A service dog doesn't qualify for food stamps, a Pennsylvania court has ruled, because he isn't human.
But the animal's disabled owner, James Douris, may not have to argue the legal issue on his own much longer. Although he lost a pro se Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court case arguing that the dog's nutritional requirements should be taken into account, as a household member, in determining his owner's food stamp allotment, Douris says his phone has been ringing off the hook since the court's decision yesterday, reports the L.A. Unleashed blog of the Los Angeles Times.
Among those calling are lawyers who want to help him with an appeal, he says. Even the court that ruled against him, upholding an earlier determination by the Department of Public Welfare, apparently would have liked to see a different result:
"This court is sympathetic to [Douris'] argument that his service dog is a necessity for him due to his disability, and that he lacks the funds to properly feed his service dog," states Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer in the written opinion. "We hope that there is some other state or federal program that might provide for the maintenance and upkeep of [the] dog."
no shit. maybe Spotty can find a lawyer to represent me next week. it really sucks when are you denied the very rights you worked to enforce.
i can't tell you what it feels like when you are sitting in a room being "Judged" in evey sense of the word, and not single recognizes you as a human being .
So here we are again. People who have read my story actuallly call me on my cell asking if my case was ever resolved.
i can hear their voice quivering as they try to the words.
i don't lie, but tell them how to prepare. and give the the names of specific people who may be able to give them "real" help. community block grants, ladies of charity... not prayers and ceratianly not "judgement" from their peers.
it has been one year to the day where i had to leave my cat in the yard because i was evicted for $4.50 in late fees. Sure, seems laughable, only because it did not happen to you
i wish him the best. both of them.
Comments
Post a Comment