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<BR>Please see the message below. Thank you.<BR>
<BR>SHANNON L. DILLON<BR><BR><BR> <BR>
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To: jsthom@comcast.net; mwillows@sbcglobal.net; shannonldillon@hotmail.com; Creature_girl@comcast.net; lauriemehta@yahoo.com; ngardner@guidedogs.com; rhill@gddca.org; DEHartford@GuideDogsofAmerica.org0xL1FFFFz<BR>CC: klaidlaw@gddca.org; LMBernson@GuideDogsofAmerica.org; jritter@guidedogs.com; Kimberly_Brown@dca.ca.gov; bbarragan@socal.rr.com; ERIC@EPHOLM.COM; ericholm@att.net; jneidich@sbcglobal.net; lschnaidt@aol.com; tbsfolsom@sbcglobal.net; acandela@dor.ca.gov; William.Herndon@sfgov.org; john.denny@sfgov.org<BR>Subject: Press conference - dog attacks on guide dogs - Wednesday, February 24, 2010<BR>From: Antonette_Sorrick@dca.ca.gov<BR>Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:17:19 -0800<BR><BR>
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<FONT face=Arial size=2><B>Dog Attacks on Working Guide Dogs for the Blind: </B></FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>More than a Tragedy, It’s a Crime</B></FONT><BR></DIV>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>Who:</B></FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=Arial size=2>Board President Jeff Neidich; Board Member Eric Holm; Executive Officer Antonette Sorrick - State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind; SFPD Sergeant William Herndon and Officer John Denny, Vicious and Dangerous Animals Unit; Theresa Duncan - guide dog handler whose dog was attacked by off-leash Pit bull; Brian Francis - Director of Admissions and Graduate Services, Guide Dogs for the Blind.</FONT>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>What:</B></FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=Arial size=2>State Board, SF law enforcement, guide dog handlers, and guide dog school personnel, discuss how the public, law enforcement and guide dog users should respond to dog attacks on guide dogs, considered a crime under state law. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Guide dogs are not pets but working partners. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Guide dog owners and the public should respond to an attack by calling 9-1-1, rather than Animal Control. </FONT> <BR>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>When:</B></FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=Arial size=2>Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 11 a.m.</FONT>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>Where:</B></FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=Arial size=2>San Francisco - Governor’s office, 455 Golden Gate Ave, 14th Floor Conference Room</FONT>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>Background:</B></FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=Arial size=2>>Recent brutal dog attacks on working guide dogs have received worldwide attention; the California State Board of Guide Dogs will discuss the devastating consequences of an attack on a guide dog.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>>When a guide dog is attacked, it puts both dog and human in immediate danger. For the visually impaired relying on the services of a guide dog, sudden disorientation may result in life threatening injuries, as in the recent case in Australia, where an attack on a guide dog has left a blind man in a coma.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>>State law requires a law enforcement response to such an attack. Police dispatchers are urged to accept these calls rather than referring the caller to Animal Control. </FONT></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Antonette Sorrick<BR>Executive Officer <BR>State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind<BR>1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S-202<BR>Sacramento, CA 95834<BR>(916) 574-7825 phone<BR>(916) 574-7829 fax<BR>Antonette_Sorrick@dca.ca.gov <BR>www.guidedogboard.ca.gov <BR></FONT></P> </body>
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