Posted on 06/28/2012 4:26:37 AM PDT by servo1969
MILLVILLE, N.J. (CBS) - Thirty-three-year old Patrick Stark goes everywhere with his medical dog, Copenhagen.
“Rarely do I get emotional at all, but this was a really sad experience for me,” Stark said outside his Vine Street home in Millville Tuesday.
The military veteran has suffered seizures since sustaining a brain injury when he was mugged three years ago in Seattle, Washington, where he just moved from a few months ago.
He’s had Copenhagen every since. The dog alerts him when the seizures are coming, enabling him to avoid them, which has saved his life.
“At this point, I have so much confidence in him. I would find it impossible to get along without him.”
Two weeks ago, Stark was in the Main Street Wawa around the corner from his home. He says the employees in the store started questioning him about the dog. They didn’t think Copenhagen was leashed properly, and weren’t sure he was a service dog.
“They were saying there’s nothing wrong with you. He’s not a seeing eye dog. Really ignorant things.”
Stark says he’s been in the store numerous times before, and had made them aware of his disability, but he didn’t recognize any of the employees working that night.
“I tried to reassure them it was service dog and the customers joined in with the yelling. Then I asked who was in charge and I would show them all the paper work she would want.”
Stark says he showed the manager his papers but still, he was asked to leave and the police were called.
In a statement Wawa says, “We apologize for any inconvenience or issues we caused Mr. Stark. Qualified service dogs are permitted in all Wawa stores. Because we are a food establishment we have to comply with strict Board of Health regulations which do not permit pets in our stores, but of course qualified service animals are permitted and welcome.”
Stark does not feel he was offered a real apology and says not only will he not be back, but he’s now considering legal action.
Wawa says they are reemphasizing protocol related to service animals with the team at the Millville store.
Neither the video nor the article gives any indication of the race or religeon of the employees involved. Since I am 'racist' that almost always implies to me that the news organization involved is going out of its way to keep from reporting that information.
So, I wonder... were the employees White? Were they Asian? Were they Indian? Were they Black? Were they Muslim? Oooo, were they Black and Muslim? They could just be idiots. But there could be a little more going on here and inquiring minds want to know.
I was sympathetic up until he decided he couldn’t just say, “This was an unfortunate misunderstanding” and get over it. Even choosing not to go there again would be fine.
On a peripheral point, if dogs are unsanitary, such that they must be excluded from food-service facilities for health reasons, then service animals are unsanitary, too. Or maybe dogs just aren’t that unsanitary, unless they poop on the floor. We have a dog in our kitchen at home! (Also catz, who are really a problem, because they get on the counters.)
Service dogs are supposed to wear identification.
Maybe they asked him to leave because they were “amazed” the dog kept ordering more sandwiches on the touch screen! Oh, no that was Romney who was amazed; got quit watching NBC for the news.
misunderstanding? they are required by law to permit service dogs.
also, service dogs are extremely well trained, usually better than police dogs, so no worries about them trying to get into things.
We had a “therapy dog” enter the place where I work, last week. While we wondered if the dog was allowed, we never questioned the owner. The dog was small and well behaved, so we decided that there was no harm done.
“Excuse my ignorance, but what is a Wawa?”
Similar to a Seven-Eleven, but much better. A great selection of food & beverages, some sell gas too.
I’m gonna vote religion of peaces. Muslims can’t stand dogs. They consider them dirty and would likely lose it if a dog were near their food. (Although, they don’t seem to mind stickin it up a sheeps poopchute)
Actually, no they don’t -need- to.
In fact, the ADA specifically tells service/support dog handlers to NOT offer “papers” when asked because it sets precedent for the harassment of other service dog owners.
If you are ‘challenged’, you are to simply call the police immediately and then contact the ADA legal team.
What kind of identification do I need for my SD?
Federal law does not require you to have identification for your SD.
Though, you should be prepared to answer the following questions should you be asked by a gatekeeper of public access: Is that a Service Animal? Are you disabled? What disability-related tasks have your SD been trained to perform?
If you decide to carry and use identification for your SD, then make sure that you inform gatekeepers that such identification, while provided in this instance, may not be required of other teams, as a condition of entry into a public space.
Does my SD have to wear a vest or a harness?
Federal law does not require that your SD wear a vest or harness, though, experience demonstrates that such items greatly reduce the likelihood of an access challenge.
Many SD handlers “dress” their dogs with a cape or vest as a courtesy to the public.
Probably not in this case. Likely it was a mix leaning heavily towards white.
No shite! Wawa, Bawa, Ain’t these damn things just automats?
Anyone think you get less lowlife spit at one compared to any other minority operated fast food?
They especially hate black dogs.
[who are the demonic agents of ‘Shatan’, ya know]
Now, if only I could find a Muzz-owned store around here to get thrown out of, I’d be rich.
“Probably not in this case. Likely it was a mix leaning heavily towards white.”
Oh, I agree. It very well could be. But if the media has taught me anything in the last 4 years it's that I was born ‘racist’ and just can't help myself. (I'm probably even racist when I'm asleep.) So, I have decided to accept who I am and stop caring.
By posting semi-anonymous comments on FR.
Baby-steps, you know?
What does ANY of this have to do with his status as a veteran?
His injury was not service related.
And, even if it was, this isn’t the issue to get all steamed up about. It happens. Live, learn, move along.
Yes, misunderstanding, as in “a failure to understand,” in this case a failure on the part of the employees to recognize service animals other than guide dogs for the blind. The management of “Wawa,” whatever the freep that is, should add this concept to their employees’ training.
“Service dogs are supposed to wear identification.”
Except when they’re voting.
Not "Automats" by any stretch of the imagination. Not fast food either. Wawa is a privately owned Fortune 500 company and is not minority owned. They actually have pretty high standards for employment, do not hire those with criminal backgrounds and the pace of work at these stores weeds out the slackers and deadbeats. They also pay better than any other company of that type.
Yes, I know about them because after I sold my company several years ago I started to work for them and was a manager at one for a few years before I completely retired.
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