The seemingly endless parade of airline apologies continues apace today, with Virgin Atlantic admitting one of its employees shouldn’t have told a disabled woman she couldn’t enter the airline’s airport lounge with her service dog. [More]
service animals
![Travelin’ Librarian](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/americanairlines.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Blind Woman “Humiliated” After American Airlines Removes Her & Guide Dog From Flight
A blind woman who says she’s never had an issue flying with her guide dog in 30 years claims she was “humiliated and traumatized” after American Airlines kicked her and her guide dog off a flight recently. [More]
![CBS New York](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/walkdog.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Man With Guide Dog Kicked Out Of Popeyes, Told ‘No Pets Allowed’
Guide dogs and other service dogs are not pets, and federal law protects their right to go anywhere that their owners are allowed to be. Yet the owner of a Popeyes restaurant in Brooklyn wasn’t clear on that concept, and used the “no pets” policy to kick a blind man and aspiring chicken-orderer out of the establishment. [More]
![Adam Fagen](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/frontier1.png?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Guy Stashed Monkey In His Shirt For Flight To Vegas Instead Of Explaining It’s A Support Animal
Here’s some advice we never thought we’d have to give: if you’re going to bring a monkey on a commercial plane, it’s best to inform the airline you’re traveling with that it’s an emotional support animal, instead of stashing it in your shirt. Because, you know, people might notice. [More]
![afagen](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/uber4u.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Uber, Blind Passengers Reach Settlement In Lawsuit Over Service Animals
More than a year after the National Federation of the Blind of California filed a lawsuit accusing Uber drivers of discriminating against passengers waiting for rides with service animals, the two sides announced they’ve reached a settlement. [More]
![(Morton Fox)](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/dogpolandspring.png?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Florida Lawmakers Want To Punish People Who Use Fake Service Dogs
While there are many Americans with legitimate needs for service animals, and who are legally allowed to take those animals into restaurants and stores where they would normally be banned, there are some people who exploit the service animal label without any bona fide medical or therapeutic need. Now some Florida legislators are looking to penalize these fakers with fines and possible jail time. [More]
![(bnilsen)](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/santanope.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
California Mall Replaces Santa Accused Of Turning Away Autistic Girl Over Her Service Dog
Perhaps the only thing worse than being terrified by a mall Santa Claus is not getting to hang out with the guy when your heart is set on it. The family of a 7-year-old autistic girl in California says the youngster was “heartbroken” when she didn’t get to see Santa after a 30-minute wait, because he didn’t like the look of her service dog. [More]
![Best Western Turns Away Family With Service Dog, Waits A Week To Fix Problem](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/servicedog.png?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Best Western Turns Away Family With Service Dog, Waits A Week To Fix Problem
We’re guessing that no one at Best Western is checking the hotel chain’s Facebook page today, as it’s full up with people angry that the company not only denied a room to a family with a service animal, but then waited a week to try to make good on its mistake. [More]
![Another Ignorant Restaurant Employee Assumes That Only Blind People Have Service Dogs](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/bilde.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Another Ignorant Restaurant Employee Assumes That Only Blind People Have Service Dogs
How many times do we have to go over this? When someone enters a business with a dog and says, “This is my service dog,” the correct answer is not “You aren’t blind!” Yet a Texas Marine veteran says that he was asked to leave a restaurant because he brought his service dog in training into the establishment. [More]
![Starbucks Employees: Don’t Say “You’re Not Blind!” To A Disabled Veteran With A Service Dog](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/service_dawg.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Starbucks Employees: Don’t Say “You’re Not Blind!” To A Disabled Veteran With A Service Dog
People and dogs have been cooperating for thousands of years now. It’s our thing. In the modern world, it’s generally not okay to take your dog shopping, on a plane, or to Starbucks unless it’s a service dog trained to perform some kind of function other than being a fun pet. Not everyone knows this, which leads to some unfortunate situations…like the experience that a man had at a Houston Starbucks when he and his service dog were questioned at the door. [More]
![Fake Service Animals Hurt Real Disabled People, Store Carpets](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/goggie.jpg?w=291&h=210&crop=1)
Fake Service Animals Hurt Real Disabled People, Store Carpets
No matter now much you wish you could bring your pet everywhere, it’s not cool to pass your dog off as a service animal in order to do so. The problem is that impersonating a service dog is very easy to do, thanks to the privacy rules that are part of the Americans with Disabilities Act. [More]
![Community Protests Restaurant That Kicked Out Veteran And His Service Dog](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/dawg.jpg?w=149&h=198&crop=1)
Community Protests Restaurant That Kicked Out Veteran And His Service Dog
The owner of a Massachusetts restaurant thought that he knew what service dogs look like, and the terrier in his dining room didn’t fit the profile. “It just looked like a regular mutt,” he told a reporter. Not like the guide dogs for the blind or alert dogs for the deaf that most people picture when they hear the words “service dog.” He threw the dog and his owner out of the restaurant, prompting boycotts and howls of protest. [More]
![(YouTube)](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/whataburgergrab.png?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Whataburger Explains Why Manager Called Police About Customer With Service Dog
Earlier today, we told you about a Whataburger restaurant in Florida that called the police to force a customer to leave because of complaints about her service dog. Now, a rep for the fast food chain gives the company’s side of the story. [More]
![Wawa Pays $12,500 To Kicked-Out Customer With Service Dog](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/lemonsmb86.jpg?w=240&h=180&crop=1)
Wawa Pays $12,500 To Kicked-Out Customer With Service Dog
Many people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey speak highly of the Wawa chain of convenience stores. Which is why it was a bit of surprise to folks in the area when a man was kicked out of a store earlier this summer because he brought his service dog into the building. Now the chain has not only agreed to fork over a bit of cash to the customer, but to also make sure its employees don’t repeat the mistake. [More]
![Disabled Vet Says United Employees Kicked His Service Dog, Asked Him If He Was Retarded](../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/nitedtcketcounter.jpg?w=240&h=180&crop=1)
Disabled Vet Says United Employees Kicked His Service Dog, Asked Him If He Was Retarded
The founder of a group that places service dogs with disabled vets says he went through a 48-hour ordeal at Dulles airport outside Washington, D.C., this week and that not only did United Airlines employees kick his service dog twice, but one staffer actually insulted him in public. [More]