Kid Tries To Pet Service Dog And Was Refused So Her Mom Went Crazy
One woman thought a quick stop in public would be uneventful, until a child tried to pet a service dog and the handler said no. That simple refusal turned into a loud confrontation, with the child’s mother taking the rejection far more personally than anyone expected.
The scene was captured on camera in Pennsylvania, and the video quickly made the rounds because the argument kept escalating instead of cooling off. What started as a basic boundary about a working dog turned into a full-blown public meltdown.
And once the comments started rolling in, plenty of people had thoughts about who was really out of line.
She starts off by saying that the service dog handlers are rude.
To which the handlers explain that it very clearly states not to touch the dogs.
Before then beginning to simply ignore reality.
I feel bad for the little girl; she will probably turn out like her mother.
Untrue in a public space.
Oh SNAP!
Before then threatening legal action for... I'm not sure.
Check out the full video here.
Some others shared their stories of dealing with individuals trying to touch their service dogs.
I don’t necessarily mind being asked to pet my dog, though usually, I have to tell people no. I don’t really get upset about having to do this unless it’s a particularly stressful day or environment, and I’m having trouble doing what I’ve set out to do in the first place.
I’d rather people ask than just lean in and try to grab her, which happens every day… but I don’t always have the energy to explain what she’s doing or why she can’t be petted. I’m autistic and sometimes just can’t speak very efficiently at all, so I can’t explain even if I wanted to. I might shake my head no or indicate in some other short way not to pet her or talk to her, and I just want that to be respected. People also often take pictures of us without asking, and that makes me really uncomfortable; I don’t want people to do that at all.
I guess I just don’t want people to assume I am able to divert my attention to interact with them how they want me to, and that if someone has a service dog in the first place, it means they’re disabled and probably having a hard time already. Using judgment about whether it’s appropriate to ask to pet helps (does the dog already have a vest on that says not to pet? Is it really loud, busy, and chaotic in the atmosphere? Does the service dog handler look uncomfortable or distracted?) I have let people pet her, but in really specific situations where I can focus on making sure I keep her attention and I know I won’t need her to work for me at that moment.
Unfortunately, I feel like people don’t consider me at all when they ask to interact with my service dog the majority of the time. Usually, people just lean in and talk to her or try to pet her without even acknowledging me… They also often just assume I’m rude instead of considering something out of my control (like I can’t hear them, which happens a lot in overstimulating environments). I am concerned about people continuing to do these things because it’s really common.
My dog Clover is doing very well in training, though she has a Facebook page I started for her recently so people could see her and ask me questions about her and such if they’re curious. I like talking about my service dog, just not necessarily when I’m trying to go grocery shopping! She deals well with strangers approaching, but she is a very friendly and outgoing dog who enjoys people, so attention from others can be a big distraction for her, and it’s something we have to work on all the time. I don’t think people consider that when they get upset about not being allowed to pet her.
People empathized strongly with the plight of these handlers and shared some of their thoughts!
Common sense.
Facts
Still not sure what she was so angry about.
Entitlement
Mob mentality.
Hypocrisy
Yep!
Then see how the trained medical alert dog owner handled a kid and wheelchair-petting demand.
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