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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><h1>y New Jersey needs Dusty’s Law: A puppy-raiser’s story<o:p></o:p></h1><p>Posted by <a href="http://morristowngreen.com/author/morristowngreencontributor/" title="Posts by Morristown Green Contributor">Morristown Green Contributor</a> on August 28, 2013 · <a href="http://morristowngreen.com/2013/08/28/why-new-jersey-needs-dustys-law-a-puppy-raisers-story/#respond">Leave a Comment</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p><strong>By Kirsten Eversen</strong><o:p></o:p></p><p>Attacks and interference against guide dogs by aggressive dogs can inflict physical, emotional, and financial harm to the guide dog and its handler, inhibiting the guide dog team’s ability to work safely and effectively. <a href="http://cliffviewpilot.com/nj-senate-approves-dustys-law-protecting-service-animals/"><strong><span style='color:blue'>Dusty’s Law,</span></strong></a> if passed, will offer greater protection against dogs that kill, injure, or interfere with a guide dog.<o:p></o:p></p><p>My family and I are “puppy raisers” for <a href="http://www.seeingeye.org/"><strong><span style='color:blue'>The Seeing Eye Inc</span></strong></a>. A puppy raiser is someone who fosters a specially bred dog for about a year, raising it in a loving home environment, teaching it basic obedience, and exposing it to a variety of real life experiences before it is returned to The Seeing Eye for advanced guide dog training.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://morristowngreen.com/files/2013/08/Skittles-MG4.jpg"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=150 height=300 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CEA3D9.A7747120" alt="Skittles as a puppy. Photo courtesy of Kirsten Eversen"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=wp-caption-text>Skittles as a puppy. Photo courtesy of Kirsten Eversen<o:p></o:p></p><p>We have raised four Seeing Eye dogs, all of which successfully made it through the program. Our third dog, Skittles, a female German Shepherd, was placed with a middle-aged woman with a big yard and an active lifestyle. I was sad to see Skittles go, but felt assured that she would live a fulfilling and happy life.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Two years later, Skittles was attacked by a dog while walking in harness. She became traumatized and was forced to give up her career as a guide dog. Her owner was unable to keep Skittles, so she came back to my family as a pet. Skittles settled back into our home but despite her readjustment, Skittles was originally destined to be a guide dog and the fact that something so sudden and preventable destroyed her call in life breaks my heart.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Too many guide dog teams throughout the country have had similar experiences. In a 2011 survey conducted by The Seeing Eye, 44 percent of respondents reported experiencing at least one attack and 83 percent of respondents experienced interference by an aggressive dog. Most of these negative encounters took place within walking distance of the guide dog team’s home.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Experiencing an attack can be traumatizing for any pet and its owner, but the effects are worse to a handler who relies on his or her dog for daily travel.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“Unlike pets, guide dogs provide an essential service to people who are blind,” says <strong>Ginger Kutsch</strong>, advocacy specialist for The Seeing Eye. “When a guide dog is suddenly unable to perform these duties because of attacks or interference, the immediate safety of both guide dog and handler can be severely compromised.”<o:p></o:p></p><p>Emotional distress caused by the ordeal can lead the blind individual to fear future attacks, resulting in the lack of confidence necessary to travel independently. In addition, the dog or person could suffer physical wounds requiring costly medical and or veterinarian attention.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Furthermore, the time and money that was invested in the breeding, raising, training and matching of the Seeing Eye dog can be lost within seconds. On average, $60,000 will be spent by the time the guide dog is matched, a goal only about 60 percent of potential guide dogs reach.<o:p></o:p></p><p>State laws protecting the rights of guide dogs and handlers vary, but few provide real protection, compensation, and lawful response. These attacks often receive limited response because animal control officers cannot assist immediately and do not work on nights or weekends. If passed, Dusty’s Law would offer round-the-clock police protection for New Jersey’s guide dog teams who need immediate assistance.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Unanimously approved by the state Senate in December, Dusty’s Law is scheduled for consideration this fall by the Assembly Law and Public Safety committee. The bill would hold reckless dog owners accountable for their pet’s actions by enforcing fines and in extreme cases, a jail sentence. The Seeing Eye has been reaching out to legislators to sign on as co-sponsors.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://morristowngreen.com/files/2013/08/Skittles-MG1.jpg"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=196 height=300 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01CEA3D9.A7747120" alt="Skittles' career as a guide dog was cut short when an aggressive dog attacked. Photo courtesy of Kirsten Eversen."></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=wp-caption-text>Skittles' career as a guide dog was cut short when an aggressive dog attacked. Photo courtesy of Kirsten Eversen.<o:p></o:p></p><p>The proposal and inspiration for Dusty’s Law comes from the 2010 attack on a then-9-month-old Seeing Eye puppy in training, Dusty. While training with puppy raiser <strong>Roger Woodhour</strong>, Dusty was charged by an aggressive dog.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Woodhour tried to help defend Dusty and in the process, lost the tip of his finger and sustained permanent nerve damage to his hand. Dusty eventually recovered from his many physical injuries, but was pulled out of the Seeing Eye, Inc. due to the emotional effects of the attack.<o:p></o:p></p><p>As Dusty’s Law<strong> (<a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/A4500/4105_I1.HTM">A4105</a>)</strong> waits to be heard in the Assembly, the public can help prevent future attacks and interference on guide dogs.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“The first step is to realize that any dog, even a family pet, can pose a threat if the dog is not kept under good control at all times,” Kutsch explains.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Obeying the state’s leash law and following town ordinances is important for the safety of both pets and guide dogs. Morristown codes forbid the tying of dogs to parking meters or other objects and mandate a maximum leash length of six feet long, ensuring dogs should be supervised at all times.<o:p></o:p></p><p>In addition, if you witness an attack or interference, offer assistance to the handler and call proper authorities. Take responsibility for your own dog, report loose dogs to the authority, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.<o:p></o:p></p><p>By taking these steps, you can help prevent future stories like Skitttles’. Although Skittles can no longer guide a person who is blind, maybe she was destined to lead this bill into law.<o:p></o:p></p><p><em>Kirsten Eversen is a senior at Mendham High School. She and her family have raised puppies for The Seeing Eye Inc. of Morris Township.</em><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>