First, this was not a professionally trained guide dog, the guy is “training” it himself which means the store has no idea if this dog might be mean, might bite another customer or cause damage to the premises. The dog is only 7 months old, too young to be a reliably and sufficiently trained.
Second, it might me but I can’t possibly understand how holding a dogs leash is going to “stabilize” someone
who might fall. Seems to me he is in greater danger of the the dog pulling him down. If they guy had a handle, as opposed to a leash, I might understand it, but he didn’t.
The guy said he was “training the dog” on the escalator. Huh? Why is he using Dillard’s facilities to train his dog? Why didn’t he call ahead of time so Dillards employees could help accommodate him if that was his intention?
ADA allows dogs in training to be allowed in public places, but that training must be conducted by a licensed dog handler...this guy wasn’t. For all Dillards knew this was just some guy trying to circumvent their rules so he didn’t have to leave the dog in the car or tie him up outside.
If the dog bit someone in the store, Dillards would be sued by the victim for irresponsibly allowing an underage untrained dog and an unlicensed dog trainer into the store.
It reads - "In Texas, an assistance animal in training has the same rights as long as the trainer is an agent of an organization generally recognized by agencies involved in the rehabilitation of animals and their handlers."
This guy admits that he's training the dog on his own (which means he isn't protected by law), and judging by the fact that he forced the 7 month old pup onto an escalator, it doesn't seem like he is qualified to properly train a service dog.
Unfortunately, the facts sometimes get pushed aside in favor of a touchy-feely story.
If this veteran wants a properly trained service dog, there are plenty of organizations that can provide one for him, if he is eligible.
Bob thank you for your succinct recap of the article. There are many issues at play here...the first being the age of the dog; the fact the training was being done by the dog’s owner; and that the store was not notified that Service Dog training was going to be done (or even asked that such training could occur on their property).
With questions of the dog’s status weighed against safety of other store customers I can see how the Dillard’s store management would have to address the situation. It is unfortunate that cooler heads did not prevail, and that this escalated (no pun intended) to this level.