>> ERIC: IT’S AUGUST, AND SEVERAL NEW STATE LAWS HAVE TAKEN EFFECT.

ONE OF THOSE NEW LAWS EXPANDS PROTECTIONS FOR A VERY SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE, THOSE WHO TRAIN SERVICE DOGS.

THE NEW LAW PROHIBITS LANDLORDS AND HOME OWNERS’ ASSOCIATIONS FROM CHARGING EXTRA FEES FOR SERVICE DOGS IN TRAINING.

JOINING US NOW IS ALYSSA GOLOB, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HELPING PAWS, AND MARYANNE MAHOWALD, WHO IS THAT ORGANIZATION'S VICE PRESIDENT.

THEY HAVE ALSO BROUGHT ALONG RUDY WHO IS A SERVICE DOG IN TRAINING.

WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS WERE TRAINERS HAVING WITH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS?

>> SO, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO AN APARTMENT OR GOING INTO A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, MANY OF THEM HAVE RULES AND LAWS ABOUT HAVING A DOG ON PREMISES OR YOU CERTAINLY HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL FEE TO HAVE A DOG.

AND E REALLY DO COUNT ON OUR VOLUNTEERS AT ALL OF THESE ACCREDITED SERVICE DOG AGENCIES TO MAKE EVERYTHING HAPPEN.

AND IF A VOLUNTEER LIVES IN AN APARTMENT AND NOW HAS TO PAY AN EXTRA FEE OR THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION IS SAYING, NO, I DO NOT RECOGNIZE THIS AS A SERVICE DOG, IT REALLY KIND OF PUTS A GAP IN THE BRIDGE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

AND, SO, THE LAW REALLY NOW SAYS, A SERVICE DOG IN TRAINING IS A SERVICE DOG AND ALL THOSE LAWS APPLY TO THEM AND THEY CANNOT CHARGE EXTRA, THEY CANNOT CHARGE A MAINTENANCE FEE, THEY CANNOT SAY, NO, AT YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRAIN A SERVICE DOG.

>> Eric: GOT IT.

GOOD.

>> WE'RE THRILLED.

>> Cathy: TELL US A LITTLE BIT, WE HAVE KNOW ABOUT RUDY, OF COURSE, SO TELL US ABOUT RUDY AND HI -- HI, HELLO, HOW FAR IS HE IN HIS TRAINING?

>> RUDY JUST TURNED 2 ABOUT TWO EEKS AGO.

SO HE'S AT THAT POINT HERE THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY CALL PREMATCHING, AND THIS IS WHERE APPLICANTS COME IN, AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, WE HAVE DOGS FOR PEOPLE WITH HYSICAL DISABILITIES, VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS WITH PTSD.

AND WE DO SOME FACILITY DOGS, LIKE WE HAVE A COURTHOUSE DOG OVER HERE IN RAMSEY COUNTY, AND WE HAVE ONE IN STEARNS COUNTY AND WE HAVE ONE IN A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY AND WE HAVE THEM IN SCHOOLS.

AND RUDY IS NOW IN THAT PROCESS OF SORT OF -- IT'S ALMOST LIKE SPEED DATING.

PEOPLE COME IN, THEY TRY THE DIFFERENT DOGS, AND THE HIGHER-UPS THAN ME KIND OF WATCH, THEY DECIDE, OH, THAT DOG DOES REALLY WELL WITH THAT PERSON AND THAT DOG HAS THE SKILLS, THE TEMPERMENT THAT THAT PERSON NEEDS.

>> Cathy: IS RUDY KNOWN AS -- THERE ARE SERVICE DOGS AND THERAPY DOGS.

>> EXACTLY.

AND THIS ORGANIZATION, HELPING PAWS, DOES SERVICE DOGS, YES.

>> Cathy: RIGHT.

>> Eric: THE HORTMAN FAMILY BIG INTO THIS.

I WAS AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE THEY HAD IN THE RECEPTION ROOM, AND SHE REALLY SEEMED TO TAKE THIS AS A REAL CAUSE FOR HER.

>> YEAH, HER AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY.

YOU KNOW, THEY BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH HELPING PAWS IN 2014 WHEN SOPHIE WANTED TO DO A SERVICE PROJECT TRAINING DOGS.

AND, SO, SOPHIE HORTMAN CALLED HELPING PAWS AND SAID, I WANT TO TRAIN A DOG.

SHE'S 17 YEARS OLD.

LIKE MARYANN SAYS, IT TAKES TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO TRAIN A DOG, SO SHE WAS OFF TO COLLEGE AND MARK TOOK OVER THE TRAINING.

>> Eric: BUT GILBERT DIDN'T PASS MUSTER OR THEY LIKED HIM SO MUCH THEY DIDN'T WANT TO LET HIM GO.

WHAT'S THE STORY >> SO AFTER THEY TRAINED MINNIE, WHO DID MATCH WITH A VETERAN AND IS STILL IN TRAINING, MELISA SAID, IT'S MY TURN, I WANT TO TRAIN A DOG.

AND SHE GOT PAIRED WITH GILBERT.

AND THEY DID TRAIN FOR TWO YEARS.

SHE CAME EVERY WEEK AND WORKED WITH GILBERT AND TRAINED THAT DOG.

AND, YOU KNOW, DOGS DON'T MAKE IT THROUGH OUR PROGRAM FOR ALL DIFFERENT REASONS.

AND THE REASON THAT WE WERE TOLD ABOUT GILBERT IS HE WAS JUST TOO FRIENDLY.

HE JUST WANTED TO SAY HI TO EVERYBODY AND COULDN'T REALLY FOCUS AND HIS PURPOSE WAS TO BE WITH MELISA AND MARK.

>> Eric: THAT'S GREAT.

>> Cathy: MARYANN, YOU'RE A HORSE PERSON.

SO YOU'VE TRAINED HORSES.

>> I AM A HORSE PERSON.

>> Cathy: TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EASE WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING A GUY LIKE RUDY.

>> THERE'S DEFINITELY TRANSFERABLE SKILLS, BECAUSE, AS YOU WELL KNOW, TRAINING HORSES, LIKE TRAINING DOGS, IT'S VERY NUANCED, YOU KNOW?

AND EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ALL GOLDEN RETRIEVERS AND LABRADORS, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES.

SO I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT EIGHT PLUS YEARS.

AND HE'S MY SEVENTH DOG.

AND WITH EACH ONE I LEARN SOMETHING ELSE.

JUST LIKE WITH EACH HORSE YOU RIDE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

SO YOU JUST KEEP ADDING TOOLS TO YOUR TOOL BELT, AND SORT OF THE FUN OF PUZZLING OUT WHAT WORKS FOR EACH DOG IN TRAINING.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT SERVICE DOGS?

>> ABOUT SERVICE DOGS.

>> Eric: IT SAYS DON'T PET OFTEN.

>> IT DOES SAY DON'T PET, AND THAT'S MOSTLY FROM WHEN THEY'RE IN TRAINING.

NOW, WHEN A PERSON HAS A DOG, WE CALL THEM OUR GRADUATES HAVE A DOG, IT IS TOTALLY UP TO THEM, YOU KNOW, TO FIND -- YOU KNOW, TO SAY, YES, YOU MAY PET MY DOG, YES, YOU CAN.

AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S A REALLY NICE SEGUE INTO HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEBODY.

>> Cathy: OKAY, SO NEXT STEPS IN TERMS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION, WHAT'S IN THE FUTURE FOR YOU?

>> WE'RE REALLY EXCITED, WE'RE IN A PLACE OF GROWTH RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.

WE CHANGED SOME OF OUR METHODS A LITTLE BIT, BASED ON SOME NEW RESEARCH OUT OF DUKE UNIVERSITY.

WHERE WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO TRAIN THE DOGS EARLY INTERVENTION, JUST LIKE KIDS' BRAIN DEVELOP BY THE TIME -- OR 90% OF THEIR BRAINS DEVELOP BY THE TIME THAT HEY'RE 5, IT'S THE SAME WITH DOGS, BUT 5 MONTHS.

AND, SO, WE'VE REALLY SHIFTED TO THE BEGINNING STAGES OF OUR TRAINING INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIX PROBLEMS LATER, WE'RE GETTING THERE RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING, WE'RE TOUCHING PAWS, WE'RE PUTTING SCENTS UNDER THEIR NOSES, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THEY'RE HITTING THESE MILESTONES FASTER.

AND, SO, WHAT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO DO IS GRADUATE THEM FASTER.

WE HAVE ABOUT A THREE-YEAR WAIT LIST.

>> Cathy: OH, WOW.

>> Eric: OH, GEEZ.

>> SO WE REALLY WANT O GET PEOPLE OFF THAT WAIT LIST, GIVE THEM THEIR INDEPENDENCE THROUGH A SERVICE DOG.

AND, SO, NOW YOU CAN DO WHAT MARYANN IS DOING AND HELP TRAIN A SERVICE DOG.

>> Cathy: IT'S OKAY.

>> AND HE'S STILL IN TRAINING.

>> Cathy: I CAN TELL.

>> OR YOU CAN BE HOST HOME AND YOU AN JUST HOST A DOG.

>> Eric: WHAT WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION?

>> HELPINGPAWS.ORG.

>> Cathy: YOU'RE A GOOD BOY.

YOU'RE THE BEST BOY.

>> Eric: THANKS A LOT FOR COMING OVER.

RUDY WAS A STAR.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>> Cathy: HE'S A STAR.

HE'S A GOOD GUY.

>> WE DON'T