'More than just a pet'

HUNTINGDON - Since she was 5 years old, Huntingdon native Jennifer Warsing has been without her hearing.

She recalls the morning she woke up screaming for her mother because she was unable to hear anything.

Warsing was diagnosed with Meniere's disease, an abnormality of the inner ear which can cause a host of problems from vertigo to tinnitus.

Warsing said she believes that "with every adversity, there is an opportunity."

Warsing has a hearing dog to help her with daily living. But now she's working on an effort to protect her four-legged aide and others across Pennsylvania after she and the dog were attacked by another dog in February.

Until two years ago, Warsing was without any assistance. She could not tell when the telephone rang or when the oven timer went off or even when someone was knocking at her door. She does have hearing aids that help her, but she only has 4 percent of her hearing and can hold her own during conversations by reading lips.

"When I moved out on my own, I had all the devices that would help me know when the smoke alarm were going off or when the telephone rang," she said.

"When someone said they were coming to visit me, I would stand at the door and wait for them," she said.

There are about 615,000 cases of Meniere's in the U.S. with 45,500 new cases each year, according to a recent study by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Warsing said she finally broke down and contacted Dogs for the Deaf Inc. of Central Point, Ore. She was interviewed in her home to make sure things were up to the organization's standards, and then in September 2007, Hattie, a chocolate Labrador retriever, came into Warsing's life.

Hattie had gone through an eight-month training program. The first year of being together was a bonding time between Warsing and Hattie.

However, there was a moment that almost caused Jennifer to lose Hattie. While out walking in February, Warsing and Hattie were attacked by a dog from another residence that came from its yard. Pennsylvania's leash law requires a dog to be under control and not able to run at large.

"We were not protected by the Pennsylvania Leash Law, and it [the incident] caused Hattie to have anxiety about going outside," she said. "They [the owners of the dog] fought the fines and won the case. However, they did have to pay the restitution.

"In a split second, I could have lost everything. These are not just dogs; they are a part of the body. She is not a pet. She is my life."

Hearing dogs are worth $30,000 to $60,000, Warsing said.

After the attack, Warsing started a quest to change the state's animal cruelty law, making it a second-degree misdemeanor for an attack on an assistance dog. House Bill 123, also known as Hattie's Bill, was introduced in January but hasn't moved out of the House Judiciary Committee.

The bill is sponsored by state Rep. John Evans, R-Erie/Crawford and co-sponsored by Reps. Rick Geist, R-Altoona, and Jerry Stern, R-Martinsburg.

"Rep. Mike Fleck helped me get things rolling, but we have worked on changing the language in the bill and, hopefully, we can get it passed," Warsing said.

Warsing said she's also received support from Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr., R-Blair.

"This is a good bill, but it needs some clarification added to it," Eichelberger said. "I am in support of this bill and would like to see it get through. I doubt it will get through this year, even though there are other issues going on in Harrisburg other than the budget. This is a Title 18 criminal bill and will not cost the state any money. I think Jennifer's story is compelling and needs to be told."

Seventeen states throughout the country have such laws, Warsing said.

The proposed legislation would require the person who fails to control their dog to pay restitution in the event of an attack on an assistance dog.

While the bill still sits in Harrisburg, Warsing and Hattie are content with their lives.

The accolades have come for the pair. Hattie has been nominated for an ACE, or Award for Canine Excellence Award, from the American Kennel Club, and Warsing has been interviewed by Woman's Day magazine and numerous canine publications.

"The words 'I can't' are not in my vocabulary," Warsing said.