[nagdu] Pennsylvania - Local Advocates Push For Expanded Service Dog Protection

[Marion Gwizdala]

Dear All,
    FYI, one of our members, Passel Helminski, has been working very hard on 
this legislation and NAGDU has written a letter of support to the 
legislature concerning this bill.

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala, President
National Association of Guide Dog Users
National Federation of the Blind
813-598-7161
President at NFB-NAGDU.ORG
HTTP://NFB-NAGDU.ORG



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ginger Kutsch" <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 8:08 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Pennsylvania - Local Advocates Push For Expanded Service 
Dog Protection


> Local Advocates Push For Expanded Service Dog Protection
> Posted: 9:17 pm EDT June 10, 2010
> Source:
> http://www.wjactv.com/news/23864751/detail.html
>
> HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- One woman in Huntingdon County is pushing
> state lawmakers to enact legislation that would hold owners of
> dogs that attack service animals financially responsible.
>
> Jennifer Warsing told WJAC-TV that her service dog Hattie was
> attacked by a neighbors dog in Huntingdon in February 2008.
>
> Despite protecting the chocolate lab from serious physical
> injury, Warsing said it took months of training for Hattie to
> overcome emotional trauma from the attack.
>
> A formal complaint was filed against the dog's owner, but a judge
> later dropped the case.
>
> Warsing said she'd be lost if something ever happened to Hattie.
>
> "I would be immediately thrust back into a world of silence and
> not know when my phone was ringing; sleepless nights or worrying
> about the smoke detectors going off," said Warsing. "They deserve
> to be protected against injury, against attack and interference
> while they're working. They're irreplaceable."
>
> Leslie Kelly works as a deaf and hard of hearing specialist with
> the Center for Independent Living of South Central Pennsylvania
> and said she worries about the gap of protection for her own
> service dog.
>
> "We all love animals and we don't want to see any animal get
> injured, but for those of us that have service dogs, it's not as
> easy," said Kelly. "If it dies, you're talking another 3-4 years
> until they can find a dog to match you and train it again."
>
> House Bill 123 was recently amended to include expanded
> restitution to cover lost wages and training if a service dog is
> maimed or killed in an attack.
>
> The proposed legislation was included in last week's house of
> representatives schedule, but there has not been a vote.
>
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