GSD guide dog bites Maltese in office

[responsiblek9]

Guide Dog Case Spurs Emotions
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060727/NEWS/607270405/1004
A hearing officer will hear arguments on the dog fight case Friday in Bartow.

By Joy Cochran
The Ledger

[responsiblek9]

Dog fight ends up in court
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=ISO-8859-1&scoring=d&q=dog&sa=N&start=10
Bartow, Florida ? The hearing began at 9 AM and the courtroom in Polk County was packed. Some came with guide dogs, others were officers with Animal Control, and there were many more supporters on both sides of the issue.

Maria Gallo is an attorney and the hearing officer in this case. And there are a host of things she will have to consider. One, whether the business owner violated any law for having a dog at a medical office.

[responsiblek9]

Guide Dog's Fate to Be Decided Next Week
Hearing Officer: Death Penalty Off Table
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060728/BREAKING/60728005

By Joy Cochran
The Ledger

``Was Mr. Jardine rightfully (at the business)?'' Maria Gallo, the volunteer hearing officer for the case, said during Friday's hearing a courtroom in Bartow. ``I believe that he was.''

Gallo said she will also research whether Angie Horton, who owns Spinal Restoration, should have had Buddy in that office, which is regulated by the Department of Health, on a regular basis.

``Does a business owner have the right to impose a dog on others?'' Gallo asked.

[responsiblek9]

Wonder if the judge will look at this law in aplication to this Guide dog case in Florida?

 

http://nfbflorida.org/legislation/floridastatute41308.htm

 

413.081  Interference with or injury to a service animal; penalties; restitution.--

 

(1)  A person who, with reckless disregard, interferes with, or permits a dog that he or she owns or is in the immediate control of to interfere with, the use of a service animal by obstructing, intimidating, or otherwise jeopardizing the safety of the service animal or its user commits a misdemeanor of the second degree for the first offense and a misdemeanor of the first degree for each subsequent offense, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

[responsiblek9]

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060802/NEWS/608020418/1004
By Joy Cochran
The Ledger

WINTER HAVEN -- A hearing officer has asked for more information before making a decision about Miden

has asked for a veterinarian's evaluation of Miden, an 8-year-old German shepherd. She wants to know whether Miden's degenerative spinal condition will allow him to still serve as a guide dog.

Gallo has also asked for an evaluation by a guide dog trainer from Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, the organization that gave Miden to Jardine. She wants the trainer to take the dog around people and businesses for a behavioral evaluation, Baker said.

[responsiblek9]

New Vet Ordered In Dog Dispute
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/NEWS/608030415/1004 full story on link
By Joy Cochran
The Ledger


WINTER HAVEN -- After taking his guide dog to the veterinarian Wednesday, Bob Jardine learned that evaluation wasn't enough for a hearing officer to determine whether Miden is a vicious dog.

Instead, officials with the Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Control section and Jardine must agree on a veterinarian who will evaluate the 8-year-old, 100-pound German shepherd that mauled a 10-pound Maltese in June.

"Spending all of Polk County's scarce resources on this dog case is just really bizarre," said Stephen Baker, Jardine's lawyer who, like Jardine, is blind. "They want to agree on a vet, but don't want Bob's regular vet to do it."

According to the agreement, the trainer cannot be from Fidelco, the organization that gave Miden to Jardine six years ago.

Instead, the trainer must be from another guide dog organization. That's because Fidelco's trainer did a fitness evaluation of Miden the same morning as the attack, Bergdoll said.

"It would be a conflict of interest for them to give an opinion on that," he said. "That's my opinion."

[responsiblek9]

Miden Must be Muzzled
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/BREAKING/60803007
Seeing Eye Dog Ruled Vicious; But Be Muzzled in Public

By Joy Cochran
The Ledger


WINTER HAVEN -- Miden the seeing-eye dog was labeled vicious and must spend the rest of his days in public muzzled.

That's the decision rendered Thursday by Maria Gallo, a lawyer and volunteer hearing officer for the Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Control section.

``Miden, while in a public place, shall be muzzled in a manner that will not cause injury to the dog or interfere with it vision or respiration, that will prevent it from biting any person or animal,'' Gallo wrote, quoting in part the Polk County's animal control ordinance that addresses vicious dogs.

[responsiblek9]

New Vet Ordered In Dog Dispute
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/NEWS/608030415/1004
By Joy Cochran
The Ledger


WINTER HAVEN -- After taking his guide dog to the veterinarian Wednesday, Bob Jardine learned that evaluation wasn't enough for a hearing officer to determine whether Miden is a vicious dog.

Instead, officials with the Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Control section and Jardine must agree on a veterinarian who will evaluate the 8-year-old, 100-pound German shepherd that mauled a 10-pound Maltese in June.

[Kirsten]

Gallo said a series of mistakes contributed to the ``unfortunate incident,'' including...Jardine teaching Miden commands outside of those taught as a service dog was unwise. While Miden had Buddy in his mouth, he did not respond to Jardine's command of ``out'' to drop the dog. ``Out'' is not a service dog command, a trainer testified.

Poppycock.  Every dog on the planet should be taught some sort of "drop it" command.  Training such does not invalidate a dog as a service dog.  Heck, my Cole knows, "wave," "ta-da" (bowing), and various other tricks in addition to a full compliment of competition obedience commands, agility and tracking commands, free-style commands, and useful daily life commands like, "careful," (you are about to hit the end of your flexi or slam into the backgate when it is not unlatched or otherwise crash and burn) "prickly" (don't sniff that cat even if he does rub up against your legs because he swats), and "where's your toy?"