[pct-l] Hiker Approaching Forester Pass

[Ken Murray]

Well, first you stated that even questions were some sort of crime, 
now you say that if one "bothers" you, they are guilty of harrassment.
Your attempt at coercing readers to think the first, surely doesn't convince
very well in the second.

It sounds like a con job when a person takes a dog out on a trail, and a thousand
or two miles later, "decides" to designate the dog as a service dog.  That doesn't 
sound like a legitimate training program to me, does it to you?

If you think you don't have to answer to anyone but the ADA, you are sadly mistaken.
Assenberg v. Anacortes Housing
Authority, 2006 WL 1515603 (W.D. Wash. May 25, 2006), is the relevant case law.

Many references can be found here, including that case:
http://www.equipforequality.org/resourcecenter/ada_serviceanimals.pdf

An example of LEGITIMATE disability organizations being distressed over
the BS designations can be found here, the Coalition of Assistance Dog Partners,
and why the illegitimate designations threaten legitimate designations:
http://www.gdui.org/cado.html
 
Don't misunderstand me.  I'm an absolute supporter of legitimate Service Animals.
However, I'm an absolute enemy to those who abuse the designations, and endanger
the rights of those who have legitimate need.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Carolyn Eddy" <ECPG at peoplepc.com>
To: "Ken Murray" <kmurray at pol.net>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 9:41:25 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hiker Approaching Forester Pass

http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm Pertains to my rights to use a service dog.
And no, the public can be as annoying as they want to be, however, if you 
interfere with my rights to use my dog, which includes harrassment, you will 
find that many cases have been won saying otherwise. Harrassment is 
harrassment, and any cop will deal with it as if you are the bad guy if you 
bother me while my dog is working.

Why is this a con job? I carry documentation just to protect myself from 
people like those who think their access to public places is more important 
than mine, although I'm not required to show it. All I can think from your 
email is that you are young and/or have never had a disability that prevents 
you from enjoying things you love and having to make the best of them.

And I don't have a problem with discussing my disabilities with interested, 
polite bystanders. But fortunately, I don't have to answer to anyone but the 
ADA.

I also posted the offlead comment to my assistance dog list. These are 
people who know these laws well. The consensus is that as long as you are 
conforming to leash laws and the dog is performing a task that requires it 
to be off lead that it's legal. I don't feel that dogs should be offlead in 
the wilderness at all, but Bob does help with moving gear so is occasionally 
offlead when task oriented.

"Sweet Goat Mama"
Carolyn Eddy
www.goattracksmagazine.com