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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>Please distribute the following message as widely as appropriate. If you follow us at <Facebook.com/asap411>. You will be among the first to receive these announcements.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>COURT RULING AFFIRMS RIGHT OF GUIDE DOG HANDLER’S OWNERSHIP<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>June 7, 2021<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> On March 4, 2021, without warning, without cause, and without authority to do so, Southeastern guide Dogs cruelly and forcibly removed the guide dog of Rev. Susan Blake, an Episcopal priest for the diocese of Orlando. Deanna Miller, a guide dog mobility instructor from Southeastern showed up at Rev. Blake’s home unannounced and demanded to see Rev. Blake’s guide dog, Didi. Ms. Miller told Rev. Blake that Didi appeared to be about four pounds overweight, a violation of their contract and a cause for repossession. Ms. Miller literally pulled the harnessed guide dog from Rev. Blake’s arms as she pleaded with Deanna Miller to not take Didi away.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> On May 20, a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputy, acting upon a court order known as a writ of replevin, retrieved Didi from the puppy-raiser’s home where Southeastern had placed Didi. Representatives of Advocates for Service Animal Partners traveled to Columbia County, retrieved Didi, and returned her to Rev. Blake seventy-seven days after she was snatched away. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> On June 7, 2021, the Honorable Sara Carter held a preliminary hearing in Columbia County Civil Court to determine whether Rev. Susan Blake or the puppy-raiser is Didi’s rightful owner. The judge’s preliminary ruling is that Southeastern Guide Dogs had no legal right to repossess Rev. Blake’s dog without an injunction for specific action as provided for in their “Transfer of Ownership” agreement. Judge Carter affirmed Rev. Blake owns Didi and she should remain with Rev. Blake until the final hearing. A final hearing will be held in the near future in which the puppy-raisers will be afforded the opportunity to contest these findings of fact. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> “This is a major victory for guide dog users across the country explains Marion Gwizdala, president of Advocates for Service Animal Partners which supported and guided Rev. Blake through this process. “The judge has ruled that Southeastern Guide Dogs cannot interfere with our right to own our guide dogs without a court order.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Gwizdala contends Southeastern Guide Dogs is not the only guide dog training program that treats their consumers with such cruelty and disregard for their fundamental right of due process by employing intimidating heavy-handed authoritarian practices. This ruling puts those training programs on notice that their blind consumers will not stand for this Draconian maltreatment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> “This case has created a lot of buzz within the guide dog training industry,” asserts Gwizdala. “It is causing them to review their policies and practices to ensure they are treating their blind consumers with dignity and respect.” Says Gwizdala. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a name="OLE_LINK17"></a><a name="OLE_LINK16"><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><b>About ASAP<o:p></o:p></b></span></a></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><a name="OLE_LINK8"></a><a name="OLE_LINK9"><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'> </span></a><a name="OLE_LINK10"></a><a name="OLE_LINK7"><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK10'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'>Advocates for Service Animal Partners (ASAP) is a network of volunteer service animal advocates. Our goal is to encourage, educate, and support service animal handlers through printed and electronic publications, Informational webinars, recorded educational materials, and direct advocacy support, intervention, and mediation. In support of this mission, we also work to educate employers, governmental entities, private companies, housing accommodations, and the airline industry about the rights, responsibilities, and limitations of access under state and federal law. </span></span></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'>For more information, please contact<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'>Marion Gwizdala, President<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'>Advocates for Service Animal Partners Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'></span></span></span></span><a href="mailto:Advocacy411@gmail.com"><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'>Advocacy411@gmail.com</span></span></span></span><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'></span></span></span></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'>386-2727411 (386-ASAP411)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9'></span><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK8'></span><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK17'></span><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK16'></span><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Facebook.com/asap411/<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>