Your writer brags about breaking state law in faking her pet as a service dog (“In defense of carrying small dogs,” Page 13, Nov. 27 Press-Banner).
A service dog, according to the ADA and to California state law, is a dog that has been trained to mitigate a person’s life-limiting disability and to behave in public. The dog in the article is definitely not trained to behave in public, and no mention of disability mitigation is made. According to California state law, this can be punished with a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.
I urge you to remove this article bragging about breaking the law. It is extremely offensive to those of us with legitimate service dogs, and illegal. If you do not remove the article, I will report the writer of the article to the local police so she can face the illegal decision she has made.
I have seen posts about the article on various other sites both open to the public and private. It is an important issue and is being taken very seriously as it was started by a staff member and posted in a newspaper. It was about this staff member breaking the law and making light of a real problem for many people around the country. There is nothing entertaining in this attitude and those that think it is so should probably stop and look at it from the damage such actions causes.
If the reporter had come back and apologized and if the reporter had not dismissed (again insulting to many) with her answers to emails from people with concerns, then the topic would have been over with.
*Year of Firsts: In defense of carrying small dogs*
what do you think will pop up on Google? The gosh-darned article!
Sheesh! You people! Give it a rest. Or go fight about people not being "green" enough.
And not only are more and more mentions of this showing on search engine resaults but there are those in private internet discussion groups that are unseen and unreported by those search engines.
So Les Farmer your statement of "Um, actually, it's highly unlikely that 'people all over the internet' are focused on last week's article in the Press Banner" is very much incorrect. The Press Banner has indeed made a name for itself and not one to be very proud of.
So you see ignoring the situation is not making it go away nor are the email replys telling people that they don't understand the intent behind the article. I've read several of those replys as they too are being posted. Maybe Cheri Mathews is not such the prize that the Press Banner thought when she joined them. If the PB won't come forward and apologize for articles printed in their paper then maybe they need to just send Ms. Mathews back to reporting on buying local produce.
Type in -- *Year of Firsts: In defense of carrying small dogs* in the search engines and you will start to see them.
I hear your concern, and you have some points, but you damage your case with these histrionics. Really.
Maybe it's time to just let this issue pass.
To late to take the story down as it it being plastered whole on websites. The longer the paper remains quiet the more uproar is being made.
So INDIVIDUALS and BUSINESSES of Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley you are making the spotlight. Must be so proud of yourselves.
Oh and Cheri, just because people have a disability doesn't mean they are stupid or can not understand what they read. Your emails telling people they didn't understand is only more insulting. Surprise Scotts Valley - Newsflash - disabled people have a brain and can understand the intent of the written word.
Scotts Valley, CA the place where breaking the law is funny and too bad who it hurts.
I pray that none of you find your lives turned upside down and qualify for the help of a legal service animal. You won't be laughing then.
It is not really a matter of whether one likes or agrees with the article, or even a matter of free speech. The author knowingly and willingly broke the law, and then went on to brag about it.
Would you also give a "free speech" pass to an author who molested a child, and then wrote an article bragging about it? With the "free speech" comes a Responsibility.....if one is not up to the Responsibility, one does not have "free speech".
In this case, the concept of "free speech" is taken out of Constitutional context, as the author is not addressing any grievences against the government......which is what the First Amendment is based on to begin with.
It would have been a "light-hearted" article (and a rather enjoyable one, at that)......IF the author had not first broken the law, and then bragged about it.
Therin lies the problem.
Next thing you know they'll be complaining that the dog isn't "green".
Cheri, thank you for your articles. They are a joy to read. And welcome to our community.
In a real way, Chancey is a service dog. He’s a comfort. A small comfort, maybe, but a big joy to have around.”
Cheri Mathews/Press-Banner can you tell us what task training you dog was given that make him a service?
This article you wrote as a comment on ‘look what I got away with’ is not only illegal but damages the access rights that are given to the disabled to be accompanied by a task trained dog that is specifically trained to mitigate their disability. This right was fought for by many for many years. The specially trained dogs must do tasks to mitigate the persons disability. These dogs can not display aggression or disturb the public in any way. I suggest you visit the International Association of Assistance Dog Partnership to learn more about the disabled and the specially trained dogs and the criteria that is legally required for a task trained dog to be classified a service dog. This can be found at www.IAADP.org
The damage you do to the rights of the disable and public image of a service dog should have you writing a factual artle about the true miracle and life changing partnerships that is a legitimate service dog partnership, as you hang you head in shame!
Your arrogance and fraud is not humorous in the least.
Further more, an animal that provides “comfort” for those with legitimate need for this kind of companionship are protested by law for what is classified as a Emotional Support Animal and the person who can prove need has protection for places such as housing and flight. But ESA’s (Emotions Support Animals) are not given public access rights under that protection.
Your article that flaunts your disregard for the law and the hard fought rights of the disabled was ill advised and disgraceful.
Information about the laws protecting the disabled and their access rights can be found at International Association of Assistance Dog Partnership web site at or www.IAADP.org ; www.ADA.gov ; or state and local laws.
Here is some additional information that might broaden you knowledge base and help you make a better choice the next time you take your dear PET out in public in legal situations.
And the first listing might be of interest to those businesses that Cheri frequents. You can ask her if her dog is a service dog and you can legally ask her what tasks her dog does to mitigate her disability. If Cheri has not reformed and is less than honest about her situation and you leave her into your business and her dog is disruptive and poorly behaved you can tell her so and tell her to leave your business and it is in your legal right.
http://www.ada.gov/svcanimb.htm
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section
Americans with Disabilities Act
ADA Business BRIEF: Service Animals
Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, taxis and shuttles, grocery and department stores, hospitals and medical offices, theaters, health clubs, parks, and zoos.
Caption: Businesses that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to enter with their service animal.
• Businesses may ask if an animal is a service animal or ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform, but cannot require special ID cards for the animal or ask about the person's disability.
• People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be charged extra fees, isolated from other patrons, or treated less favorably than other patrons. However, if a business such as a hotel normally charges guests for damage that they cause, a customer with a disability may be charged for damage caused by his or her service animal.
• A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the animal is out of control and the animal's owner does not take effective action to control it (for example, a dog that barks repeatedly during a movie) or (2) the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
• In these cases, the business should give the person with the disability the option to obtain goods and services without having the animal on the premises.
• Businesses that sell or prepare food must allow service animals in public areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.
• A business is not required to provide care or food for a service animal or provide a special location for it to relieve itself.
• Allergies and fear of animals are generally not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people with service animals.
• Violators of the ADA can be required to pay money damages and penalties.
Caption: Service animals are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities.
If you have additional questions concerning the ADA and service animals, please call the Department's ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (800) 514-0383 (TTY) or visit the ADA Business Connection at ada.gov.
www.iaadp.org/doglaws.html
ESA … Emotional Support Animals
“ESAs are not task trained like service dogs are. In fact little training at all is required so long as the animal is reasonably well behaved by pet standards. This means the animal is fully toilet trained and has no bad habits that would disturb neighbors such is frequent or lengthy episodes of barking. The animal should not pose a danger to other tenants or to workmen. But there is no requirement for fancy heeling or mitigating tasks since emotional support animals are not generally taken anywhere pets would not ordinarily go without permission (the exception being to fly in the cabin of an aircraft, even if the airline does not ordinarily accept pets).”
http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/256
The internet is filled with information on what is legal and what is not about service animals and emotional support animals. Do a simple search and you will find enough material to fill your knowledge.
I look forward to reading your apology and correction about what is acceptable pet behavior and access
I look forward to your article about the life changing partnerships that is a true service dog partnership that saves lives and is not to be taken lightly or harmed by those that are dishonest.
Diane & Raven
http://AssistanceDogJournal.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Golden_Paw_ADC/
"My Assistance Dog is not my whole life, but she makes my life whole"~D.L.Shotwell
Poor journalism and poor management. What else is new?
Statements like "I carried him into REI in Berkeley the other day, right past the sign that says “Service Animals Only,” and no one said a word." and "Like I said, he’s a service dog." bely any possible denial that she was faking, knew she was faking, and thought it was funny to take advantage of the disabled and to break the law.
By the way, did anyone notice this comment form is not accessible to the blind? The CAPTCHA they use does not have an audible version so the blind have an equal opportunity to participate. Since guide dogs for the blind are the original service dog this is doubly a slap in the face for the disabled who would want to comment on something that affects them, but aren't permitted to while others are.
reCAPTCHA is freely available to anyone who cares to use it and it includes an audible option and actually helps the disabled each time it is used by helping to digitize books for the blind to read with TTS software.