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
Blind Woman “Humiliated” After American Airlines Removes Her & Guide Dog From Flight
By 3.15.17
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]
Man With Guide Dog Kicked Out Of Popeyes, Told ‘No Pets Allowed’
By 11.18.16 — Updated: 2.10.17
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]
Veteran Accuses American Airlines Of Illegally Barring Her Service Dog From Plane
By 10.28.16 — Updated: 10.31.16
Last year, American Airlines issued an apology to a retired U.S. Marine after the veteran said he and his service dog were denied boarding a flight. While the airline put that incident behind it, it’s now facing a similar complaint from an Army vet who has accused the airline of mocking her and refusing to let her travel with her licensed service dog. [More]
Guy Stashed Monkey In His Shirt For Flight To Vegas Instead Of Explaining It’s A Support Animal
By 8.10.16
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]
Uber, Blind Passengers Reach Settlement In Lawsuit Over Service Animals
By 5.2.16
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]
Florida Lawmakers Want To Punish People Who Use Fake Service Dogs
By 12.16.14
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]
California Mall Replaces Santa Accused Of Turning Away Autistic Girl Over Her Service Dog
By 12.2.14
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
By 6.19.14
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
By 2.21.14
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
By 2.11.14
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]
Legally Blind Man And Service Dog Kicked Off Plane Before Takeoff
By 11.14.13
It’s bad enough being stuck on an indefinitely-delayed plane when you’re a human who can play with an iPad or enjoy a book or something, but imagine being in that situation as a dog. Even the best-trained service dog must get tired of being crammed under a seat. When one guide dog became restless while a US Airways Express flight waited to take off, he and his owner were kicked off the flight. [More]
Fake Service Animals Hurt Real Disabled People, Store Carpets
By 10.10.13
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
By 8.27.13 — Updated: 2.11.14
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]
Whataburger Explains Why Manager Called Police About Customer With Service Dog
By 11.28.12
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
By 8.8.12
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
By 7.20.12 — Updated: 3.26.13
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]
