My local grocery store now has big ass signs on the door saying no dogs unless they’re actually real service animals like seeing eye dogs and that emotional support animals don’t count. I think they must be actually enforcing it too because it’s one of the few places I don’t see people’s fucking dogs running around. I love dogs, probably more than the average person, but they don’t belong in most stores especially because the overlap between people bringing their dogs into stores and the people who actually train their dogs is pretty small.
A lot of people don’t understand the difference between service dogs and ESAs, including store owners and employees.
The American with Disabilities Act does not include ESAs, and businesses in the US can prohibit them so long as there isn’t a local or state law stating otherwise.
Right, but the limitations around even asking about a service animal make it a risky endeavor, so shops often take the safer route and assume any dog is a Service Animal.
It’s also important to note that not every service animal is a seeing eye dog. There are lots of service animals for conditions that aren’t easily apparent.
Emotional support animals wearing the official harness are actually real services animals that have been trained and such. They will behave.
One of my friend only carries the official harness (without usually using it) because of places like this that don’t consider them to be “real”… Then she can put it on the dog and they can’t complain.
the jerks are making her life harder then. people who masquerade their wheezing bulldog as ‘emotional support’ as it jumps on the people all over the store are simply being selfish.
That’s really smart of your friend, because most ESAs (in my experience) aren’t actually trained to be a real service animal. I’ve interacted with so many “ESAs” that are just their regular pet that their anxiety won’t let them leave them at home.
I have trained my dog to help settle my stress and anxiety in certain ways. He has his service dog vest that I never really use. He isn’t currently certified as a Support Animal but I could very easily if I so choose. The only places he really comes with me is places that just allow animals in the store 365 days of the year (A national Hardware store in Canada, Canadian Tire, allows dogs at all times of the year).
My local grocery store now has big ass signs on the door saying no dogs unless they’re actually real service animals like seeing eye dogs and that emotional support animals don’t count. I think they must be actually enforcing it too because it’s one of the few places I don’t see people’s fucking dogs running around. I love dogs, probably more than the average person, but they don’t belong in most stores especially because the overlap between people bringing their dogs into stores and the people who actually train their dogs is pretty small.
yeah it really frustrates me that these people are making things harder for people with real service animals.
bring your dog to the lumberyard. bring your dog to the pet store. not the grocers.
A lot of people don’t understand the difference between service dogs and ESAs, including store owners and employees.
The American with Disabilities Act does not include ESAs, and businesses in the US can prohibit them so long as there isn’t a local or state law stating otherwise.
Right, but the limitations around even asking about a service animal make it a risky endeavor, so shops often take the safer route and assume any dog is a Service Animal.
It’s also important to note that not every service animal is a seeing eye dog. There are lots of service animals for conditions that aren’t easily apparent.
Emotional support animals wearing the official harness are actually real services animals that have been trained and such. They will behave.
One of my friend only carries the official harness (without usually using it) because of places like this that don’t consider them to be “real”… Then she can put it on the dog and they can’t complain.
the jerks are making her life harder then. people who masquerade their wheezing bulldog as ‘emotional support’ as it jumps on the people all over the store are simply being selfish.
That’s really smart of your friend, because most ESAs (in my experience) aren’t actually trained to be a real service animal. I’ve interacted with so many “ESAs” that are just their regular pet that their anxiety won’t let them leave them at home.
I have trained my dog to help settle my stress and anxiety in certain ways. He has his service dog vest that I never really use. He isn’t currently certified as a Support Animal but I could very easily if I so choose. The only places he really comes with me is places that just allow animals in the store 365 days of the year (A national Hardware store in Canada, Canadian Tire, allows dogs at all times of the year).