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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">From: </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">IAADP </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">To: </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="mailto:IAADP@fuse.net">IAADP@fuse.net</A> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 9:26
AM</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Subject: IAADP Call for Action on
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>
AB 1634</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Dear California IAADP member,
</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">A bill will be heard by the
California State Assembly that will have a negative impact on the assistance dog
movement if passed. Assistance Dogs International,</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Guide Dogs for the Blind and
Canine Companions for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:City> in addition to IAADP are all
opposed to AB 1634. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Below is the letter I sent to the
Speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Nunez. It would be very helpful it you
added your voice to the growing opposition to</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">this bill. Please contact your
assemblyperson.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Thanks for your help. Hope you
and your canine partner are doing well. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Ed Eames, President IAADP </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">International Association of
Assistance Dog Partners </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">President: Ed Eames, Ph.D. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">3376 N. Wishon, <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Fresno</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">CA</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode
w:st="on">93704-4832</st1:PostalCode></st1:place> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Phone: (559)
224-0544 Fax: (559) 224-5851 E-mail: </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="mailto:eeames@csufresno.edu">eeames@csufresno.edu</A> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Board of Directors: </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Dino Brownson, Toni Eames, Tanya
Eversole, Jill Exposito, Joan </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Froling, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Carol King, Wendy Morrell,
<st1:place w:st="on">Devon</st1:place> Wilkins </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">May 20, 2007 </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Assemblyman Fabian Nunez,
Speaker </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">California</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Assembly </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">FAX: 213 620-6319 </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Re: OPPOSED - Levine AB1634
<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>
Healthy Pets Act, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">
the May 9,2007 amended version and all versions </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Dear Speaker Nunez, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">As president of the International
Association of Assistance Dog </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Partners (IAADP), I am writing in
strong opposition to AB 1634. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I request inclusion in the
listed opposition to this ill- </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">conceived legislation being
considered by your committee. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">IAADP is a cross-disability
consumer advocacy organization with </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">more than 1,700 people with
disabilities working with guide, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">hearing and service dogs.
Our independence, safety, mobility and </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">an improved quality of life are
interwoven with our trained </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">canine assistants' ability to
mitigate some of the effects of our </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">disabilities. AB 1634
threatens the very foundation of the </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">relationship between us and our
canine partners in independence. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Many assistance dog programs rely
on breeding their own stock to </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">supply puppies for future guide
and service dog work. Among </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">these are Guide Dogs for the
Blind (GDB)in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San
Rafael</st1:place></st1:City>, the </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">largest guide dog training
program in the country, and Canine </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Companions for <st1:City
w:st="on">Independence</st1:City>, (CCI) in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:place></st1:City>, the originator </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">of the service dog concept.
</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">AB 1634 requires neutering or
spaying at 4 months of age, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">considerably earlier than dogs
demonstrate their ability to work </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">as canine assistants.
GDB and CCI, as California-based </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">internationally recognized
programs, would face virtual </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">annihilation. My wife and I
have guide dogs trained at Guide </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Dogs for the Blind, and we, as
well as more than 2,000 blind and </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">visually impaired GDB graduates
throughout the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">would face a future without
successor canine assistants if AB </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">1634 were implemented. This
would threaten our ability to safely </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">travel, work and enjoy other
aspects of daily life. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Exemptions in AB1634 are not
provided for assistance dog training </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">programs breeding their own
future working dogs. However, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">exemptions are recommended for
commercial and for profit </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">breeders, thus excluding
not-for-profit programs Like GDB and </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">CCI. Since only registered
pure-bred dogs would be permitted to </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">breed, successful working dogs,
such as Golden/Labrador </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Retriever, Labrador/Poodle and
other cross-breeds, would be </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">eliminated. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The suggestion in the bill that
active working assistance dogs be </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">used for breeding purposes shows
a lack of understanding of the </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">assistance dog movement.
Working assistance dogs are spayed and </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">neutered to guarantee that sex
drives will not interfere with </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">their work ethic. Thus,
they are eliminated from the breeding </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">and gene pool. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Although some training programs
breed their own stock, many </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">smaller programs rely on hobby
breeders, most of whom are not </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">commercial or for profit
breeders, to donate puppies as future </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">working dogs. This is the
case for Guide Dogs of the Desert of </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:City w:st="on">Palm
Springs</st1:City> and Pawsitive Teams of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">San Diego</st1:place></st1:City>. Here again, AB </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">1634 threatens future recruitment
of dogs to help disabled </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">people. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> is not only the home for more than
15 guide, hearing </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">and service dog programs, it is
also the home of more disabled </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">people partnered with assistance
dogs than any other state. If </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">AB 1634 is passed, it will have a
negative impact on disabled </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Californians, but also on people
with disabilities throughout the </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> The basic premise of
the bill is that mandatory spay and </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">neutering will result in a
decline in animals brought to </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">shelters. Actually, animals
in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>
shelters have shown a </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">significant decline during the
last two decades based upon </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">continuing educational
efforts. A large number of dogs and cats </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">are brought to shelters between
the ages of 18 and 36 months by </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">their owners because of
behavioral issues and AB 1634 would have </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">no impact on these
relinquishments. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Instead of being called the
California Healthy Pets Act, this </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">piece of misguided legislation
should be the California Deprive </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">People with Disabilities of Their
Assistance Dog Act! </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Thank you for taking the views of
IAADP into consideration </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Sincerely, </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Ed Eames, Ph.D., President </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">IAADP </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Tanya Eversole, Director </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">IAADP Board of Directors </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Membership Coordinator / Database
Manager </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">(513) 245-2199<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="http://www.IAADP.org">www.IAADP.org</A> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">"Together we go farther than we
could ever go apart." Tanya &
Brooke</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>