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The biggest problem as I see it is that many, if not most people, including some with service animals, are ignorant about the laws governing service animals.
Monday morning I woke up in an unusually good mood considering that in just a couple of hours I would climb into my car and start a four-hour trek across the state to St. Louis, where I had a seminar the next day.
Upon arriving at the motel I had made a reservation at a week in advance (and told them I was bringing a service dog), I walked into the lobby where I was immediately told to get out with, “my pet.”
Tye was wearing his service vest and I was actually amazed at how calm I was when I told the woman behind the desk who had just been so rude and abrupt with me that he wasn’t a pet, but rather a service dog.
It didn’t matter to her, or the owner of the motel franchise. I was told to get out and when I refused, citing that ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) law allowed him to be there, the police were called, which actually helped me in the long run.
Police can’t get involved in a civil matter such as this, but a report number was generated and body cam footage is available should I decide to pursue this with the Department of Justice or the Missouri Attorney General’s office.
The bottom line is that I was denied entry to the motel because of the fact I had a service animal and I had to scramble to find another room, which ended up costing nearly double what my rate would have been.
And I have another seminar next week in St Louis next week and had a reservation at the same motel I was denied service at.
When it comes down to it, the reason I was denied service was because the owner and employee were both ignorant about laws governing service animals. Unfortunately they’re not the only businesses that have no clue what the laws are and what a business can and can’t do.
For example, do you know what can and can’t be asked of the owner of a service dog by a business?
There are only two questions a business can legally ask and those two questions are,
1. Is this a service animal?
2. What service does the animal perform for you?
That’s it. Nothing else. That’s ADA law and I applaud the businesses that know the law and follow it.
The only people who can ask for proof of a diagnosis and/or a doctor’s letter requesting a service animal is TSA when you’re flying.
In the eighteen months that I’ve had Tye, my service dog, I’ve had people come up to me in Wal-Mart and accuse me of buying a service dog vest online for my pet just so I can take him out.
They’re completely ignoring the fact that Tye is on a very short leash and is directly at my side behaving calmly and properly. Look, just because you would buy a vest for your pet doesn’t mean that’s what everyone else would do.
People who do things like that are what give legitimate service animals a bad name.
And as long as we’re talking about giving service animals a bad name, I don’t care that your Shih Tzu, Pomeranian, Chihuahua or any other small dog is your baby. If it rides in a cart it is NOT a service dog. It’s a pet.
Also, I don’t need your dog possibly peeing in the same cart that I might be using next to buy my groceries.
If that offends you, I’m not sorry. You’re breaking federal ADA law and you discredit and disrespect the legitimate service animals that people need on a daily basis.
Tye is an autism service dog and helps me tremendously, especially when I’m out in crowds, but there are so many other types of service dogs who can do even more amazing things to help their owners.
It kills me inside when I see service dogs getting disrespected by people who speak when they don’t know what they’re talking about. These animals are highly trained and out in public behave better than a lot of people’s kids.
A true service animal will stay by their owner’s side, or wherever they’re trained to be for that person, depending on what type of service dog they are.
Their owner will know how to control the dog should that be necessary, though in eighteen months I haven’t once had to stop Tye from doing something inappropriate when in his service vest out in public.
Once the dog gets home and the vest comes off it can be a different story. With Tye, he’ll run around and be playful, but I notice how he watches out for me, lays in a spot where he can be comfortable and still keep an eye on me and come to me when he senses my blood pressure rise or my heartbeat accelerate.
That’s right. He can sense a panic attack or severe anxiety from across the house, often before I notice it’s happening.
At home, he’s part man’s best friend, yet still working as my service dog and to me, that is incredible that he or any other dog can know the difference. When you hear Tye’s origin story you’ll be even more amazed at how he helps me.
My service dog was found in a garbage bag in a dumpster and luckily found by someone who took him to a place that trains service animals for people on the spectrum and veteran with PTSD.
They use only rescue animals and for a dog to be literally thrown away like a piece of trash and a couple of years later become such an integral part of my life makes me cry. I’m actually tearing up a bit now just thinking about it.
The next time you see someone with a service animal, I ask that you please be respectful of the animal and the owner. If you work at a business where customers come in with service animals, please remember the two questions above and let your co-workers know what is and isn’t allowed.
If you’re in the Southwest Missouri area or Northwest Arkansas and want someone to come to your business and do some free training about service dogs, I’m happy to do so. You can reach me via the contact page at www.jrreedauthor.com
If you live elsewhere in the country, look for a local trainer of service animals or a disability advocacy group who may have someone who knows about service animals.
The ADA has a minimum $65,000 fine for the first violation of service animal laws and being in the know with some free employee training is a whole lot better than dishing out that kind of money to the Department of Justice.
Don’t you think?
FYI, the picture above is of me with Tye.
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Photo courtesy the author.
