| Subject: |
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FW: Citizens for Pets in Condos update - good news about fair housing trends |
| First Name or Nickname: |
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Maida |
| Date Posted: |
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Apr 9, 08 - 1:27 AM |
| Email Address: |
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maidawg@comcast.net |
| Message: |
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This coming Sunday, 4/13/2008, 11 AM - 3 PM, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control will hold a Pet Fest at the main shelter, 7100 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach (five miles west of I-95 just west of the Florida Turnpike). Read about this and other upcoming events on our events page, www.petsincondos.org/events.htm. We can use help tabling at this event. Please respond to info@petsincondos.org if you can help out.
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This past Friday I attended a symposium on housing discrimination in Fort Lauderdale. (There will be another symposium in Palm Beach County on Friday, April 25th. The program includes a national overview of recent trends in fair housing. The public is invited to attend. For additional information, call (561) 355-4884.)
The experts on the panel (from HUD, county Office of Equal Opportunity offices, and other FAPs – Fair Housing Assistance Partners) uniformly agreed that the bulk of housing discrimination complaints they receive are for denying reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities (as opposed to other protected categories of people). According to Pamela Guerrier, Esq from the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity, “Associations, in general, are becoming more aware and accepting of Emotional Support Animals.”
I also learned that best places to refer people who experience housing discrimination are the FAPs. In Broward County, that would be the Broward County Civil Rights Division, (954)357-7800. In Palm Beach, it is the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity, (561) 355-4883, and in Miami-Dade, it is the Miami-Dade Equal Opportunity Board, (305) 375-3566.
One handout, “The Joint Statement of The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice – Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act,” states:
“…Courts have applied the Act to individual, corporations, associations and others involved in the provision of housing and residential lending, including property owners, housing managers, homeowners and condominium associations lenders, real estate agents, and brokerage services…”
“The Act defines a person with a disability to include (1) individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limit one or mor major life activities; (2) individuals who are regarded as having such an impairment; and (3) individuals with a record of such an impairment…”
A handout from the Center for Independent Living of Broward statement on Companion and Emotional Support Animals (see link: http://www.petsincondos.org/CILBroward.html) makes it clear, among other things, that no special training is required for companion and emotional support animals.
(A lot of this information has been added to our web page.)
Also added to our web page:
quote from "Fall Guy" by Carol Lea Benjamin, where the main character is a dog trainer/private investigator whose sidekick is her pit bull named "Dashiell":
"He [Brody, a cop] was looking at Dashiell again. "You said you'd been a dog trainer?"
"That's right."
"So you taught Dashiell how to do pet therapy?"
"No, he didn't need me for that."
Brody raised his eyebrows.
"It's innate. All predators know how to tell the weak from the strong. For the wild ones, once they do..." I drew my pointer across my throat. "That's how they survive."
"Sounds like the predators I deal with."
"Except that domesticated predators, like dogs, don't think of humans as prey."
"How do they think of us?"
"As family. So when we're hurting or in trouble, they don't have us for lunch. They nurture us."
Brody looked at Dashiell.
"All I had to do was teach Dash manners so that when he goes to a nursing home ..., he behaves appropriately."
You can help us raise money by nominating me as the Animal Planet Hero of the Year. I am not look for the recognition, but I am looking for the financial award to Citizens for Pets in Condos to allow us to get the word out to help more people and animals. Go to http://animal.discovery.com/sweepstakes/hero/2008/index.html to submit my name. Here is the information you need about me:
Maida Genser, born 12/10/1942 (why do they need my birthdate?!?)
For address, you can use our organizational address
Citizens for Pets in Condos, Inc.
PO Box 26071
Tamarac, FL 33320
For the phone number, use our organizational phone number (day and evening) - 954 366-4555.
We are pleased to add ARC Open Door, a program of Animal Rescue Coalition of Sarasota, to our growing list of collaborating organizations. Check the list of our partners in the effort to save animals by creating an open door at condos and other associations. Go to our main web page, www.petsincondos.org and scroll down to see the list on the right hand side of the page.
Do you live in or near Delray Beach. A fun activity is planned for 4/29. Check our events calendar at www.petsincondos.org/events.htm. If you go, please bring our petitions and get signatures! Everyone – do whatever you can do to increase our signature count – either online or on paper petitions that you can send in to us (both can be found on our main web page, www.petsincondos.org). |
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