Heidi Meinzer, Esq.

The fact that there are laws governing animals and our relationship with them is not really new.  Areas such as equine law, endangered species protection and animal welfare have been around for quite a while.  But it is only recently that animal law has become widely recognized as its own field of law.

As animal law continues to develop, more and more laws are geared towards our companion animals, and specifically towards dogs.  As an example on the federal level, the Animal Welfare Act provides minimum standards of care and treatment for certain animals bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially or exhibited to the public, and bans animal fighting ventures such as dog fighting and bear baiting.  State law generally covers a wide range of topics such as pet trusts, prohibiting animals at large and the regulation of shelters, pounds and rescues.  Local ordinances often deal with issues like leash laws, dangerous dogs and the number of companion animals a household can have.

Virginia has made great strides in the areas of companion animal law and animal protection.  One shining example is the fact that Virginia was the first state to enact a puppy mill law in 2008.  The Humane Society of the United States has Virginia tied for 12th place with Connecticut, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania in its animal welfare state rankings.  The Animal Legal Defense Fund recently placed Virginia in the "top tier" states, ranked 16 in its animal protection law state rankings.  Although Virginia has placed great emphasis recently on companion animal laws, we still have a long way to go, especially with hunting laws and wildlife protection.

Join me at Fur-Get Me Not on September 11 for an informative talk about the state of companion animal and dog law, particularly here in Northern Virginia, and for a discussion of the most pressing legal issues facing companion animals and their humans.  Some of the topics I'll cover include:

• How has Virginia fared with animal protection and companion animal laws?
• How many companion animals can I have?
• What are my duties as a pet owner?
• How can I provide for my companion animals in my estate planning?
• Are there any legal implications to owning a certain breed of dog?
• What can I do if my neighbor's dog keeps barking?
• What happens if my dog bites someone, or I am bit by someone else's dog?

I am an attorney and shareholder with Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C.  I've lived virtually all of my life with at least one dog.  Currently, I share the company of Sophie, my rescued German Shepherd mix, and Boomer, an adorable black lab.  Due to my personal and legal experience and my passion for animals, my practice has naturally gravitated towards animal law, specifically as the law relates to companion animals.  I handle a variety of matters involving animals, pet owners, pet care industry companies and non-profit organizations and rescues.  I am the owner and founder of the Companion Animal Law Blog.  I'm also proud to have recently joined Fur-Get Me Not as an Assistant Trainer.  You can contact me at hmeinzer@beankinney.com , or at (703) 525-4000, extension 348.

This weekend kicks off our Back to School Series.  Join us for this educational and fundraising opportunity to support two local rescue organizations:  

Homeward Trails Animal Rescue  

and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue 

Registration is required and a $15 donation is suggested. At the end of the month, all proceeds will be split between the two rescues.  

Dog Ownership and the Law  

Sunday, 9/11 from 1-3pm  

Speaker: Heidi Meinzer Esq. from Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C.  She is a board member of Homeward Trails Animal Rescue and is the owner and founder of the Companion Animal Law Blog.

Doggie Yoga ($35 registration fee) 

Sunday, 9/18 @ 9:30 am for small dogs (under 25 lbs)

Sunday, 9/18 @ 11am for large dogs (over 25 lbs)   

Yoga Instructor from Pure Prana Yoga Studios 

Nutrition and Holistic vs Traditional Diets

Sunday, 9/25 from 1-3pm  

Speaker: Terri Grow, Owner of Pet Sage  

Holistic vs Traditional Vet Care

Sunday, 10/2 from 1-3pm

Speaker: Dr. Jane Morse from  Ballston Animal Hospital    

More Information

We tend to focus most of our training at home with not enough practice outdoors on our walks, or in new places like at a pet store, while dining at an outdoor café, or while walking through a crowd.  Some dogs can easily get overwhelmed when taken to new places.  Each new environment presents a challenge for the dog.

To better understand why, let's think about the home environment.  Unless you have guests over daily, this setting is fairly predictable and offers little distraction to your dog.  This is why it is the perfect setting to begin your training.  In this setting, dogs are also more interested in what we are doing and may follow us around the house.  They seek out our attention because we offer them stimulation and rewards by providing affection, food, treats, praise, toys, play, etc.  We are what makes the home environment lively and exciting.

Step outside and that all changes.  Now the dog has the opportunity to sniff new things, meet new people or other dogs, chase squirrels, run, etc.  The great outdoors offers so many other rewards that the challenge for us is to incorporate those rewards into our every day training.  The first step towards reliability outside the home is proofing behaviors.

We thought about these challenges and we developed our City Walks class to help you and your dog gain confidence to meet any obstacle the outdoors may present.  The class builds on the basic training tools you've learned in our Levels Program or any other basic obedience class.  It is also a good option for you to combine with Level 4 classes to work towards the Canine Good Citizen or preparing your dog for therapy work.    

click here to read more 

Yelp 

Superpages 

There are a lot of different collar and leash choices out there. If only your dog could tell you what would be his/her preference! By applying learning theory, along with our experience accumulated over time through interacting with numerous dog training clients, we hope to help you make the best choice. Here are the nuts and bolts on the most common dog walking/training equipment on the market.

Collars
The collar is generally used for two things. (1) Keep rabies, license and contact information with the dog so that the dog can be returned to his home if lost, and so public officials can easily identify that the dog is up-to date with all legal requirements. (2) A place to attach the leash to the dog to make sure he is under control, also required by law in public areas.

Depending on whom you ask, you may get different collar or equipment recommendations.  One factor is whether the person you ask adheres to traditional or positive training methods. Another factor will be whether your dog is well behaved and wears the collar more as a piece of jewelry or if it is the only thing that is going to ensure you stay connected together - keeping your dog from chasing squirrels, lunging at strangers, or other dogs!

click here to learn more and why positive trainers do not recommend choke or pinch collars

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• 9/10 - Bark B Que at Park Place Condo Association in Alexandria
• 9/17 - Wags N Whiskers at Villages of Shirlington
• 9/24 - 17th Street Festival in DC
• 9/24 - Clarendon Day
• 9/25 - Olde Towne Dogge Walke for Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
• 9/25 - Arlington Condo Association Charity Swim to benefit Animal Welfare League of Arlington
• 10/8 - Arlington Dogtober Day

Parents: Stacey is an employee benefits attorney with a law firm in DC.
 
Residence:  Arlington, VA
 
Pet Profile: Pancho and Cisco, my Chihuahua boys, will be 12 in November. In January 2010, I started fostering for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. Then, in July 2010, I failed as a foster and adopted Elsa, a now 3-year old 45-pound chow/boxer/shepherd mix.
 
Services Used: I've been a Fur-Get Me Not client since its inception. I work a lot of hours and Fur-Get Me Not is indispensible to me and keeping my "kids" exercised and happy. At first, I took my Chihuahua boys to the Saturday socials.
 
We also scheduled walks to get the boys out in the midday sunshine a few days a week.  My guys are not the most accepting of strangers, but their walkers through the years have been very patient with them. Elsa, who has a lot of energy, attends daycare for half a day a few days a week, and loves her rides home with Scott for her midday strolls with the boys. When I tell her she's going to daycare the night before, I swear she smiles, and in the morning she is waiting by the door.  She's always hopeful that "today is the day" for daycare.
 
Elsa has also boarded with Fur-Get Me Not which makes for a tired, happy dog upon my return home.  While she's at boarding, the boys stay at home with the pet sitter.  They are not an easy task since both are on several meds.  I'm always confident, though, that they will be well taken care of.
 
We've also taken advantage of Fur-Get Me Not's professional trainer, Vivian, to work with Elsa.  Her improvements have been amazing, as long as mom follows through!
 
How have Fur-Get Me Not services impacted your lives?  Fur-Get Me Not has also gone above and beyond for us.  It was not the best timing when I adopted Elsa since I had a family vacation scheduled shortly afterwards.  Because she had been in shelter so recently, I was concerned about boarding her.  On rather short notice, Scott was willing to spend time away from his family and spend nights with my gang so Elsa could continue to adjust to her new home.  A few days ago I had to leave for Florida due to my father's unexpected death.  Fur-Get Me Not and Scott stepped right in to take care of everyone in our emergency needs.
 
I continue to foster, which sometimes makes for a crazy household.  But through it all, Fur-Get Me Not has been extremely flexible and always welcomes whoever greets them at the door.  Thanks for your continued excellent service, Fur-Get Me Not!  

I am a dog walker with Fur-Get Me Not.  I was born in San Antonio, Texas and growing up I lived in 8 different states, mostly on the east coast.  I graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Health Planning and Administration and then settled in Arlington, Virginia.   I also attended The George Washington University for graduate studies in Organizational Behavior and Development.   

My first career was in health care where I worked for a Hospice and then 2 large health insurance companies.  My second career was in retail where I worked for Borders Books and Music for 15 years as a General Manager.  I have a lab hound mix dog named Riley that I rescued 5 years ago. He can be a handful at times and was even asked to leave a doggy day care because of his rowdiness. As for hobbies, I like to read, watch movies, I am a big fan of ESPN and a big college football fan.  

I started working for Fur-Get Me Not in the spring of 2010 and I'm not sure yet where my third career is going to take me. Walking dogs is a fun job, even during Washington summers.  I like the fact that every dog I walk has their own special personality.  I can say that the best part of this job is that I know everyday my customers are excited to see me and always give me a warm greeting.