to the conditions of continuous care and solicitude people maintain for
them." Another definition from Answers.com states that a domesticated
animal is "any animal that depends on a human for food, water and shelter. This
includes farm animals such as cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, goats, dogs and
cats. There are also a couple of species of insect (e.g. the silk worm) that are
classified as domesticated. Certain birds (besides chickens) and fish are also
considered domestic, even a species of reptile and amphibian or
two." <BR itxtNodeId="110"><BR itxtNodeId="109"></FONT></FONT><FONT
size=2 face=Arial> So, the next time you hear the
bartender yelling, ":You can't bring that pig in here!" you will likely
hear the dog reply, "He's my service pig!" Or maybe a service
silkworm!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Fraternally yours,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Marion Gwizdala, President<BR>National Association
of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)<BR>National Federation of the
Blind<BR>813-626-2789<BR><A
href="mailto:President@NAGDU.ORG">President@NAGDU.ORG</A><BR><A
href="http://WWW.NAGDU.ORG">HTTP://WWW.NAGDU.ORG</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>