Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter … · Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF...

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Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter September 2013 Puppy Saturday Meeting Date: September 14, 2013 Where: John’s Pass Madeira Beach 12900 Gulf Blvd. Time: 10:00am 12:00pm Hi everyone, John’s Pass Village, located on the east side of Gulf Blvd., just before crossing the bridge to Treasure Island, it is a popular little tourist spot. It’s quaint, located near the beach and full of small privately owned shops of crafts and treasures. It was one of the first locations Chuck and I discovered after we first moved here in 1984. It impressed us and is a favorite place of ours to revisit for food and shopping. As always, at our general meetings, we try to introduce the puppies to new experiences they may encounter later in life as a guide dog. And boy, are there a lot of new and exciting things to experience here. There will be a boardwalk, open backed steps, people, pelicans, traffic, sand, and water, just to name a few. Although it may still be a little warm outside in September, it is probably is a good time of year to beat the crowds. It’s also an excellent place for our new young puppies. It is out doors, and has lots of concrete relief areas! Besides, there are several opportunities to escape the heat by ducking into a small shop, or resting under the shade of a palm tree. Directions: For most of us the easiest way to Johns Pass is from I275 in St. Petersburg, take the 38 th Ave North exit and head west on 38 th avenue north. Turn right on Tyrone Blvd, Tyrone Blvd will turn into Bay Pines Blvd, stay on Bay Pines Blvd, follow the signs to Madeira Beach across the John Stewart Causeway, turn left or south on Gulf Blvd turn right on 129 th Avenue and follow it into the parking lot. We will meet at the Gazebo where the bathrooms are located. If you have any questions or need different directions give Chuck a call or send him an email. Parking and Meeting Place: You can park in the public parking lot west of Gulf Blvd., just before crossing the bridge to Treasure Island. There is a small Gazebo where we can meet. Make sure to bring quarters for the parking meters and shoes to walk on the beach. There is also a public parking Garage on the east side of Gulf Blvd. After our meeting, we usually go out to lunch. We will decide together where we want to go. See you then.

Transcript of Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter … · Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF...

Page 1: Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter … · Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter September 2013 Puppy Saturday Meeting Date: September

Suncoast Puppy Raisers

GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter September 2013 Puppy Saturday Meeting

Date: September 14, 2013

Where: John’s Pass Madeira Beach

12900 Gulf Blvd.

Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm

Hi everyone,

John’s Pass Village, located on the

east side of Gulf Blvd., just before

crossing the bridge to Treasure Island, it

is a popular little tourist spot. It’s

quaint, located near the beach and full of

small privately owned shops of crafts

and treasures. It was one of the first

locations Chuck and I discovered after

we first moved here in 1984. It

impressed us and is a favorite place of

ours to revisit for food and shopping.

As always, at our general meetings, we

try to introduce the puppies to new

experiences they may encounter later in

life as a guide dog. And boy, are there a

lot of new and exciting things to

experience here. There will be a

boardwalk, open backed steps, people,

pelicans, traffic, sand, and water, just to

name a few. Although it may still be a

little warm outside in September, it is

probably is a good time of year to beat

the crowds. It’s also an excellent place

for our new young puppies. It is out

doors, and has lots of concrete relief

areas! Besides, there are several

opportunities to escape the heat by ducking into a small shop, or resting under the shade of a palm tree.

Directions: For most of us the easiest way to Johns Pass is from I275 in St. Petersburg, take the 38th

Ave North

exit and head west on 38th

avenue north. Turn right on Tyrone Blvd, Tyrone Blvd will turn into Bay Pines

Blvd, stay on Bay Pines Blvd, follow the signs to Madeira Beach across the John Stewart Causeway, turn left or

south on Gulf Blvd turn right on 129th

Avenue and follow it into the parking lot. We will meet at the Gazebo

where the bathrooms are located. If you have any questions or need different directions give Chuck a call or

send him an email.

Parking and Meeting Place: You can park in the public parking lot west of Gulf Blvd., just before crossing

the bridge to Treasure Island. There is a small Gazebo where we can meet. Make sure to bring quarters for the

parking meters and shoes to walk on the beach. There is also a public parking Garage on the east side of Gulf

Blvd.

After our meeting, we usually go out to lunch. We will decide together where we want to go. See you then.

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Suncoast Puppy Raisers

Area Coordinators:

Chuck and Debbie Hietala

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.suncoastpup.org

Phone: 727-515-2105

Guide Dog Foundation

371 East Jericho Turnpike

Smithtown, NY 11787

Phone: (800) 548-4337

Fax: (631) 930-9009

Website:www.guidedog.org

Above Francis meets Heart for the first

time. Below Mike and Alicia meet Usher.

Good luck to you all and we see a fun

filled year ahead for all of you.

New arrivals We are so excited to announce 3 new arrivals. First, a very

cute little Golden/Lab named Heart has joined Frances and

Paul Lucus, and next, an adorable German Shepherd named

Usher is testing new puppy raisers Mike and Alicia

Masterson. Our third addition is not a young puppy, but new

to our group. We welcome, Audrey, accompanied by Louise

and Mike who have just moved here from Georgia. Welcome

all newcomers and we are looking forward to all being part of

the group!

Breeder evaluations We have two dogs leaving us this month to be evaluated for

breeding. First, Reuben, the very handsome Collie being

raised by Don and Donna Thompson, and Velvet, the dainty,

beautiful little Lab, being raised by Bob and Sue Debatt.

They are scheduled to be transported to Georgia where they

will go through their evaluations. We will let you know how

it goes, and where the dogs will go from there. Good luck

Reuben and Velvet, we know you will make us proud.

Up Coming Events As always, our calendar is full, but we want to thank

everyone in advance for attending our numerous events.

Getting our puppies out into the public is the best way to build

awareness and hopefully attract more people to join us. So here is

what’s coming up next:

October 12, Puppy Saturday Meeting: 24th

Annual Fire

Prevention Block Party, Lake Vista Park, 1401 62nd

Ave S.

10:00am –noon. sponsored by St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue.

The suggestion to attend this event as our monthly meeting

location came from Donna Thompson and we thought it was a

great idea. We will be sending out more info in next month’s

meeting announcement, but at least now you can plan ahead. We

are always open to your suggestions for meeting locations. We

try to focus on something free, with lots of exposures to people

places and things for our puppies.

October 18, 6:30 -10:30pm. The National Association of

Guide Dog Users, NAGDU, is having a fund raiser, Oktoberfest,

at the Lion’s Club Beach house, Treasure Island. This is a very

worthy cause and near and dear to any guide dog user no matter

which school their dog is from. NAGDU is the largest advocacy

group to protect the rights of an individual to be accompanied by

their guide dog. Of course I am a member and I am helping to

organize this event with our National President, Marian

Gwizdalla, who happens to live in Tampa. There will be music,

authentic German food and beer, raffle and auction items. It is a

Page 3: Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter … · Suncoast Puppy Raisers GDF Suncoast Puppy Raisers Newsletter September 2013 Puppy Saturday Meeting Date: September

Suncoast Puppy Raisers

Area Coordinators:

Chuck and Debbie Hietala

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.suncoastpup.org

Phone: 727-515-2105

Guide Dog Foundation

371 East Jericho Turnpike

Smithtown, NY 11787

Phone: (800) 548-4337

Fax: (631) 930-9009

Website:www.guidedog.org

Debbie says hi to Heart at the Pets for Vet’s Fundraiser!

free event and a flyer is forthcoming with all the particulars. Tell all your friends and we hope to see you there.

October 27, Sunday 9am –noon: Foundation Fighting Blindness, 6th

Annual Vision Walk, Al Lopez Park,

in Tampa. We are requesting volunteers to man a table on behalf of GDF, and walkers to support the fund

raiser. I am currently putting together a team and requesting each member raise $50.00 per person for the walk.

Transitions Optical has pledged $20.00 per person, so you only have to come up with $30.00, more if you are so

inclined. So save the date and let us know if you can attend.

Just a final note, we want to thank all the raisers

that attended September 1st Pets for Vets event.

This was a fund raiser for Guide Dog Foundation’s

American Vet Dog program, placing companion

dogs that don’t make it as a guide dog with

veterans with PTSD and other disabilities. The

event was a lot of fun and raised about $1500.00

for the program. Thanks for helping us out by

attending this event as well as any future ones. It

is appreciated.

Training Tip – Access Issues Since we started our group 2 years ago, we really

haven’t addressed the issue of public access with

your puppy. At least one time in your raising

career, you will be questioned or denied access

with your puppy. We do have an informal public access policy that we suggest our raisers follow. We say

informal, because it is not official, written down or supported by any law. But first what does the GDF manual

say.

It says: ACCESS Prior to any outing to a business (such as a bank, post office or store) for the first time,

speak to the manager. Introduce yourself as a puppy raiser for the Guide Dog Foundation. Present your I.D. card

and answer any questions that they may have. Whether they grant you entry or not, always be polite. Be certain

to thank them for their cooperation. In fact, following up by telephone or correspondence to thank them for their

kindness is a great idea!

Access for puppy raisers is not guaranteed. If a store denies you and the puppy access, be courteous and

polite – and do not force the issue. We do not want to damage the Guide Dog Foundation’s relationship, or

potential relationship, with any business.

So what are our informal Guidelines? The guidelines we would like members of our puppy raiser group

are as follows:

*Even before leaving the house, make sure your puppy is mature enough for the level of the exposure. For

example, a young puppy only has an attention span of about 45 minutes, and they require 100% of your

attention. As the puppy matures, they can handle more time and need less attention.

*On outings, make sure your puppy is in coat, you have their ID card, water, clean up supplies, and a chew toy.

Make sure they are under your control and you are up to the exposure as well.

*If confronted about access, make sure to let the person know that you do have a “guide dog in training” and

then present your pup’s ID card. If you are still denied access, be professional, polite, and ask for a name and

phone number so someone can contact them about access for our guide dog puppy. Send us the information via

email and we will follow up.

*Remember, you do not have to take your puppy every where you go all the time. It is good for them to stay

home too. Staying home builds their confidence. We do not want pups with separation anxiety who cannot be

left at home.

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Suncoast Puppy Raisers

Area Coordinators:

Chuck and Debbie Hietala

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.suncoastpup.org

Phone: 727-515-2105

Guide Dog Foundation

371 East Jericho Turnpike

Smithtown, NY 11787

Phone: (800) 548-4337

Fax: (631) 930-9009

Website:www.guidedog.org

*In most cases, access issues are just a matter of education. Many times after we’ve explained what our

program is about, we have made a new friend and are invited back. If not, we just tell every one we know, not

to patronize that business or organization.

Debbie asked NAGDU President Marian Gwizdalla his expert advice on the subject. Here is what he

had to say: Marion’s comments on Florida Statute concerning Access to Trainers of Service Animals.

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act only extends protection to disabled individuals, including

disabled individuals accompanied by service animals, most state statutes extend this protection to trainers of

service animals. Some states require the trainer to be a “professional”, while others require no specific

credentials. Florida law is one of the most permissive statutes when it comes to access to public places with

service animals in training. Florida law states, “Any trainer of a service animal, while engaged in the training of

such an animal, has the same rights and privileges with respect to access to public facilities and the same

liability for damage as is provided for [disabled individuals] accompanied by service animals.” 413.08(8) f.s.)

When traveling to another state, it is strongly suggested you know the laws of the state where you are going.

You can view summaries and texts of all the state laws by going to http://www.nagdu.org/rights.html

You may also call the NAGDU Information & Advocacy Hotline 24/7 by calling 888-NAGDU411

(888-624-3841) Thanks Marion! Especially good advice to remember every state is different when we travel.

So in summary our policy and GDF’s policy is access will be granted voluntarily. If denied access we

remain polite and get any contact information we can so we can follow up with the business or location as to

why we had an issue. If you have any questions please contact us. And remember we are walking around with

a billboard advertising GDF so let’s make sure we are always good spokespeople for the organization we

represent.

You’re Area Coordinators: Debbie & Chuck Hietala

Pictures from last month’s pool party and trip to Ray’s Game