RESOLUTION 2022-01

Regarding Housing Accommodations for Service Animals or Guide Dogs

WHEREAS, blind people, from all walks of life, are able to participate in work, school, and social activities because of the training they receive with their service animals or guide dogs; and

WHEREAS, working together creates a strong emotional bond between blind people and their service animals or guide dogs, leading to a strong desire by the handler to care for the service animal or guide dog in retirement; and

WHEREAS, Maryland law, especially the Maryland White Cane Law, requires landlords and other housing providers to accommodate service animals or guide dogs without assessing additional charges to the dog handler or person with the disability; and

WHEREAS, the law is silent on the status of the service animal or guide dog who is retired, leaving the dog handler or person with a disability with the possibility of having to either give the dog to a third party or to pay extra to house the service animal; and

WHEREAS, the law should be amended to allow an individual with a disability to keep their service animal or guide dog, whether working or retired: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Convention assembled this thirteenth day of November, 2022, in the City of Towson, Maryland, that this organization strongly urge the Maryland General Assembly and the Governor to enact legislation allowing a person with a disability to keep their service animal or guide dog who is retired and to prohibit landlords, homeowner associations, and other housing providers from requiring additional fees or charges for users of retired service animals to keep them in their homes.