It is painful to admit you have limitations and disabilities to yourself, sometimes it is even humiliating to have to do so to a large audience in a store, especially when you have a Service Animal surrounded by a store full of shoppers and shopping clerks. It is hard enough "Livin' on Poverty Line" without the extra Anxiety prolonged drama it produces.
Recently, while proceeding to shop at my local WAL%&#T store, my Service Dog and I were literally verbally and intimidatingly "Assaulted" by store clerks in the front of the Service Area. I have a small service dog which I place in the cart (former Manager suggestion) to keep her from being run over or stepped on. It has which has happened somewhat regularly in the past.
Quite often shoppers do not pay attention to what is going on around them while shopping. You may have noticed this affect. I call it "The Zombi Shop". They stare blindly frequently unconscious to the the fact there are other who are also staring blindly and with no sense of direction. Often they seldom notice their own children rampaging and squealing around them, let alone what other shoppers may be doing. Especially other shoppers who have a Service Animal. So I felt it was somewhat important to set my fingers to keyboard and post something to share my experience with others who may have "some scars and disabilities that just don't show".
First, ask yourself, "When was the last time I saw someone with a Service Animal or a Blind person who uses a cane shopping for themselves." Probably not very often. Usually they let an Attendant who shops for them or aids them while they shop. The Service Animal or Cane is a "Visible" notice to others that they are different. Is it Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Seldom or Rarely.
Disabled persons can have Service Animals for Diabetes, Epilepsy, Physical Infirmities. If the Police, Search and Rescue Personnel and Park Rangers use an animal to help them do their job there is little notice. Hospitals and Doctors also use Dogs and Service animals to detect forms of Cancer in diagnostics and for Visiting Therapy Animals are found doing walk abouts in Hospitals, Nursing Facilities, Eldercare and many people rely on these specially "Trained" Animals to assist and help others. Persons with Mental and Emotional Disorders, Veterans rely upon a Service Animal assist them in their daily lives. The reliance we and "Special People" require "Special Equipment such as our Service Animals is paramount to how we navigate and blend in Society and in our own homes. They Help us,, Heal us and Service us.
I have in the past had many Service Animals. We go through "hours" of basic training, then Specialty Training, Regular continued Socialization Training in multiple situations to be "Desensitized". These Animals are our Eyes and Ears, they can indicate if we are going to have a problem. The training involves extensive "Socialization" in social Settings such as Shopping Centers, Stores, Restaurants, Buses, Airplanes, Trains and Crowded Public Transit. This help the animal assimilate and eliminate things and sounds which would normally Traumatize your normal family pet.
There are many sizes and shapes for Service Animals, not all of them are Black, Brown, Yellow Labrador Retrievers. If a disabled person lives in a one bed room home or apartment are they equip with the extra space a larger dog needs? Of course not is it even reasonable or safe to have a large dog if you have limited space?
Service Animals should be approached by others with carefully. Yes, Please ask if you want to pet them. Most of the time our Animals are Recognized by their vests, some simply have ID tags with their names and a picture of them and their handler. They serve a special purpose.
THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWS THESE ANIMALS TO BE EVERYWHERE BY THE AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT. STORES, RESTAURANTS, PUBLIC TRANSIT, ETC ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO ALLOW THEM ACCESS WITH THEIR HANDLERS/OWNERS. UNLESS OTHERWISE POSTED. IF THEY ARE POSTED THEY CAN BE TAKEN TO COURT AND THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING A DISABLED PERSON CIVIL RIGHTS CAN BE VERY COSTLY.
IT IS A VIOLATION OF MY CIVIL RIGHTS, I CAN TAKE YOU TO THE SUPREME COURT AND YOU CAN BE SUED AND FINANCIALLY PENALIZED FOR DOING THAT.
IT IS ANOTHER FORM OF DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICE WHICH IS IT SEEMS IS SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE FOR STORES TO DETER PERSONS WITH SERVICE ANIMALS TO NOT DO FOR THEMSELVES AND LIVE INDEPENDENTLY OUT IN THE OPEN!
My Service Animal was severely traumatized and so was I to be treated in such an manner! There were clerks which yelled, screamed and threatened me with police action if I and the dog remained in the store. I had my Animals Papers, ID's, Medical and Vet Papers in hand. I was detained by hostile workers on this occasion and even my lawyer friend who was with me tried to explain. We were detained for an hour until a manager could be located to allow us access. I was reprimanded to never allow the dog to even touch the cart because people put their groceries in the carts, the Animal needs to be in a cage while I shop if I bring it in the store again.
The irony is that I have shopped in this same store almost daily with my Service Dog and no one ever made a peep that she was even there. When she is not with me I am always asked "Where's your Dog she is safe in the cart and such a good dog."
An additional irony is that I see any number of shopping carts sitting abandoned on corners, parking lots exposed to dirt, dust, germs, rust and parking lots and garbage. When they are finally retrieved (if they ever are, based upon the number of them I see in Metal Collectors Trucks to be sold for scrap) they simply get pushed back into the store without being cleaned or sanitized for the next person to come along and enter the store. I have also witnessed people changing their child diapers in the grocery store in their cart, not even bothering to use the bathroom and the soiled diaper left in the cart when they leave.
After returning home I did the next best thing to be Pro Active. I filed my complaint with the store Corporate Head Office. My Lawyer also made a complaint by telephone. I sent and Email and then spoke with a Walmart VP who said some "severe"changes would be made at my local store. I do not know if this is true. I am afraid to return to the store I do not know how I will be treated next time. Perhaps "Drawn and Quartered" in the Customer Service Area where I will be stripped naked again.
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