A co-worker and I had decided to go out after work for drinks. She had picked out a restaurant close to the job. Some of my co-workers had been to this restaurant in the past. When we got there we told them that I had a guide dog. We were told that there were no dogs allowed in the restaurant. I tried to explain to the person that this is a guide dog and not a pet and that I was blind (Just in case that was not obvious!). We were still told no.
We started to walk out and I decided to ask for a manager. They were taking too long it was pouring outside and we were already pretty wet. We decided to leave because truly after being refused, I would not have felt comfortable eating there anyway.
My co-worker and I decided to go to another place where my dog would not be an issue and the environment was much friendlier.
I did contact the NYC Commission on Human Rights. They assured me that they would be jumping right on the case. They had had issues with service dogs not being allowed in restaurants in the past but not a guide dog.
Unfortunately in this day and time there is still some ignorance to the law as well as some prejudices when it come to guide/service dogs being allowed in public places. We still have a ways to go.
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I can truly understand your frustration and digust at the lack of consideration and knowlege about Service Dog rights.
ReplyDeleteLast August, I was scheduled to go on a retreat with the Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association. The trip involved a van ride to a distant dude ranch (which is open to individuals with disabilities). Although the AZSCIA would provide free van transportation to this three day event, they would not let my Belgian Shepard SERVICE DOG aboard because "there will be persons with allergies aboard and they could be affected by THE DOG". Their biggest concern seemed to center on dogs shedding, and that the Service Dog might shed on the seats. My Service Dog doesn't even sit on the seats, doesn't drool and she has her own special blanket which is put on the floor of the van and she doesn't stray from it. She's well behaved, and well trained, and after the trip the previous year where she was allowed on the van, I never received a complaint about her in any sense. In fact, I received a lot of praise from people with disabilities who don't have service animals. She doesn't bark, does't beg for food, and doesn't bother anyone.
AZSCIA made a big issue of it, and after several months of reviewing the laws concerning Service Dogs, they decided that they would TRY to provide a special van for those people with service animals.
At this point, I was much too ill to go, and too aggravated to attend.I subsequently discovered that I had cancer and had to have my thyroid removed. This was one of the reasons that I didn't attend the retreat.
Last year, I had to contact evey agency that had anything to do with the Servce Dog laws. I can't even count all the time I spent dealing with this situation.
This coming August, the AZSCIA is sponsoring another trip to the same ranch. So, they've made it a point to send out "rules made by the ranch for Service Animals. My dog has never broken any of their rules, since they are basic common sense that a person would use with any dog that travels with them, no less a Service Dog.
Now, here's an organization that is devoted to helping people with disablilities and yet, they are the ones who are attempting to disregard the laws concerning Service Dogs! What country/planet is this???