Free Republic

A Northeast Side homeowners association wants residents of a home at 7310 Roveen Trail to be held in contempt of court for allegedly failing to remove livestock from the property. The request is the latest twist in a legal fight the Ventura Maintenance Association Inc. has been waging against a homeowner and his tenants. In August, Ventura sued homeowner William Wade, his wife Amanda and tenants Richard and Ja’Net Hayes, alleging they had been keeping “various unauthorized animals” — including “a horse, goats, chickens and most recently ducks” — on the property since about April. The Wades live in Arizona;...

A veteran adjusting to civilian life got a loveable service dog to help her through "ruff" times.After more than three years of serving abroad, veteran Mac McQueary returned to the U.S. But she had trouble acclimating to everyday life. "I didn’t know how to survive in the civilian world, and the difficulties that I faced, I basically ran from," McQueary said. "The before was lonely and sometimes dark. And now there’s a light." Then, she was told about K9s for Warriors, which pairs service members with service dogs. And it doesn’t cost the veterans a single cent. McQueary was introduced...

Travelers may be used to flying with their emotional support animals -- anything from a pet hamster to a baby crocodile -- but the rules are about to change, according to a new proposal from the Department of Transportation. The proposal unveiled by DOT on Wednesday proposes to strictly limit the definition of a service animal to a dog, reversing a policy that permits a wide range of other animals to fly under that framework. DOT’s new rule also no longer requires airlines to recognize emotional support animals, with the agency citing a number of reasons for the change. SNIP...

When did it become acceptable for everyone to bring their Stew Pet dogs to the mall? I just wanted some vegetables and chicken for dinner so I stopped at our mega mall here in San Jose and grabbed my chow at Sarko. Yum So, I am sitting there taking my first sip of my Diet Coke and I start to hear the whining of a little dog. Concerned, I look around and don't see it. Then this lady walks past me and she has two dinky dogs on a leash. I probably know the breed but, whatever. The dinky dork...

Texans on Tuesday voted to amend the state’s Constitution so retired law enforcement animals, like dogs or horses, can be adopted as opposed to auctioned off or euthanized. Proposition 10, placed on the ballot with a unanimous vote from the Texas Legislature, was one of the 10 proposed amendments considered by voters. All but one passed, according to The Houston Chronicle. The measure on law enforcement animals was overwhelming approved by 94 percent with more than 1.6 million votes. "Police dogs develop a special bond with their handler, and — after a lifetime of public service — deserve to spend...

Miniature horses are among the service animals approved to take on flights, according to new guidelines provided Thursday by the federal government. Service animals on planes has been the subject of much debate over the past several years, especially when the animal is a little exotic. To curb some of the debate, the U.S. Department of Transportation clarified which common service animals should almost always be allowed. “With respect to animal species, we indicated that we would focus our enforcement efforts on ensuring that the most commonly used service animals (dogs, cats, and miniature horses) are accepted for transport as...

Delta Air Lines has come under scrutiny after the carrier reportedly did not allow a service dog scheduled to be delivered to a two-year-old child dealing with seizures on one of its flights. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, pet rescue agency representative Kim Biggerstaff was planning to fly a service dog named Daisy to California to help a two-year-old girl named Mila Lhautara who was born with hydrocephalus and recently diagnosed with epilepsy. When Biggerstaff tried to book a flight with Delta, the airline said the service dog would not be allowed to board. The animal was being flown to...

Like many airlines, Southwest has been working on new policies to rein in passenger abuse of generous “emotional support” animal guidelines. Customers have successfully flown with support spiders, snakes, possums, raccoons and, of course, cats and dogs, even large slobbering ones shedding fur. We wrote here in April about airlines’ varied struggles with developing standard policies that meet the needs and desires of passengers paying a small fortune to fly cross-country without being eaten and passengers who feel the need to have their little baby Bailey nearby at all times.

Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that, pursuant to Executive Order 13777 and his November memorandum prohibiting guidance documents, he is rescinding 25 such documents that were unnecessary, inconsistent with existing law, or otherwise improper. In making the announcement, the Attorney General said: “Last month, I ended the longstanding abuse of issuing rules by simply publishing a letter or posting a web page. Congress has provided for a regulatory process in statute, and we are going to follow it. This is good government and prevents confusing the public with improper and wrong advice.” “Therefore, any guidance that is outdated, used to circumvent...

A program that prepares service dogs for permanent placement with wounded veterans and their families has been booted from Fort Belvoir and Walter Reed without explanation, the program's executive director says. GERMANTOWN, Md. — The Warrior Canine Connection, a program that uses an army of volunteer puppy raisers, dog trainers and veterans to prepare service dogs for wounded veterans and their families, has been partnering with military facilities in the D.C. region since 2009. But suddenly — and without explanation — that came to a stop, says Warrior Canine Connection Executive Director Rick Yount. He said his trainers and puppy...

There isn’t any nice way to say this so here goes: A Muslim skunk who owns a Subway sandwich shop denied entry to an American disabled veteran and his service dog. This lowlife piece of garbage, who came to our country from some third world pig sty, decided that our laws covering special treatment for our disabled citizens especially our disabled veterans, mean nothing to him. This creep actually said, “I don’t care,” when a reporter asked the hateful punk if he knew about the regulation covering an exception for service animals in restaurants. This is a case of a...

Public confusion, legal loopholes and shady Internet businesses have led to an "epidemic" of fake service-dog certificates, vests and harnesses for use on ordinary pets. And advocates for the disabled say the issue is creating big headaches for those who truly need the canines' assistance. The problem has gotten so bad that Canine Companions for Independence — the nation's largest breeding and training service-dog program — launched an online petition this week asking the U.S. Department of Justice to take action. "Unfortunately, people are trading on the fact these harnesses and vests have become distinguishing marks of service dogs, so...

(CNSNews.com) – Pot-bellied pigs must be granted passage on airplanes if they are used for “emotional support” by their owners, states the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) draft manual on equity for the disabled in air travel. The DOT published its “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel: Draft Technical Assistance Manual” in the Federal Register on July 5, providing guidance that allows swine on airplanes if they are determined to be service animals. The manual is designed to "help carriers and indirect carriers and their employees/contractors that provide services or facilities to passengers with disabilities, assist those passengers...

New Disability Regs Limit Slope of Mini Golf Holes, Require Businesses to Admit Mini Horses as Guide Animals Although the Justice Department has extended the deadline for America’s hotels to comply with regulations regarding handicap access to swimming pools, new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines are already being applied at miniature golf courses, driving ranges, amusement parks, shooting ranges and saunas. Among the provisions in the "Revised ADA Standards for Accessible Design," which went into effect on March 15, is one requiring businesses to allow miniature horses on their premises as guide animals for the disabled. Another limits the...

Feds: Airlines Must Let Passengers Fly With Pigs for 'Emotional Support' By Elizabeth Harrington (CNSNews.com) – Pot-bellied pigs must be granted passage on airplanes if they are used for “emotional support” by their owners, states the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) draft manual on equity for the disabled in air travel. The DOT published its “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel: Draft Technical Assistance Manual” in the Federal Register on July 5, providing guidance that allows swine on airplanes if they are determined to be service animals. The manual is designed to "help carriers and indirect carriers and...

It is not your imagination. There really are more dogs strolling through public spaces with their owners. Animals are going where they have never gone before. "In San Francisco, it is just so much more in your face," says Emily Simone, a senior field manager for Guide Dogs for the Blind. "In the '80s and especially in the '90s, I've just seen an explosion. We've become animal obsessed. The East Coast and San Francisco are particular hotbeds for advocacy." San Francisco has become a city filled with "service animals," meaning the owner has a permit that allows him or her...