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Fighting for your rights to be in public.

© Jewl Ann Wall

Now that I have had Tagert my seizure alert service dog for two years this is what I have learned.

I have learned that you have to be a fighter for yourself and your dog. When we go out to shop, run errands or eat we have trouble sometimes. People just do not understand that Tagert and I are legally allowed any where we want to go. It seems that places of business and the public are still in the dark ages when it comes to this. They do not understand that they must let us in. They are breaking the ADA and the state laws by doing this. Now this is where it becomes even harder. First I can just leave and go somewhere else but why should I .I am just like any other consumer and this is where I wanted to go. Number two I can ask the person who stopped me to get the manager and explain to them both that I can stay. In most case's that is all that is needed. Number three if they wont listen I can stand my ground and call the police. but I have come to find out that sometimes they too are on the low end of knowledge. Now number four I can call a lawyer. Well the problem I have found is that is not so easy to do. I have tried this and they just say that for them there is no money in the case, so they wont take it. I am not out for money just justice and the right to go where ever I want. I can call the department of justice and file a case but that takes a long time but is worth it. It does get the point across. So as you can see I have a tough time almost every time I leave the house.

Now there is even more ignorance and rudeness from the public. I go to a store or restaurant and you would think the human race had never seen a dog before. Dogs for the blind have been around for years, so just because I have an invisible disability, I should be treated different than the blind. You would not believe the stares and the rude remarks from kids as well as adults and as I think about it the adults are worse than the kids. Most kids know to put their hand down

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