Federal Judge rules that Keepsake the Miniature Horse does not provide a service for girl
June 28, 2003.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.
A federal judge refused to allow a miniature horse as a house pet
for a 9-year-old with a spinal defect.
Judge R. Allan Edgar ruled that her family must obey a city law
prohibiting horses without a permit.
The family argued the girl, Tiffany Masters, was so disabled she
needed the horse to help her walk. But the judge disagreed. The child was born with spina bifida, a degenerative spinal
condition.
Lawyers for the family contended that the 140-pound horse, named
Keepsake, is a service animal, similar to a guide dog.
The family lives in Jasper, 18 miles west of Chattanooga. "It's an
unpleasant situation," city attorney Zach Kelly said. "It's not that
the city wants to deprive the little girl of a pony."
Here is the full set of stories including the text of the court
decision from the Guide Horse Foundation web site:
http://www.guidehorse.com/law_tiffany.htm
