Dear Reader: A reported 45 million Americans traveled by air and land over this past Memorial Day weekend. Others enjoyed ocean cruises and racing powerboats on inland waterways. There seemed to be no concern about the carbon footprint of these activities or the burning of fossil fuels that contribute to the climate crisis. What about the birds killed by airplanes, the marine mammals injured or killed by powerboats, and all manner of wildlife killed on roads?
Despite there being enough disposable income for these activities, the prevailing mindset of “business as usual” and “pleasures over principles” leaves bleak prospects for the quality of life that future generations will inherit.
Dear Dr. Fox: In March, I visited a local store with my service dog, Skipper. Skipper was wearing a “service dog” jacket. It was 11:45 a.m., and there were no other customers in the store. However, there was trash strewn on the floor, apparently left by two small children and belonging to one of the employees. Apparently, the children had been roaming freely in the store. There were five male employees standing within a few yards of me and Skipper, all staring at their cell phones.
As we walked in, two kids pounced on Skipper, grabbing him hard and starting to pet him, just like kids do. I quickly pulled him back and tried to protect him by telling the kids he was a service dog and they shouldn't play with him. They continued to pull his tail and hit him, and even threw notepads at him. He responded as he was trained to, so I grabbed my phone and left.
None of the men tried to stop the kids or help me. Some just stood behind the counter laughing. If Skipper had tried to defend himself or bite the kids, he would have been in trouble.
I contacted the corporate office and have not received a response. It appears these men will continue to disrespect disabled people with impunity.
Florida law requires that businesses not only allow service dogs in their stores, but that they must not create an environment that interferes with the service dog's ability to perform his duties. I am 82 years old and have a herniated disk in my neck that makes me prone to passing out. Skipper is trained to warn me when I am about to pass out and to help resuscitate me, but he was unable to do so in this situation.
I know fake service dogs alienate people, but trained, legitimate service dogs should be respected. A trained dog like Skipper would cost $30,000 and require an additional 2-3 years of training, which at my age I will never get again.
Please tell your readers that if they experience any problems in the store, they should call the police immediately and insist on filing charges. I am filing a complaint with the Department of Justice under the Americans with Disabilities Act, asking that the men be sued for failing to respond to an emergency and for failing to provide a safe place for a service animal to perform its duties.
My life depends on Skipper. Skipper has never let me down. — NL, Wellington, FL
Dear NL: Your story is tragic and you were absolutely right to complain. The poor response from corporate headquarters speaks louder than words. It's evidence of total ignorance and what I call an empathy deficit.
Although most children have a natural ability to empathize with and respect animals, young children still need to be taught how to behave around animals – to reduce excitement, stay quiet and still – otherwise they may become scared of the animals in their presence or become defensive and aggressive.
With so-called “comfort” dogs being promoted at various events and post-traumatic treatment centers, there is a temptation to see your service dog as an object to be petted. This can be confusing to the uninformed.
Some store owners, unaware of the law that allows assistance dogs inside their stores, try to refuse them. However, it is unacceptable to just stand there and let children handle the dog roughly. It is not hard to imagine them thinking, “Kids are kids,” or “After all, it's just a dog.”
(All email should be sent to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. Due to the volume of email received, we are unable to respond personally, but we will address questions and comments of general interest in a future column.
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