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Disable Vet Harassed By Police Because of Service Dog

Yeah I could give a crap about the ADA being "pretty clear". Guess what--People who aren't disabled, and probably many who are, have no idea what the ADA says, including cops, and people use that thing like others abuse cries of racism. There was confusion about it.

What kind of idiot doesn't know that people with physical disabilities are protected by the law, and are allowed service dogs?
 
Just because your dog is a service animal for PTSD does not mean you should be able to take the thing everywhere you go.

The man has a physcial disability. Specifically, mobitlity issues. He mentions not being able to walk up stairs on his own.
 
A New Jersey cop cites a 19 year army disabled vet and kicks him off the boardwalk for having a service dog. And this happened after the vet provided the cop with the dog's proper papers. The cop also harassed the disabled vet and mocked him asking him if all veterans get to have their own personal service dog.

Law enforcement is often out of control these days in America. IMHO the veteran should file a suit against the cop for committing a hate crime. How much crap do veterans have to take?

[h=1]Disabled Army veteran harassed by police because of service dog[/h]What would you want done to the cop?
None.
Fired.
 
Back to the specific issue in the OP: I'm guessing dogs aren't generally allowed by law on that boardwalk. Service animals should be clearly marked as service animals to receive the exemption. Further the law should be changed to reflect necessity in place/location. Just because your dog is a service animal for PTSD does not mean you should be able to take the thing everywhere you go. And unless the guy is sight impaired I don't get how this service animal "helps with his mobility", is he riding the darned thing?
I will have to say, that is about the most mean narrow minded thing I have read on here yet.
 
Do you want his entire profile? That's completely unnecessary. It's not your need to know. You didn't even read what I posted. Furthermore, the service dog is certainly dressed differently from a non-service dog, the vet issued the officer the identification of the animal, and still he was treated with disrespect and punished.

Yes, I did read what you posted. The dog I saw in the video was indistinguishable from a run of the mill pet dog. I've seen plenty of service animals and they were all marked/dressed with a neon green scarf that clearly said "Service Animal". And no, I don't require his service record or "entire profile". However I do need more info to determine whether he was gaming the system (had the therapy dog along just because he wants the therapy dog along, not need based) or if his need was genuine.

I am in no way defending the officers who kicked him off the boardwalk once they knew it was a legitimate service animal. People can and do game the system.
 
I will have to say, that is about the most mean narrow minded thing I have read on here yet.

Obviously you're a dog lover. That's just fine, as long as you recognise not everyone else wants to hang around with your animal.
 
The man has a physcial disability. Specifically, mobitlity issues. He mentions not being able to walk up stairs on his own.

All public places are required by law to have railings for those of us who have those mobility issues with stairs, a dog is a poor substitute for a railing.
 
Yes, I did read what you posted. The dog I saw in the video was indistinguishable from a run of the mill pet dog. I've seen plenty of service animals and they were all marked/dressed with a neon green scarf that clearly said "Service Animal". And no, I don't require his service record or "entire profile". However I do need more info to determine whether he was gaming the system (had the therapy dog along just because he wants the therapy dog along, not need based) or if his need was genuine.

I am in no way defending the officers who kicked him off the boardwalk once they knew it was a legitimate service animal. People can and do game the system.

Service animals are not required to wear any thing that identifies them as service animals, nor are their humans required to carry documentation of the animals status. (though this man did)

And there has been enough info provided to determine that this man was not gaming the system and that his need is genuine. Also, his dog is a service dog, not a therapy dog
 
Thanks, but again, no specifics as to why he needs his service animal at the boardwalk. Again, I understand he says it's for "mobility" but doesn't even hint that he's sight impaired or why he would need a dog to be mobile. Some people just want to take their dogs everywhere they go.

And yet again, easy to avoid this sort of confusion by ensuring the service animal is marked as such.
Anxiety may be a big reason.
I find it alittle disheartening that you question it.
He also may suffer from things like seizures that were not mentioned. Dogs can alert to a on coming seizure and keep people away from him till the episode subsides.
You really need to start back peddling now.
 
All sounds perfectly reasonable and doesn't answer my post. If the person's disability requires they have a service animal with them wherever they go, then the service animal should be allowed wherever they go. However, if this service animal was not needed by his disability for a walk along the boardwalk, the normal law restricting dogs should be in force. Add to that, this entire situation may have been easily avoided if all service animals were required to be clearly marked as service animals.

And we do not know "This dog was was trained to do what he was doing". There is no mention in the article of why a service animal might be needed for mobility in this case, no indication the guy was sight impaired. The only specific was the bit about the animal being used for PTSD therapy.
His service dog, “Gator,” not only helps the disabled veteran cope with the physical toll of combat, but with the often neglected psychological toll as well.

The veteran has a physical and psychological disability. The dog helps with both. It may not be obvious to someone who doesn't understand how a dog helps with both, but the dog was trained and does. The mere presence of these animals eases the anxiety of PTSD or any other anxiety disorder. So, yes, the dog was needed to go for that walk, as I further demonstrated with my own personal experience with service animals. I guess I don't see a problem with the animals being clearly marked, but as the veteran immediately provided the required papers, the matter should have been summarily dispensed with. It was later when the cop's superiors reviewed the case. The matter was dropped and so we can conclude, the veteran was within his rights to have the dog on the boardwalk.

Yes, we do know that the dog was trained to do what he was doing, the guy had papers. This dog is a service dog, and under that designation, it has been specially trained to be in public. Just because the man's need is not obvious, doesn't mean it isn't real. PTSD is a mental disability and one that qualifies a person with it to have a Psychiatric Service Dog.


A Psychiatric Service Dog is a dog that helps its handler, who has a mental (psychiatric) disability. Examples of mental disabilities that may sometimes qualify a person for a Service Dog include, but are not limited to: Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Autism, Anxiety Disorder, and Schizophrenia.
 
All public places are required by law to have railings for those of us who have those mobility issues with stairs, a dog is a poor substitute for a railing.

Nonsense. A railing is a poor substitute for a service dog.

You really talked out of your ass on that one
 
Obviously you're a dog lover. That's just fine, as long as you recognise not everyone else wants to hang around with your animal.
A service dog is not "my animal". If you are that cold towards our vets, you are done as a person in my opinion.
 
Yes, I did read what you posted. The dog I saw in the video was indistinguishable from a run of the mill pet dog. I've seen plenty of service animals and they were all marked/dressed with a neon green scarf that clearly said "Service Animal". And no, I don't require his service record or "entire profile". However I do need more info to determine whether he was gaming the system (had the therapy dog along just because he wants the therapy dog along, not need based) or if his need was genuine.

I am in no way defending the officers who kicked him off the boardwalk once they knew it was a legitimate service animal. People can and do game the system.

His was not a BS handicap parking tag, its an animal that has been trained for up to a year to work with this man.
 
All public places are required by law to have railings for those of us who have those mobility issues with stairs, a dog is a poor substitute for a railing.

Just because you are not aware of how the dogs help, doesn't mean they don't legitimately help the person or that only a railing is sufficient to navigate stairs.
Like all other types of service dogs, a Psychiatric Service Dog helps its handler mitigate his disability through trained work and tasks, including, but not limited to:
* picking up/retrieving objects or aiding with mobility when the handler is dizzy from medication or has psychosomatic (physical) symptoms (i.e. pain, leaden paralysis, severe lethargy, etc.)
* waking the handler if the handler sleeps through alarms or cannot get himself out of bed
* alerting to and/or responding to episodes (i.e. mood changes, panic attacks, oncoming anxiety, etc.)
* reminding the handler to take medication if the handler cannot remember on his own or with the use of an alarm
* alerting to and/or distracting the handler from repetitive and obsessive thoughts or behaviors (such as those brought on by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Therapy Dogs & Rights : Service Dogs of Florida, Inc.
 
Yes, I did read what you posted. The dog I saw in the video was indistinguishable from a run of the mill pet dog. I've seen plenty of service animals and they were all marked/dressed with a neon green scarf that clearly said "Service Animal". And no, I don't require his service record or "entire profile". However I do need more info to determine whether he was gaming the system (had the therapy dog along just because he wants the therapy dog along, not need based) or if his need was genuine.

I am in no way defending the officers who kicked him off the boardwalk once they knew it was a legitimate service animal. People can and do game the system.

No, Clownboy, you do not need more information, because you nor the public at large have the need nor the right to ask for more information than is legally necessary.

Having people without disabilities demand our medical and disability information in order for us to be respected for doing what is our right to do is downright insulting.

Keep your nose where it belongs.
 
All sounds perfectly reasonable and doesn't answer my post. If the person's disability requires they have a service animal with them wherever they go, then the service animal should be allowed wherever they go. However, if this service animal was not needed by his disability for a walk along the boardwalk, the normal law restricting dogs should be in force.

How in the world would someone know whether they would need the dog in any given environment if they had not had a prior visit to the exact same location, under the exact same conditions, while encountering the exact same people and situations? Hint: They couldn't possibly know.

Yes, indeed the vet could have been to the boardwalk before, but he could not possibly know that the situation would be the same as it was on his previous visit. There could be construction, hoards of screaming children, street hustlers, an immediate emergency of some kind. There could be any number of things that the vet could encounter and could not predict, even if he had been there before. So we can nix the only when needed argument. If he needs the dog, he needs the dog. Daily life is nothing if not unpredictable.

Add to that, this entire situation may have been easily avoided if all service animals were required to be clearly marked as service animals.

The dog was clearly marked with his working vest. If you looked at the video you saw the words "Service dog" on the vest. In addition, all trained service dogs have documentation. The vet did show the documentation to the cop. AFTER the vet provided the documentation the cop wrote the vet a summons and kicked him off the boardwalk.

And we do not know "This dog was was trained to do what he was doing". There is no mention in the article of why a service animal might be needed for mobility in this case, no indication the guy was sight impaired. The only specific was the bit about the animal being used for PTSD therapy.

You appear to under the assumption that mobility = vision impairment. It can and it does, but that is far from being all that mobility means. People who use wheel chairs, people who use canes, people who use walkers, people who have degenerative bone diseases, people who have MS or ALS or people who have had polio or diabetes or back surgery or arthritis or fibromyalgia or amputation or many other conditions are or can be mobility impaired. The impairments while often permanent varying among people. Even one person with one or more of these or other disabilities will often experience "good days and bad days". Onset of a "bad day" is often sudden. It can occur at anytime. What a person thought was going to be a "good day" or a regular day can suddenly become uncharacteristically difficult at any given time. You don't get to chose when.

Service dogs can do amazing things. I have a friend who has been blown up one too many times. He has PTSD and a list of other challenges that include vertigo. Sometimes he gets very dizzy. He never knows exactly when that will be. He does know that if he bends over he is likely to lose his balance. He has a service dog. She has been trained to do a number of things for him. If he drops something she is trained to pick it up and take it to him. This keeps him from having to bend over.

When my friend walks near people the dog is trained to place herself between him and the nearest person so that they will not inadvertently bump into him. Thus she is critical to his mobility. In addition, people are aware of her as she is a big black lab. My disabled vet friend doesn't look disabled and thus people don't react to him that way. They do see the dog and the dog, her name is Urban, in that manner clears the way for him, if you like.

Anxiety is a continuing issue for my friend. He wants to be around people and he needs to be around people, but at the same time he gets nervous if people invade what he feels is his comfort zone. Urban provides that buffer for him as she stands or sits between him and other people.

Urban is a working dog. She is well trained. So is my friend. No one is allowed to pet Urban when she is working. At home when the working vest comes off we can all pet her and treat her like a family pet.

Finally, she is not a trick dog. If you want to piss a disabled person off ask them to show you their dog's tricks to prove the dog is really a working dog.

The cop had all the information he needed. The cop was out of line. We know this because the summons was dropped. We also know Veterans and Working Dogs have met with the North Wildwood Police Chief to impress upon him the critical need for understanding and support for veterans with service dogs.
 
Someone said something about the cops word on this.
I will take a mans word that went to war for "us" before some cop on a power trip.
 
Finally, she is not a trick dog. If you want to piss a disabled person off ask them to show you their dog's tricks to prove the dog is really a working dog.
Ought to say, you wanna see a trick? Lay a hand on me and watch him make your hand disappear.
 
Anxiety may be a big reason.
I find it alittle disheartening that you question it.
He also may suffer from things like seizures that were not mentioned. Dogs can alert to a on coming seizure and keep people away from him till the episode subsides.
You really need to start back peddling now.

No, no back peddling. I recognise the dog lovers here won't tolerate anything that doesn't diefy dogs. Seriously, some of you are like smokers who want to light up anywhere and everywhere.

Yes I know there is no law requiring service animals to be labelled as such - my position from the beginning is that there should be. This should be handled exactly as we handle disabled parking.

And Risky, I know what mobility means and other than those who are sight impaired I just don't see dogs as much of a "mobility aid". Stairs have RAILS, a dog is not a substitute for railing, or even a good alternative. Wheelchairs do not reuire a dogs for operation. Unless you intend to ride the thing, and again other than sight impairment, the mobility argument for dogs is a bust.

As to your examples, those are have nothing to do with mobility.

And for the final time - yes, I agree the officers were way out of bounds once the fellow provided them with proof this was a service animal. Regardless of what they personally thought of the guy's story.
 
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A service dog is not "my animal". If you are that cold towards our vets, you are done as a person in my opinion.

I am a Vietnam Veteran, have voluteered for decades at the VA and come from a family of heroes. My brother and sister in law train rescue dogs when he's not busy with his duties as Deputy Sheriff. I have zero problems with service animals. I have a great problem with folks who game disability systems. I have a problem with folks who use disabled parking placards who don't need them. Just as I have a problem with folks who take service animals where they don't need them. When they do that they cease to be service animals and become pets, the rules to be applied like with everyone else.

I wanted more info than the OP provided to see if the officers involved truly were just being dicks or if there was the suspicion this guy may have been taking his pet for a walk.
 
That's pretty mean, narrow-minded and cold about handicapped parking tags and, by extension, about those who need them.

Really, one they are faked all the time. Two you can get one for just about anything. I have seen perfectly healthy people walk away from a lifted 4x4 truck or Jeep with one of those on their mirror.
 
Yeah I could give a crap about the ADA being "pretty clear". Guess what--People who aren't disabled, and probably many who are, have no idea what the ADA says, including cops, and people use that thing like others abuse cries of racism. There was confusion about it. The fact that the guy was a veteran is irrelevant to the confusion. I have heard too many people whine about the ADA to give it much credence when people claim to be a victim. "I have a learning disability so I should be allowed all day to take the physics exam everybody else gets 2 hours for. That is my right as a disabled person!!":roll:

They can have ten days if they want... I am elated that I don't have to deal with anything like they do and in my most empathetic mindset I hope they get all the time they need to succeed.
 
No, no back peddling. I recognise the dog lovers here won't tolerate anything that doesn't diefy dogs. Seriously, some of you are like smokers who want to light up anywhere and everywhere.

Yes I know there is no law requiring service animals to be labelled as such - my position from the beginning is that there should be. This should be handled exactly as we handle disabled parking.

And Risky, I know what mobility means and other than those who are sight impaired I just don't see dogs as much of a "mobility aid". Stairs have RAILS, a dog is not a substitute for railing, or even a good alternative. Wheelchairs do not reuire a dogs for operation. Unless you intend to ride the thing, and again other than sight impairment, the mobility argument for dogs is a bust.

As to your examples, those are have nothing to do with mobility.

And for the final time - yes, I agree the officers were way out of bounds once the fellow provided them with proof this was a service animal. Regardless of what they personally thought of the guy's story.
Its not about the dog, geeez. Its about the person that needs the dog and the reasons he or she needs the dog.
Notice I said need.
Not want. Not just a pet. Not just felt like having one.
 
Ought to say, you wanna see a trick? Lay a hand on me and watch him make your hand disappear.

That .38 sized hole in your dogs chest stopping its breathing? Well, if it can get through that? That would be a trick indeed!
 
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