<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear All,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> As most of you know, the National Association of Guide dog Users, a strong & proud division of the National Federation of the Blind, is working to enhance the experience of service animal users visiting zoos in the United States. In 2014, Steve Olson, Vice President of Federal Communications for the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, and mark Trieglaff, President of Acessibility Consulting & Training Services, AZA’s ADA Consultant, came to NAGDU’s annual meeting to discuss access of service animal users to their member zoos. This discussion has led to a very close and productive relationship with AZA and its members, particularly Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> At our annual meeting this year. Dr. larry Killmar, Lowry Park Zoo’s Director, will join us for a screening of a training video program created by NAGDU and Lowry Park Zoo with the help of the Guide dog foundation’s Suncoast Puppy Raisers in St. Petersburg, Florida. This video program is an historical record of our effort to desensitize LPZ’s animals to the presence of dogs so as to afford service animal users the highest level of access possible. When the project began in January, Lowry Park Zoo had eight restricted areas, one of which was the giraffe feeding platform. Now the zoo has only two – the Wallaby Walkabout in which people come in direct contact with the wallaby and the tram adventure in which there is direct contact with a number of wild animals as a tram travels through the area. The tram adventure is currently closed for renovations; however, once the renovations are completed, the animals will undergo desensitization and this attraction will be removed from the restricted areas. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Today, my guide dog, Sarge, a very large German Shepherd, and I visited Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo for the expressed purpose of photographing us on the Giraffe Feeding Platform. Attached to this message is a profile picture of Sarge with me. My hand is extended toward a male giraffe named Gyote (pronounced jhi-OH-tee), who has just taken a piece of lettuce from my hand. A piece of the lettuce is visible hanging out of Gyote’s mouth as he and Sarge look at each other. They are about two feet apart. The picture is courtesy of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I hope many of you will join us at our annual meeting to screen our new video. The meeting will take place from 7:00 – 10:00 pm on July 2. Registration will be from 6:00 – 6:45 outside the room. The place of the meeting will be announced in the official agenda.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fraternally yours,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Marion Gwizdala, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Asociation of Guide dog Users Inc.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>