Michigan: Service dog attacked, seriously mauled by a Pit Bull; four hours of surgery to repair damage to leg

MICHIGAN -- Appleridge German Shepherds posted on Facebook May 3, 2018 ·

Sad sad news.

Nick's service dog Troy attacked by a pit bull. So so sad this extremely well trained loving Service Dog assaulted and hurt badly.

Everyone at Appleridge German Shepherd Dogs pray and send out good vibes for Troys quick and full recovery.

This is such a horrible horrible experience for both of them.

 

 

Arkansas: Deaf woman's service dog attacked by neighbor's Pit Bull

ARKANSAS -- Sarah Hale shared a link on Facebook January 4, 2018 at 10:56pm

My service dog was attacked last night by a pit bull, and I am hoping a few animal loving souls could donate money so I can get her dislocated hip repaired tomorrow morning!

GoFundMe: Service Dog injured by BIG DOG PIT BULL
Created January 4, 2018
Sarah Hale
  Animals
  SPRINGDALE, AR

Bella the walrus is my 10 year old hearing service dog.

She was injured by my neighbor's big dog Pit Bull Wednesday (01/03/18) night and her hip is dislocated and we just don't have the money to pay for it.

She is my extra set of ears and is my life-line when my hearing aids are off for the night. She alerts me to weather, alarms, my phone, people and all in specific ways.

Last night while she was being injured my 8 month old puppy (was at the vet from suddenly coming ill with non-stop seizures, We received the phone call about Bella's injuries not even a minute after he had to be put to sleep from having brain damage from over heating from the seizures.

Bella was on her leash outside of the neighbors house and their BIG DOG PIT BULL got loose and pinned her to the ground until it was pulled off of her.

We were given an estimate by the emergency vet for $1,000 just for the initial putting the hip back in place, but there's a good possibility that she will need surgery or amputation which is why I am asking for enough to cover all of it.

UPDATE: we have found a local regular vet willing to do any treatment she needs with a down payment of $200 towards everything and a payment plan.  The first $200 that was raised's deposit should hit the bank early this week and we will start Bella's road to recovery then!

Please keep donating so we so we can cover all her upcoming bills.

Any money not spent on Bella's medical care will be donated to the Gandalf Fund which helps other service dogs in need.

My family is in a tough spot financially and I need Bella to function at home.

If you could be an angel for the angel on my shoulder and donate even a small amount, every bit helps!

Washington: Woman upset that city wants her to prove her claims that her Pit Bull is a Lab mix and also a Service Dog

WASHINGTON -- Danika Denton lives in Yakima and had her service dog Romeo for over a year before he was force to move outside city limits, after the city discovered he was a pit bull.

Denton is now suing the city.

"Romeo has an innate ability to really aid Danika and that makes him an emotional support animal, but he is also a service dog because of the individualized training," said attorney Adam Karp who is representing Denton.

According to the case report, Denton didn't have anywhere to take Romeo, so the city impounded him until she found someone outside the city who was willing to take him. When family members agreed to take the Pit Bull, the shelter released the dog to them.

The city of Yakima implemented a pit bull ban back in 1987 that bans four specific pit bull breeds; American pit bull terriers, Staffordshire pit bull terriers, American bulldogs and American Staffordshire pit terriers.

Yakima Communications and Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler said the council implemented the ban after a few pit bulls attacked people.

KILLED BY A PIT BULL

"The case that really drew a lot of attention was an older gentleman, a senior citizen, who was in a wheelchair and got attacked by a pit bull," said Beehler. "His injuries were so severe that he passed away." 

The city could not discuss Denton's case but Beehler said the ban excludes service dogs if they are certified in the city.

"So if somebody has a pit bull that does meet the criteria, the DNA criteria, they have to come to the city, go through a process of certifying that that dog is in fact a service animal," he said. "Otherwise no, it can't be allowed in the city." 

Although it's not clear why Romeo was forced to move outside the city if he is a service dog. However, according to the case report, Denton doesn't even think Romeo is a Pit Bull, she said he is a Labrador Retriever mix.

The author of this article is clearly biased towards the dog owner. The city official told them why the dog was banished -- they say Denton hasn't met the criteria for allowing the dog to stay. Get the DNA test done, get the proof that it is a true service dog as defined by the ADA and not just her claiming it's a therapy dog slash service dog.

According to the case file, an animal control officer determined Romeo was a pit bull simply by looking at him.

"If they're basing it purely on eyeballing by an officer who may have done a number of evaluations, but there really is no scientific foundation," Karp said.

Beehler said the city is not out actively looking for pit bulls in Yakima but if they receive a complaint, they have to investigate it.

He said the city receives between 80 and 90 complaints about pit bulls a year.

KIMA VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(KIMA - Dec 9, 2017)

New York: Scumbag corporate attorney Michelle Kelban-Carteron orders a 'therapy dog' certificate online and uses it to try to keep her vicious Pit Bull from being evicted from her condo. Her attorney claims (with a straight face) that it's "dog racism".

NEW YORK -- It’s the battle of the real service dog versus the fake service dog.

The board of a luxury Chelsea building is trying to evict a woman’s “vicious” pit bull after the dog savagely attacked another resident’s tiny Havanese mix named Kinje, who was praised by Katie Couric for her work with pediatric cancer patients.

But when the board of 447 W. 18th St. moved to boot the Pit Bull out of the building, her owner — corporate lawyer Michelle Kelban-Carteron — quickly secured a therapy support dog certification.

The condo board's lawsuit seeks to kick Luna out of the building "in order to protect the safety and well-being of building residents, children, passersby and other dogs," the suit says.

The Latham & Watkins LLP partner provided a letter from a doctor that says her husband Gregory Carteron had an accident in October 2015 and needs Luna to provide “emotional support.”

Oh but for the 2 years prior to this letter - which only came after she wrote a big check to this doctor - little Gregory was just fine going places without his mauler. What an embarrassing duo these two cretins make.

The condo’s bylaws specifically prohibit pit bulls, but Kelban-Carteron is trying to argue that an exception should be made for Luna because she’s a service dog.

If their bylaws prohibit Pit Bulls, why was this Pit Bull living in the building in the first place? Why did it take a vicious attack on this little dog before they did anything about it???

Herbert Cohen, a lawyer for the building, said during an emergency hearing Friday that Carteron was "service dog shopping" - pointing out that Carteron only filed a doctor's note about Luna's role as a service dog days before the building's lawsuit.

Cohen also claims the therapy dog certification provided by the Carterons' lawyers was just a sketchy document from the internet.

The board found Luna’s 11th hour certification “suspect,” and is suing Kelban-Carteron to have the pit bull ejected from the 47-unit building.

The scumbag lawyer and her husband hired attorney Adam Leitman Bailey who has the audacity to insist that the Pit Bull's troubles stem from one condo board member who's a "racist against pit bulls."

"It's dog racism," Bailey said. "What is it - like you don't like someone because of the (color of the dog's) skin?"

The Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit includes video surveillance of Luna’s May 31st attack of Kinje.

Kinje’s caretaker, Jo Lynn Sorenson, is seen walking the dog by the condo’s front entrance around 12:15 p.m. when the Pit Bull suddenly darts out the front doors.

The Pit Bull lunges at Kinje and sinks her teeth into the 8-pound dog’s face.

Meanwhile, Greg Carteron chases after his pit bull and slams Sorenson into a car as he pulls the Pit Bull off the smaller dog.

“In an instant there was a gray blur racing towards me, Kinje screamed in pain and I was thrown against a car by Gregory Carteron,” Sorenson recalls in an affidavit.

“Greg Carteron began screaming at me that ‘it wasn’t’ my dog’s fault,’ ‘these things happen, and ‘it was an accident,” Sorenson said.

“There was tremendous blood,” coming from Kinje, Sorenson says in the statement.

She rushed the pooch to a nearby vet, who administered antibiotics and treated Kinje for wounds to her head and between her ears.

The vet bill was over $1,000, according to a copy of the invoice.

Last May wasn’t the first time the Pit Bull acted aggressively toward another dog, according to court papers.

Another resident, Keith Endersen, says in a sworn statement that the pit bull “snarled and growled” at his golden retriever Hank on the building’s roof deck in September 2016.

Jeffrey Metz, another attorney for the scumbag Pit Bull owners, reiterated in court Friday that the incident with Kinje was an “accident” and the pit bull is not a vicious dog.

Really Jeff? Really? Why don't you take this Pit Bull home for the weekend and put it in a room with your children, your grandchildren and your pets and see what happens.

He agreed to keep the Pit Bull muzzled and crated while the suit is pending.

Kinje’s owner is a pediatrician named Vivian Liu. Liu has Kinje involved in a program called the Good Dog Foundation, which brings pets to New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s pediatric cancer center to cheer up sick kids.

The cream-colored Havanese, “who looks like a shih tzu,” was featured in a December 2016 feature by Couric on Yahoo! News.

Some NY POST Facebook comments

Laura Heffernan - So an unleashed dog attacks a service dog half his size and the owners scramble to get it registered as a service dog? Scumbags. Evict them and their dog. They're lucky if they don't get sued.

Greg Byron - Happens all the time. I think the only people who like pitbulls are pitbull owners. I"d only suggest they carry at least $5k of animal attack insurance, because if they don't and won't pay vet bills, they'll get 5 years probation to make monthly payments or go to jail.

Donna Kane - I don't understand why pitbull owners refuse to accept that they have a dog designed to guard, and protect​ (which can result in attacking). I have a doberman, who has some Schutzhund training, and you better believe I take as many precautions as possible. Main one being crossing the street, to avoid getting close enough for an altercation. She is usually friendly, but takes her job seriously. She is large, muscular, and has scissor sharp teeth for days. I respect, but more importantly acknowledge her power. A gun is dangerous in the wrong hands, but the gun never stops being a weapon no matter who's holding it.

Dash Radosti - As someone who actually has a service dog, she will lose. Stupid lawyer doesn't realize "emotional support dogs" aren't covered under ADA...must do specific task. Also, vicious service dogs can be thrown out. And judge won't look kindly on 11th hour certification..stupid.

Richie Ardisson - Most owners of Pit Bulls have a complex and they are morons...I watch them here in the Bronx and I always am weary of the morons and their dogs...I had one attack me at Orchard Beach some years ago because the two morons who were walking the dog in the parking lot had it off the leash...I was about to kill the dog when the jerks got it in control after I informed them of my intention...if your neighbor has one buy bear spray at any sporting store or carry a small revolver for protection...you are entitled to apply for a NYC handgun permit for your personal protection and no jury will find you at fault for protecting yourself or your dog...

ohammed Ahmed Muniser-saleh - These dogs are just to dangerous, one just killed a baby not to long ago. Mother just brought him home from the hospital, left him alone in the room for not even 5 minutes. Dog got up to the crip grab the baby and rip it to shreds.

Heather Masch - Perfect example of a scumbag lawyer and a scumbag dog owner. The "registry" is fake (and seems a ton of 'pibble' owners love to fake register their dogs to keep them), and ESAs and Therapy Dogs arent protected by ADA. Kick them both out. Lucky it wasn't me that dog would have its face bashed in for attacking my Service Dog.

Jan Sydnam - What a crock...he's suddenly a "service dog" This is the crap that paints attorneys with the same slimy brush. The dog IS aggressive to other dogs and should ALWAYS BE MUZZLED WHEN IN PUBLIC.

(NY Post - June 30, 2017)

Oklahoma: Six-month-old pit bull that owner claims is a service dog attacks little boy in the face

OKLAHOMA -- An Oklahoma mother said her son underwent reconstructive surgery after he was attacked by what its owner claims is a service dog.

Brandy Carver told KXII that the pit bull that attacked her son had been around the neighborhood kids for months without any issues.

 

 

“He wasn’t worried about going up to the dog because it’s something they do all day long,” Carver said. “It was just really really strange.”

 

She said the dog is often chained down in the back of their apartment complex.

"I always hear it whine and I always go back there to pet it,” 8-year-old Reins told News12.

Do you know any real service dogs that are left chained all day long outside? Isn't the point of a real service dog is that it is with its owner, who needs it, at all times? That's why real service dogs are allowed to go everywhere with their owners.

Reins, 8, said when he bent down to pet the 6-month-old dog, the dog growled and attacked him.

As soon as he said my name I knew something was wrong,” Carver said. “His face right here it was just covered in blood and it was just like, 'What do we do?'"

Reins’ parents rushed him to a local hospital in Durant and then had to drive him all the way to Dallas for reconstructive surgery.

Carver said her son will have to have at least one more reconstructive surgery on his lip when he gets older.

The dog will be under quarantine for 10 days before being handed back to its owner.

Kingston police told KXII that no charges will be filed because the dog was chained at the time of the attack.

OWNER IN DENIAL

The dog owner didn't want to appear on camera, but insisted her pit bull is not vicious and that her heart goes out to the child he attacked.

FAKE SERVICE ANIMALS EVERYWHERE

First of all, there is no such thing as a six-month-old service dog. It takes a very long time to train guide dogs for the blind. Second, this dog is likely one of those fashionable "emotional therapy" pets that everyone is dragging around nowadays claiming they're service animals. 

All anyone has to do is go to a doctor and tell them they get stressed at work and their lizard/dog/pig/turkey/kangaroo makes them feel better and a doctor will write them a note saying they need it. Then they can claim it's a therapy dog or an emotional therapy pet and demand to take them everywhere. 

The ADA says therapy animals are NOT given the same protections as service animals. But, because ADA laws are so vague, business are terrified of the bad publicity or having the ADA sicced on them if they refuse, even if the animal is clearly not trained, is aggressive, is not housebroken, etc.

Or it might be that this owner is one of those ones who has a completely fake service dog. They went online and purchased a laminated ID tag and a coat for the animal to wear proclaiming it a service dog so they can drag it everywhere you and I aren't allowed to take our dogs - and most of us don't want dogs: the library, the grocery store, restaurants, the doctor's office, the shopping mall, movie theatres, etc.

(KXXI, KFOR - May 15, 2017)

Colorado: Pueblo officer grazed by bullet fired by another who was being attacked by pit bull

COLORAD -- A Pueblo police officer who fired at a dog he believed was attacking him accidentally grazed a rookie who was among officers responding to a call from the pit bull’s owners, according to a police report.

The incident began early April 14 when Leslie Hanson, 39, owner of the 2-year-old dog named Crios and her boyfriend heard a noise at the rear of their home. They thought someone was trying to break in.

Her boyfriend walked out of the home. Hanson grabbed her gun, followed him outside, called 911, and reported an attempted break-in, she said Thursday.

They saw her neighbor’s son, who had fallen onto a trash can before a gate fell on top of him. He “was high on something,” Hanson said, and she put the gun away as he flailed around.

She then told the 911 operator she was going to put the phone down and help her boyfriend with the neighbor, identified as David Martinez, 32, in the police report. Martinez was incoherent and appeared to be trying to “get at his mother,” who had come out of her house with her husband.

Officer Seth Jensen, who wrote the report, and another officer, got him under control and were taking him to a patrol car, when two other officers, identified as Officer Diaz and Recruit Officer Steffani, arrived.

As Diaz and Steffani arrived, the report said, a large, gray pit bull “ran out of the residence. … As the dog exited the house, it began growling aggressively and then attempted to attack Officer Diaz.”

Hanson said the dog had "somehow" gotten through a dog gate and "somehow" through a door into her yard on Cypress Street but she insists it was walking, "looking for her" and claims it was "not acting aggressively".

According to the report, Diaz backpedaled, drew his pistol, and fired seven rounds at the dog.

The dog collapsed in front of a nearby home. Jensen noticed that Steffani was limping and asked if he had been shot. Steffani answered that he might have been grazed by a bullet. He was taken to a hospital and treated for a slight burn mark, the report said.

OWNER CLAIMS PIT BULL WAS A PTSD SERVICE DOG

Hanson said she has post-traumatic-stress disorder and that Crios was a service dog.

“He was not running; he was walking. I didn’t hear him growl or bark. I’m not saying that he didn’t. I’m not saying that I don’t agree that dogs are sometimes aggressive. The officer could have used pepper spray, Tazed him, shot him once. It would have been OK.”

But firing seven shots at the dog, was “not OK.”

A veterinarian later euthanized Crios.

Police called the incident unfortunate in a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page. “The Pueblo Police Department recognizes the incident as unfortunate but realizes the officer exercised the best option available to him at the time, as the incident happened within seconds.”

SHE'S ALREADY GOTTEN HERSELF A REPLACEMENT

Leslie Hanson‎ posted on Facebook to Pueblo Police Department
April 19 at 10:25am ·
I would like the video cam from 2 officers and 2 sgts. I wont let this go my dog didnt Have to die. Crios loved kids on my block he played with kids everyday. People who now me now my dogs are my kids. I will go without to give them every thing. I was threatened 3 times with arrest. The whole situation is wrong. If your dept would have treated us bettter I wouldn't be doing this. Anyone who has watched there loved ones get shot infront of them knows. The pain I feel. Now i am having flashbacks. It was not enough to find my cousin murdered in my home in 1998 now im in this situation again.

Olivia Lucero with Leslie Hanson.
April 15 at 2:59pm ·
R.i.P. Crios who was brutally murdered by a Pueblo Police Officer, Diaz. Crios is the pup of my neighbors across the street on the 1400 block of Cypress, Friday morning at around 4:30-5:30am one of the neighborhood "heads" was lurking in Crios owners backyard. The male Eric came out and apprehended the lurker, his wife followed to help while calling 911 for help. Crios followed obviously because this was his home and family, he was trying to protect his home. When the officer arrived he was terrified by Crios who ran towards him, the owner grabbed him immediately but Officer Diaz didn't hesitate to draw his gun shooting Crios 7 times. That's fucken ridiculous 7 times?! I understand being scared, but the Officer could've shot a warning shot in the air. Crios would've stopped. If shooting him was an option he could've shot him in the leg once, but 7 times?! The Pueblo Police need better training on defense in regards to gun safety. Too many are trigger happy and there's too many people who support the issues with the excuse that there's not enough Officer's. The Officer's fear for thier lives. Well what about us? We are afraid too!! I fear for my children who are now young adults, I fear they're going to be profiled because of thier race. I fear my son may not come home because some self-righteous Officer will shoot him. Now I have to fear letting my German Shepherd out to pee or to protect my yard because he might get shot by some "scared" Officer? This is bullshit!! The gunshots woke me and my husband up and the first thing I told him was go check on the boys! I immediately called dispatch, while I was on the line I heard the Officer say "at this time no shots fired" I told her how is he going to lie like that? There's a woman crying and screaming for help please get her help!. The fact he radio'd that in says a lot about the lies they cover up. R.i.p Crios you will be missed pup 😢😔🐕

Leslie Hanson Thank you
Like · 2 · April 15 at 3:36pm

(The Denver Post - April 20, 2017)

Kansas: "Territorial, protective" service dog is shot and killed by police after it tries to attack an animal control officer

KANSAS -- The Augusta police chief is getting death threats after an officer shot and killed a veteran's service dog.

Police say the incident happened after animal control and the officer responded to a complaint about the dog attacking a neighbor’s dog.

Fitzgerald said Midnite got out on Thursday, presumably chasing rabbits and cats as he often did. Midnite ended up several mobile homes down from his home, hovering over a neighbor’s small dog.

“It’s how he plays,” Fitzgerald [wants you to believe].

Fitzgerald said he talked to the small dog’s owner, who said the smaller dog wasn’t hurt, just “shaken up” from Midnite towering over it.

After Fitzgerald went back home, the neighbor reported the incident to animal control.

PRIOR PROBLEMS DEALING WITH FITZGERALD

"We've had previous contact with him with regard to this dog [running loose]. We have some knowledge, some neighborhood complaints of this dog," Brewer said.

Police said they did know the owner of the mobile home park filed a complaint against Midnite and Fitzgerald in the past.

The owner of the dog was known to have a temper, he said, and the animal control officer was going to write him a ticket.

When the officers arrived at the trailer, Brewer said, the front door was open but a glass screen door was shut. The animal control officer knocked on the screen door.

“This dog comes blasting up and hits the door,” Brewer said.

That startled the animal control officer.

The dog slammed into the screen door a second time, knocking the latch loose. He charged the animal control officer, who fell backward on the porch and hit his head, Brewer said.

The dog lunged at the officer and was flying through the air when the police officer shot it, he said.

“The animal control officer said, ‘I figured I’d had it,’ ” Brewer said.

The service dog retreated to the porch, where it collapsed and died.

Meanwhile it's not just the police chief who's getting death threats - Chief Tyler Brewer says the officer who shot the dog is getting his life threatened too, and those threats are coming from all across the country.

It has the police department taking extra precautions.

"I received a phone call at home and someone told me I needed to take care of the officer that did the shooting, or my family and I would be killed," Brewer said. "I've been a lot more careful in the way I've conducted my business around my residents because some of these have come all the way from New Jersey, Saint Louis, California - you just never know.

About a dozen people gathered across from the police department for a vigil tonight, to support Alan Fitzgerald, the veteran whose dog was killed.

They were also protesting in hopes of getting more information on what led up to the shooting. The sheriff's office was also present, to make sure both protesters and the community stayed safe.

Fitzgerald posted publicly on Facebook Wednesday saying, "Due to the threats of violence and the overall disregard for others rights that have been associated with this vigil, I will not be attending. I want Midnite's passing to be a peaceful vehicle for change within the system. There has been enough hurt."

The police chief says he would like to help the veteran get another service dog.

"I don't blame him for being upset that his dog was killed. That's gotta be an awful thing for a person who has served our country, and then been through what he's been through. I feel for him. I've been praying for him," Brewer said.

In a video interview, owner says his dog "loves chasing cats" and was just trying to "play" when it jumped on top of his neighbor's tiny dog which started "screeching"

He darted out my door, chasing a rabbit, cat whatever it was. Ran down the road to the neighbors... ran faster than I did obviously I heard a little dog barking, screeching, whatever... so i was hollering out its name by the time i got to its house he had already come back towards me. so i led him over to the house... went back over to the house where he was at.. talking to dog's owner she was holding dog. basically in my opinion, was midnight likes to 'play with small dogs'... the dog was "emotionally upset you could tell". I apologize he doesn't do this but he must've seen a cat. HE LOVES CHASING CATS..."

ALAN FITZGERALD'S 'SERVICE DOG' HAD ATTACKED BEFORE

According to police, Midnite bit Fitzgerald's 16-year-old nephew in 2016, sending him to the hospital where family members say he received stitches after the dog "ripped his face up good". Police did not know about that incident until after Midnite was killed.

WHY WAS THIS DOG APPROVED TO BE A SERVICE DOG?

One article says:

Fitzgerald said that Midnite went through training and became a certified ADA service dog through Family Dog Training and Behavioral Center. They confirmed the dog was trained there, passed all necessary tests and did not show any aggression. The trainer said that because Midnite was a German Shepherd, it's not uncommon for them to protect their home.

However, a second article says:

The Valley Center trainer described the dog as “an alpha male,” “territorial” and “very protective"

The Americans with Disabilities Act says there is NO certification to become an "ADA Certified Dog"

Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as service animals?

No. Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry.

There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.

In my opinion this dog was not a legitimate service dog. Remember, because the "Family Dog Training and Behavioral Center" told Fitzgerald he had a trained service dog, he was allowed to take it anywhere -- to the movies, to a restaurant, to the grocery store, on an airplane, to the library. Think how many opportunities this dog was around children and could have attacked? High prey drive animals often see children as prey.

(KWCH - April 19, 2017)

North Carolina: Man, service dog attacked by pit bull

NORTH CAROLINA -- A pit bull attacked a man and his service dog Tuesday morning in north Charlotte, police said.

The man was seriously hurt after the dog bit his face, his hands and his arms. The man's service dog was hurt, but is expected to recover.

The incident was reported just midnight on Redding Glen Avenue near WT Harris Boulevard.

The man was walking his service dog when a loose pit bull crossed the street and attempted to attack his dog. The man intervened and was attacked himself.

"It does scare me. It does alarm me," said neighbor Robert Floyd.

Floyd said there are more than a dozen pit bulls in the neighborhood and many of them escape easily from their yards.

"I have encountered probably six or seven different pit bulls loose," Floyd said.

While Floyd hasn't noticed any aggression toward him or his two dogs, he said he never lets down his guard.

Neighbor of the victim

"They shouldn't be loose. We have leash laws in the city. We have leash laws in the homeowners' association. This should not be happening," Floyd said.

Animal control officers said the pit bull that attacked the man ran out of a garage.

A neighbor who witnessed the attack rushed in to help the man and his service dog.

"Animal control should be out here holding that owner accountable. The owner should be charged," Floyd said.

Officials did not say whether charges will be filed against the dog's owner.

Floyd said it's time for the rest of his neighbors to keep lock their dogs locked up at home.

"They're being careless. They don't intend for them to get out, but they do get out, so they're just being a little too haphazard, a little too careless,” Floyd said.

Neighbors told Channel 9 that they are taking their safety concerns to the police officer who patrols their community.

The pit bull is in rabies quarantine at animal control after the attack.

(WSOCTV - March 21, 2017)

Tennessee: Woman goes to the media to complain about her dog. Only problem? I don't see that it qualifies as a Title I or II service dog as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

TENNESSEE -- A Seymour woman says she and her husband were told to leave a Maryville business because of their service dog. They’ve now filed a complaint under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Jody Harrison-Grabber says she has taken her service dog Daisy with her everywhere.

“She goes with Jody to the cancer center; we have gone to doctor’s offices,” said Jody Harrison-Grabber’s husband Jim. We have gone to hospitals.”

Jody Harrison-Grabber lives with a disability that causes her movement to be unstable. Her two-year-old service dog Daisy allows her to be able to walk. She went with her husband to the Shanks Oral Surgery in Maryville. The couple says they encountered a problem they had never had.

“The receptionist stood up out of her chair, looked over the counter and said ‘oh no you can’t have that dog in here, you’ve got to get her out of here,’” said Jim Grabber. “Jody said ‘she’s a service dog, she’s got her vest on, she’s under control.”

Jim Grabber says the receptionist still made them leave.

According to the American’s with Disabilities Act website, service dogs are allowed in any area the general public is allowed to go.

“Under the ADA, State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go. For example, in a hospital it would be inappropriate to exclude a service animal from areas such as patient rooms, clinics, cafeterias, or examination rooms. However, it may be appropriate to exclude a service animal from operating rooms or burn units where the animal’s presence may compromise a sterile environment.”

The Grabbers say they left the building but were denied access to the only exit without stairs.

“She was able to lean on a post and hang on to Daisy and I had to get down one step and she had to basically fall over on me to get her off the steps,” said Jim Grabber.

WATE 6 On Your Side contacted Shanks Oral Surgery multiple times by phone and in person to try to get their side of the story, but was they did not want to talk at this time. A representative on the ADA hotline says they cannot determine whether Shanks Oral Surgery had the right to make the dog leave without a formal complaint.

 

Jody Harrison-Grabber says she has already filed the complaint and should hear back in three months.

I watched the video clip and I see this dog doing nothing except walking. She is barely holding the leash. I don't see this dog providing any sort of trained work as defined by the ADA.

If she were really needing the dog to walk, I would think that it would have a framed harness on with a solid, rigid handle for support - almost like a walker. She would be using her body weight, leaning onto this rigid harness framed handle and the dog would be using its strength to hold her up. 

Every step she took, the dog would be actively working to hold her up. This dog is not doing anything but walking next to her.

A rigid framed harness, like a walker, is meant to support a
person's body weight when they cannot walk on their own.

Service Animal Defined by Title II and Title III of the ADA

A service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

Tasks performed can include, among other things, pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, alerting a person to a sound, reminding a person to take medication, or pressing an elevator button.

Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered service animals either. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. It does not matter if a person has a note from a doctor that states that the person has a disability and needs to have the animal for emotional support. A doctor’s letter does not turn an animal into a service animal.

Examples of animals that fit the ADA’s definition of “service animal” because they have been specifically trained to perform a task for the person with a disability:

· Guide Dog or Seeing Eye Dog is a carefully trained dog that serves as a travel tool for persons who have severe visual impairments or are blind.

· Hearing or Signal Dog is a dog that has been trained to alert a person who has a significant hearing loss or is deaf when a sound occurs, such as a knock on the door.

· Psychiatric Service Dog is a dog that has been trained to perform tasks that assist individuals with disabilities to detect the onset of psychiatric episodes and lessen their effects. Tasks performed by psychiatric service animals may include reminding the handler to take medicine, providing safety checks or room searches, or turning on lights for persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, interrupting self-mutilation by persons with dissociative identity disorders, and keeping disoriented individuals from danger.

· SSigDOG (sensory signal dogs or social signal dog) is a dog trained to assist a person with autism. The dog alerts the handler to distracting repetitive movements common among those with autism, allowing the person to stop the movement (e.g., hand flapping).

· Seizure Response Dog is a dog trained to assist a person with a seizure disorder. How the dog serves the person depends on the person’s needs. The dog may stand guard over the person during a seizure or the dog may go for help. A few dogs have learned to predict a seizure and warn the person in advance to sit down or move to a safe place.

Under Title II and III of the ADA, service animals are limited to dogs. However, entities must make reasonable modifications in policies to allow individuals with disabilities to use miniature horses if they have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities.

Other Support or Therapy Animals

While Emotional Support Animals or Comfort Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, they are not considered service animals under the ADA. These support animals provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.

Even though some states have laws defining therapy animals, these animals are not limited to working with people with disabilities and therefore are not covered by federal laws protecting the use of service animals.  

Therapy animals provide people with therapeutic contact, usually in a clinical setting, to improve their physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning.

 

 

Just because you enjoy your pet's
companionship doesn't mean it's a "therapy" pet.

Couple loses appeal, told to get rid of
three of their four "emotional support" pigs

"I Need Kangaroos to Cope" - city disagrees

Florida: Woman infuriated that restaurant didn't
want her "emotional support" pit bull there

Girl and her family get fake service animal badge
for lizard and demand to take it wherever they go. 

(WATE - March 10, 2017)