Service dogs play a crucial role in assisting individuals with various disabilities, offering support in tasks ranging from mobility to emotional aid. Their presence is often permitted in locations where regular pets are not allowed. However, this privilege has led to instances of individuals falsely claiming their pets as service animals. To verify the legitimacy of such claims, people often ask questions, which can sometimes lead to discomfort.
In a recent scenario shared by the OP, a woman entered a restaurant with her pets, claiming they were service animals. Despite the restaurant’s no-pets policy, the woman insisted on bringing them inside. When questioned by OP about the dogs’ specific training, the woman refused to answer and instead showed a service dog badge. This encounter left OP wondering if they should have allowed the dogs in, prompting them to seek the Reddit community’s opinion on the matter.
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Source: Reddit
1. The OP contemplates whether she was right in her decision not to let the service dog owner eat inside the restaurant.
2. OP works at a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. On a hot day, a woman arrived with two dogs, but pets are not permitted indoors.
3. The OP told her that pets are not allowed for indoor seating, at which the woman insisted that her dogs are service dogs not normal pets.
4. Upon which the OP asked her the two specific questions permitted by ADA to which the woman showed the service badge.
5. The OP still insisted the woman answer the two basic questions. The woman still refused to answer them. Hence she had to sit outside with her dogs.
6. OP stated that the dogs were well-behaved and one of them even wore a vest.
Now that you have read the story, it’s time for you to see what Redditors had to say about this. Read till the end to see what are other people’s opinions on this.
7. The two basic ADA questions can sound a bit invasive but are important to ask.
8. It is always a red flag when people are against answering the two basic ADA questions.
9. It would be a great help if real service animals were registered somewhere and wear a tag that can be scanned to verify them.
10. It is unusual to hear that someone has two service dogs working at the same time.
11. The woman hoped that OP was inexperienced in identifying service dogs so she could bluff easily…but the woman was unlucky this time.
12. Maybe the dogs were for people with crusty eye insufficiency??
13. The OP was very respectful in the way she handled the situation.
14. Nowadays, many entitled people think they can take their non-ADA animals anywhere and no one would question them.
15. OP asked the questions that are permitted by law….she wasn’t wrong in this situation.
16. People really take the service dog thing for granted.
17. One Redditor shared a story about how their sister-in-law fakes her pet dog as a service dog and takes her everywhere.
18. People applauded OP for handling the situation in a very professional manner despite the woman lying to her.
19. Having two service dogs at a time makes the woman suspicious of lying even if she wasn’t.
20. The woman’s refusal to answer the two basic ADA questions really raises suspicion that she probably bought a fake service dog vest and ID.
The comments section overwhelmingly supports the OP, with many expressing the belief that the woman should not have been bothered by the OP’s questions. Others speculate that the woman likely impersonated a service dog owner, leading them to conclude that the woman is in the wrong. Do you agree with this verdict? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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