This is a store I would frequent before I was insulted, ridiculed, mocked and then told I was never welcome in again after spending yet another hundred dollars in an attempt to live a normal life where I can walk upright like everyone else. On the morning of December 16 with my service dog, Dobby. On this occasion, my appearance was quite different from usual; I was wearing a hat, a large jacket, no makeup, and might have looked homeless. Normally, I use a cane and Dobby sometimes wears his service dog vest, but that morning, I looked quite rough and Dobby was not wearing his vest. Arthritis for me is worse in the mornings. I love on a ranch where I am trying to convert a school bus, so I stayed bundled up for winter because the cold makes me hurt worse. That is not me throwing a pity party, this is my everyday life.
The store employee, who is typically very friendly, immediately started going off on me about the "no dogs" sign on the door. At first, I thought he might be joking because I've been there so many times before and always with my ADA public access service dog. I explained that Dobby was my service dog, but he retorted loudly that he was not a service dog, emphasizing that Dobby wasn't even wearing a vest. I was in shock, especially since I've spent over $1,000 there on kratom products for pain management due to my connective tissue disorders. This is not some emotional support mut I scooped up at the pound to drag around stores. This dog is worth more than my car. I don't even really like dogs. Dobby was a last ditch effort so to speak at attempting to live a normal life before accepting that I am actually basically crippled before the age of forty.
I guess tears started to fall asleep as I stood there dumbfounded, I honestly didn't notice until he began mocking me for crying, then aggressively told me to hurry up, get what I needed, and to get out of his store. I tried to clarify that service dogs don't legally need to wear vests, but he wouldn't listen, insisting again that Dobby wasn't a real service dog. I was so confused and upset by his cruelty, especially considering my regular patronage and the significant amount of money I've spent there, I couldn't even respond. Easily over a thousand dollars since being told about this 'miracle plant' the first time I had went there inquiring about kratom that first time.
In my confusion and intimidation, I just complied, telling him what I usually get. He demanded my phone number for the loyalty points system, which typically grants me a 15% discount, but in my state, I mumbled that it didn't matter, forgoing the discount completely confused with my compliance and reaction to being treated so meanly. I literally was just following his orders. I don't know if this was a trauma response or because I'm flaring up so bad that I'm losing my mind, but I actually just stood there in shock shuffling myself around telling him what I was there to buy and then to the register and then out the door.
Dobby is a well-trained Xoloitzcuintli, not just an emotional support animal, and I could prove his training with videos or could have demonstrated if asked. This interaction replays in my mind leaving me puzzled about his hostility. Perhaps my appearance, without makeup and using no cane that day, led him to misjudge me. Regardless, after taking my money he hollered we were never allowed back there.
Despite knowing the law about service animals, in the moment, I was too shocked and intimidated to educate him. He ordered me over to the cash register and for reasons beyond me I paid for my items and not just because they are essential for my pain management that I have stupidly started to avoid dangerous prescription drugs. In the past I had thanked them profusely for helping me get off of ibuprofen because it was causing internal bleeding but I've found that even though there is not respiratory dangers like opiates your body becomes dependent more quickly than big pharma drugs. They know you...
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