Dillards 65: Standard Cringe, New Atrocious Signage

[Peaches-n-Beans]

@Kelsey I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my dog. My dog literally saved my life last year (long story short, mental health was scary bad, she's the reason I'm here) but if someone was afraid of dogs I would not force my dog on them. My girl is fine going into her crate, and people always come first

[artdecades]

17 hours ago, zee_four said:

Thanks! Sorry if it came across like I was calling you out, I actually agree there's a lot of dog owners who are disrespectful and or inappropriate with their pets in public spaces. Nowadays there's also sooooo many people abusing the exception for service animals. They either claim an emotional support animal or even worse a pet theyve labeled as one by themselves, are actual service animals. They're not trained and almost always act out, barking, jumping on people, running around, ie. acting like an untrained pet. It's really hurtful to people with actual service animals.

 

My dogs legit training has been impacted by people like this. While wearing a vest, on a short leash, sitting right beside me one day at a clinic I go to regularly, a guys dog, not on a leash, ran into the room right at us barking. My dog is being trained to alert me about things like this, that I might not hear, especially beside or behind me. My dog defended me, a little too aggressively. I immediately took him in the hall to 1) get away from the other dog and 2) do corrective training. The other guy still didn't leash his dog and started screaming about bulls*** service dogs and people with bulls**** fake disabilities. Yeah hard of hearing is a pretry established legit disability. Anyway he said his dog likes to play so he shouldn't have to leash him and that he just wanted to play with my dog. Umm my dog was working and yours should be too. His dog had bit me multiple times prior when he came up to me to be petted, before I ever brought my dog. to this day every morning when he shows up his dog comes straight to me and he goes on about how he's checking to make sure my dog's not there to attack him. >.> The guy lost his leg in Iraq supposedly so he is disabled his dogs just not a proper service dog, he's not trained and he's not kept until control.

 

Similar situations happened at my last clinic except with women with little yippy rat dogs that are no more than ESA, one even is pushed around in a stroller. when my dog came in with me there the little dogs started yipping non stop making my dog bark back. They'd freak out about his bark and claim he was going to attack their precious little furballs. They'd go straight to an employee and demand my dog leave because their dogs were "registered "service" animals". Since I was being honest and said my dog is in training to be an actual hearing assistance dog, which is classified under CO state law as a form of legitimate service animals, I was told he wasn't allowed inside or even outside the building with me.

 

Argh, sorry this is an issue that really gets me going.

I agree this is BS and I’m sorry that happened you you.  Service animals must be leashed unless their service requires they cannot be (ie walking ahead to scout a potential fatal allergen).  The ADA also says they need to be in control at all times. I know that at my job we can tell someone to leave if they service animal is out of control even if it is a real working animal.  

Of course the ADA also says service animals can only be dogs or miniature horses but that doesn’t stop people from claiming their rabbits or peacocks are service animals.

I work in a place where people constantly bring their ESAs in and claim they are service animals. They get so angry when you ask them about it even though you are allowed to under the ADA. It’s so frustrating. The entitlement people have to bring their pets everywhere. And I love animals. 

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

Jill made a normal appropriate entry on the Dillard family page today, and even included some cute well taken photos of the boys. It is always interesting to see her get it right ever now and then.

[Carm_88]

The Dillards must be getting boring if we are talking about dogs.

@HarryPotterFan Flinging cat shit is a very appropriate way of dealing with people. lol

[HerNameIsBuffy]

3 minutes ago, Carm_88 said:

@HarryPotterFan Flinging cat shit is a very appropriate way of dealing with people. lol

There is a "don't touch the poop" joke in there if anyone cares to find it.

[FundiePrincess]

I find it mildly disturbing that it takes a friend’s suggestion for Jill to realize that bringing her young children outside to play is a good idea.. like WTF have you been doing for the past 4 years???  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

4 minutes ago, FundiePrincess said:

I find it mildly disturbing that it takes a friend’s suggestion for Jill to realize that bringing her young children outside to play is a good idea.. like WTF have you been doing for the past 4 years???  

That was just her awkward phrasing...for all their faults the kids have not been kept inside until her friend commented.  If badly worded blog posts were cause for alarm millions of people would be putting their readers into a constant state of panic.

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, artdecades said:

I agree this is BS and I’m sorry that happened you you.  Service animals must be leashed unless their service requires they cannot be (ie walking ahead to scout a potential fatal allergen).  The ADA also says they need to be in control at all times. I know that at my job we can tell someone to leave if they service animal is out of control even if it is a real working animal.  

Of course the ADA also says service animals can only be dogs or miniature horses but that doesn’t stop people from claiming their rabbits or peacocks are service animals.

I work in a place where people constantly bring their ESAs in and claim they are service animals. They get so angry when you ask them about it even though you are allowed to under the ADA. It’s so frustrating. The entitlement people have to bring their pets everywhere. And I love animals. 

I work at a library and we have service animals come in all the time. A few weeks ago, we had someone bring in two therapy dogs for their daughter. They proceeded to let the dogs run loose in the library. The dogs were nipping at other patrons, knocking things down and causing a disturbance. I also thought I heard there were a couple of "accidents". They have been in several times since. I love animals too, but take care of your animal when they are with you. Imagine if they would have bitten a small child? 

[justodd]

12 hours ago, cascarones said:

As wary and scared as I am, I've never met a dog owner in their house who was anything but accommodating about it. I'm lucky leash laws where I am have been enforced strongly enough that I've not had to encounter off leash dogs. @Carm_88 that's awful and scary, I hope they listened to you and make changes.

My former mother in law was the poodle version of a Crazy Cat Lady. She not only refused to create any distance between me and any of her FIVE poodles, she also insisted that, if we had to go to her house for any reason, the dogs HAD to be in the same space we were. Dogs napping inside and she wanted to go into the yard? Dogs got woken up so she could bring them out with her. Dogs having fun playing with each other in the yard when she wanted to go inside? She’d physically pick them up and bring them inside. She was basically just a raving narcissist who had to have everything her way, every way, and pitched a fit if anyone denied her. (See: her leaving our wedding early because we refused to let her dog be a part of the wedding party and her only child’s wedding wasn’t worth an evening without the pooch.)

I hit my breaking point with visits to her house one Christmas when her largest (who easily came up to my ribcage while on all fours) backed me into a corner and started eating my skirt as I was still wearing it. I was standing there with tears streaming down my face and basically petrified with fear, and her reaction was to roll her eyes and tell me to grow up and get over it. She also gave my (then) husband a lengthy rant about “indulging” me too much when he finally came over and pried the dog off of me. She also threw a fit because I wouldn’t let one of her dogs be a ring bearer, and made it very clear that none of them would be allowed at the wedding at all. 

This,  mind you, from a 60-something woman who’d practically go into convulsions if you dared even mention...green beans. Like I said before, I always do my best to respect other people’s phobias, but I made the exception for her. If I had to endure having my clothing eaten, she could deal with me always bringing a nice, big green bean casserole to every family function (after that notorious Christmas, when I finally had enough of it) and making sure to offer her a big, heaping spoonful. What’s good for the goose, and all that jazz.

(Now that I think of it, it seems there may be something about crazy, bleach-blonde narcissists with shitty parenting skills and a fear of green beans...)

[HarryPotterFan]

13 hours ago, AliceInFundyland said:

You once mentioned a website that would mail various types of animal crap to people. Ohhhh I am soooo tempted by this. It’s so reasonably priced.

Yes. The things you discover when you really want revenge. Oooh. Idea. Mailing people animal poop AND glitter. First, it’s disgusting. Then you find glitter everywhere in your home for the next few years...

I think there was a site where you could mail people envalopes of glitter as a prank, but then then it went viral and the site owner got overwhelmed with glitter or something

31 minutes ago, Carm_88 said:

The Dillards must be getting boring if we are talking about dogs.

@HarryPotterFan Flinging cat shit is a very appropriate way of dealing with people. lol

Fling cat poop at nasty coworkers, evil exes, terrible politicians, people named Jill who have 13 children and insist upon screeching singing at unsuspecting parishioners...it really fits so many occasions 

28 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

There is a "don't touch the poop" joke in there if anyone cares to find it.

I know it’s not what you’re getting at, but once at a friends party someone said there is a parasite in cat poop that can cause scizoprhenia. I just shrugged and said, “Eh, I have so many mental disorders, what’s one more?” That got a few stares...

5 minutes ago, justodd said:

My former mother in law was the poodle version of a Crazy Cat Lady. She not only refused to create any distance between me and any of her FIVE poodles, she also insisted that, if we had to go to her house for any reason, the dogs HAD to be in the same space we were. Dogs napping inside and she wanted to go into the yard? Dogs got woken up so she could bring them out with her. Dogs having fun playing with each other in the yard when she wanted to go inside? She’d physically pick them up and bring them inside. She was basically just a raving narcissist who had to have everything her way, every way, and pitched a fit if anyone denied her. (See: her leaving our wedding early because we refused to let her dog be a part of the wedding party and her only child’s wedding wasn’t worth an evening without the pooch.)

I hit my breaking point with visits to her house one Christmas when her largest (who easily came up to my ribcage while on all fours) backed me into a corner and started eating my skirt as I was still wearing it. I was standing there with tears streaming down my face and basically petrified with fear, and her reaction was to roll her eyes and tell me to grow up and get over it. She also gave my (then) husband a lengthy rant about “indulging” me too much when he finally came over and pried the dog off of me. She also threw a fit because I wouldn’t let one of her dogs be a ring bearer, and made it very clear that none of them would be allowed at the wedding at all. 

This,  mind you, from a 60-something woman who’d practically go into convulsions if you dared even mention...green beans. Like I said before, I always do my best to respect other people’s phobias, but I made the exception for her. If I had to endure having my clothing eaten, she could deal with me always bringing a nice, big green bean casserole to every family function (after that notorious Christmas, when I finally had enough of it) and making sure to offer her a big, heaping spoonful. What’s good for the goose, and all that jazz.

(Now that I think of it, it seems there may be something about crazy, bleach-blonde narcissists with shitty parenting skills and a fear of green beans...)

Dear Rufus. I’m sorry your mom treated you that way. That’s awful. 

I joke with people that their cat should be in their wedding, but that’s it. A JOKE. An attempt to make them laugh because wedding planning is stressful.

[SassyPants]

40 minutes ago, FundiePrincess said:

I find it mildly disturbing that it takes a friend’s suggestion for Jill to realize that bringing her young children outside to play is a good idea.. like WTF have you been doing for the past 4 years???  

Me too- and what about all those kids in Duggarville???? Did they never play outside or go for walks???? WTH!

[fluffernutter]

We had a lab that was very friendly, but my one sister in law was certain our dog could hurt one of her little boys, either by biting or knocking them over. Plus, there were allergy issues. So we happily put him in the basement while they visited, and warned her before we would bring him up to put him outside. Now I am older, and big dogs that run into me scare me because I have a knee that needs replaced, and if I get knocked into the wrong way, the pain is terrible. You just never know what someone's issues might be with pets.

[zee_four]

14 hours ago, justodd said:

It was a response to your post because you brought up phobias as a legitimate reason why someone may be uncomfortable with a dog being present. That’s it, and it’s why I said it was a side note. The “you” in my post was a general “you,” not a targeted one. 

 

As for legitimate service animals...I admit that it can be a complicated issue for me. I understand their purpose, and I don’t want someone who genuinely needs assistance to be without, but that still doesn’t make it any easier to magically flip the switch on what I’ve already said is an irrational response over which I have little control. I do my best to keep distance between us, cross the street, use a different checkout lane, what have you, but sometimes people are oblivious, or try to press the matter if creating space isn’t an option, and that’s...frustrating and exhausting seem too simple to describe the immense strain it can put on me when I can’t get away. I once had to get off a bus in a completely unfamiliar location late at night because someone got on with an “emotional assistance” animal, sat near me even though I was clearly uncomfortable, refused to restrain the animal in any way (even as it was sniffing and pawing at me and my things), and basically told me to go fuck myself when I tried explaining that yo, serious phobia over here and could they maaaaybe move to a different area so we could all be a little more at ease? (We were right by the doors, so even if I’d moved, I’d still have to deal with them when I left.) I have doubts that anyone with a legitimate service animal would have behaved quite that badly, but that’s part of the problem - there are so many people abusing the system now that it’s difficult to know which are and aren’t real, and every one of them (legitimate or not) is going to trigger the same sort of response. I do my best to get myself through it, but to be perfectly blunt, I don’t think it’s fair that I should always be expected to sacrifice my own emotional comfort for the sake of someone else’s, especially in situations where it could be lessened if the other were willing to do something simple to meet me halfway.

There’s a real irony in someone with an emotional assistance animal (real or fake) telling someone experiencing a panic attack to get the fuck over it, but it’s also something I’ve had to deal with more times than I care to count. 

Its like I said before, phobias aren’t rational, and even if someone is reacting in a way you (again, general you, not targeted) don’t understand, or think is over dramatic, they’re likely doing their very best. I try really hard to be compassionate when service animals are involved, and I do a lot to try and make those situations work for all involved. It isn’t easy, though, and it would be really great if I could get a little of that same compassion in return on more than just rare occasions. 

 

I'm so sorry you've had that problem. A true service/assistance dog will have had hundreds if not thousands of hours of training and should always be restrained with a leash and harness and identifiable with a vest. They should in no way be bothering you or even approaching you. For example even if you were approaching me from behind my dog is trained to alert me not approach you.

 

When I'm training my new dog, I am hyperaware of those around us when we're in a small and or enclosed space and no matter where we are if he misbehaves at all I immediately remove him from wherever we are to an area as far away or removed from being able to disturbing or bothering those around as much as possible, then we do some corrective training. If it's really bad I will leave right away. Kind of how I was with my son when he acted out, just way more hardcore since I'm training a giant German Sheperd not raising a toddler.

 

That said the situations you describe are just as problematic for people with disabilities who rely on service animals to safely and independently navigate around in public spaces. ESA are not considered service animals under law but soooooo many people abuse this and claim their untrained ESA is an official service dog. Even if a place does require proof that the animal is a service animal like my former outpatient behavioral health clinic did, they accepted just a random note from a psychologist or counselor. That only made it worse because these individuals then started claiming discrimination when anyone complained about or did anything about their out of control pets. One little dog was so bad it bit multiple children including a baby but refuased to stop bringing it or even just putting on a leash because it was discrimination and they would and did file ADA complaints and threatened lawsuits. >.> People who claim their untrained pets they've managed to get a note from their therapist about are trained and registered service animals hurt all legitimate service animals and their disabled owners horribly. They also hurt other people such as yourself, who no longer feel safe in public spaces because of these animals uncontrolled behavior.

 

Again on behalf of people with disabilities who use well trained and controlled service animals for our safety and independencew I am so sorry that you experience these problems with out of control pets in public. We want them regulated as much as you, promise! 

[Georgiana]

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