News Vet and service dog asked to leave restaurant

[littleoc]

I'm very thankful for the therapy animal housing laws, but I too struggle with dogs in the grocery store. I have mentioned before the time I saw a woman set her dog on a fruit display and the dog lifted it's leg and peed all over the fruit. The store said they couldn't do anything about it. Wash you fruit people.

Ah! :hungover::tdown:

I would have straight up threatened to call the police or something ridiculous that would scare them, but that's definitely illegal without a doubt! Ew! :dead:

 

[EveHarrington]

@lostforgottensoul one of the reasons I don't have a service dog is I couldn't be c...

Did they throw all the fruit away? I sure hope so!

 

[Justmehere]

I have a lot of respect for those who have fears of dogs, especially if it came from bad experience in the past. I figure that for them, it would be like if I showed up with a tiger on a leash. It can be trained as all get out, but for a few folks, it will still be uncomfortable. Scary even. I get that.

Outside of dog centered fears people have, when someone comes into a restaurant with a well trained guide or service dog, you will hardly notice the dog. It will be under the table on the floor.

Some handlers do invest a lot of time grooming their dogs, and that is ok. Kudos to them. But many guide and service dogs are not generally meticulously groomed hours a week, and it shouldn’t affect their access. If we are being honest, it wouldn’t make much difference if they were groomed more. My dog lies on the floor of buses and restaurants and etc. No amount of wiping her feet is going to make the slightest dent in cleanliness. The ick on her feet, it’s on my feet too. I don’t wipe my shoes off before walking into a store (muddy weather aside.) Of course my dog has basic cleanliness, but I don’t spend hours on it. She would just go out and lie on a classroom or bus floor right afterwards, so it’s not practical for my life. I’ve never had anyone complain that she’s dirty. But she lies on floor that are less than clean. Like many SDs that travel with students.

Which is why she stays on the floor and generally tucked under me when I’m sitting.

I am more likely to carry germs that will get someone sick by shaking their hand or sitting near them than my dog doing anything.

Just like I can’t pee on food, neither should a dog. That’s just freaking illegal. That store should be reported to the health dept and the owner to the police.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I tend to center on his feet mainly because he is an almost all white dog (fully white feet) that runs in a parking lot (thus a lot of car dirt and makes his feet grey with just one run. You can tell his feet is dirty even on the tops of his feet where the public can see).

Otherwise I bathe him fully every other week and give him a waterless bathe the off week. That's due to his skin. It will dry out hos skin if I bathe him every week. The pavement keeps his nails to the quik for me but I check them every week and grind any nail that isn't at the quik. They are clear so that's pretty easy.

I zoom groom and furminate him every week. This is what takes me the longest as I do my best to ensure he is not shedding. As much as I can anyway.

The hours is when you put it all together and a full bath. I suppose you could say it's obsessive and being that I've only been a service dog handler for a year, you could still call me a newbie at it. A lot of it is more for myself. To know I did the best I could to ensure he is clean and not shedding.

Peeing on fruit is illegal! It isn't even legal for the dog to be up there! I do my part to educate businesses that they can kick out a service dog and it's handler for bad behavior. Even if it's a fully trained service dog. It's all you can do really. It's why HR620 baffles me. The current law that are for businesses they don't even use today but they want more laws? Why? They don't even use the rights they have today! I don't get it!

 

[Freida]

If I'm doing my job as a handler you will barely notice my dog. He is calm, quiet and always clean. He has 4 feet on the floor at all times. He stands directly beside me or slightly behind unless he is actively blocking...then he stands in front of me. If we are in a restaurant he is under the table and you will only see him if we are walking in or walking out

I have run across people who are afraid of dogs and I try to take that into account. But he is there for my safety...so that takes precedent.

Fake service dogs are a nightmare for those of us with real ones also. Not only are they messy and not behaved but several friends have had their service dogs attacked and in two cases killed by fake ones

 

[littleoc]

Not only are they messy and not behaved but several friends have had their service dogs attacked and in two cases killed by fake ones

Mine has definitely been attacked by fake service dogs -- and some dogs that were just off leash in public buildings (illegally). I protect her from other dogs now even when people think I'm being ridiculous. I'm afraid of her getting killed.

A fake service dog bit a human in a Centerstone (nonprofit therapy service) in my area recently. Since then they have been hounding me for "any paperwork" to prove mine is real. It's just been so frustrating, and I'm so mad at that idiot who brought his honestly dangerous dog in as a "service dog."

 

[8888]

I hate that people fake service animals, it makes real service animals look bad.