"Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets."
Nick Spagnolo loves spending time with his pit bull mix, Scarlett. But he's quick to point out Scarlett is not his pet. She's his service dog.
"She's very good as far as emotional support," Spagnolo said. "She'll help me to wake up in the morning."
Spagnolo is a Navy veteran. He served in Kuwait City and Somalia in the early 1990s. He is now disabled and said he needs Scarlett.
"I've got some medical issues, and Scarlett kind of alleviates a lot of those," he said.
Spagnolo got Scarlett last November. Shortly after, his Property Owners Association told Spagnolo the dog cannot stay.
The Jamestown Property Owners Association has sent Spagnolo numerous letters telling him Scarlett is a violation of the POA regulations.
Regulations limit pets to a maximum of 20 pounds. Scarlett weighs 40 pounds.
Spagnolo, though, said those regulations don't apply here because Scarlett is not a pet. She's a service dog.
Disabled veteran Nick Spagnolo told service dog is violation of POA regulations | Treasure Coast News - WPBF Home
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