Disabled Vet Kicked Out of Department Store Due to Service Dog

Breitbart via WOAI ^ | Dec 15, 2007 | not specified

[RDTF]

"I felt embarrassed. I'm over here accepting my disability in public and you are going to mock and harass me."

[RDTF]

video at link

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

A north Texas veteran says he’ll never shop at Dillards again after the store kicked him out because of his service animal.

[jrooney]

The store is going to rue the day they made the choice they did. May their very poor decision cost them financially by customers boycotting them.

[Bobibutu]

http://www.ada.gov/animal.htm

This will fly in Texas as well. I know - I have used it with my Service Dog there.

[Pinkbell]

I thought that was illegal. There are laws that protect people with disabilities. I didn’t think any business was allowed to kick out a disabled person with a service dog, as service dogs are allowed in businesses because they are helping the disabled.

I couldn’t see the video with dial up, but that’s not right.

[maine-iac7]

Dillard's - AFTER publicity = called to apologize, saying it appears to be a case of miscommunication?

Appears to be a case of they can't read English? The dog, as all service dogs are, is clearly marked as a Service Dog.

Apology not accepted. No Christmas money to Dillards...

We cannot allow ONE case of disservice to our troops to stand - NEVER AGAIN

[RDTF]

link to written story

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3115dadb-4d00-4be9-b304-7dc8c827195f

[lonestar]

It surprises me that it is Dillard’s. I took my dog into a Dillard’s in Houston to have its picture taken without any trouble. It was a dachsuand and I carried it but that shouldn’t make a difference.

[trisham]

Gonzales who served in Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom suffers from multiple spine and back injuries. He depends on his dog to help him maintain his balance.

***************

The treatment of this man is completely unacceptable.

[Allegra]

A north Texas veteran says he’ll never shop at Dillards again...

I believe I will join him in that. God bless him and all of our veterans.

[mware]

I didn’t find the video but I did find this one that fogged up my screen.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=14354

[RDTF]

there is a thread here for that

[donnab]

There are laws that address this. He should go after them.
Dillards ought to be kissing his butt.

[river rat]

If the NATIONAL Management of Dillards has any sense at all -- they will jump through hoops and spend a LOT of money to make this "jump the shark" moment go away.....

To have pulled this stunt in Texas, near Christmas is about as stupid as one can get!

It pleases me to see our modern vets REFUSING to be disrespected.....

[RDTF]

searching for it but haven’t found it yet

[InABunkerUnderSF]

So do we know the name of the “manager” at Dillards who kicked him out? I might like to send them an e-mail. How ‘bout a photo?

[Jackknife]

I guess I’ll put Dillards on my personal ‘Shun List’. And gladly, I might add.

[mware]

I came across it, but have to go back and figure out how I did.

[Maelstorm]

I still can’t figure out who militant employees think they are. Do they screen out good sense when they are hiring these people? I’ve encountered them occasionally. The one who double and triple checks your frequent guest stamped card for a free meal. They misinterpret rules seemingly so they can act as an arbiter of order mistakes and choose to argue with customers over 89cent cheeseburgers.

Some people don’t understand the concept of applying the rules and balancing them with customer service. I’d fire the employee responsible for doing this stupid thing. They just cost Dillards thousands of customers. Dillards should not just apologize but offer this guy a few hundred dollars in free merchandise because they could lose a lot more if this guy chose to sue them.

[mware]

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3115dadb-4d00-4be9-b304-7dc8c827195f

[SIDENET]

Dillard’s could make things right by firing the jerk responsible.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS RD,,,

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu8ewRmRHNlcBqnNXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExbTV0dDR1BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkAwRsA1dTMQ—/SIG=1184ia5ql/EXP=1197840432/**http%3a//dillards.com/

For those who would like to leave them a comment !!!...

[SIDENET]

I liked his dog.

It looked like a Hungarian Vizsla.

[Moiraine]

Here's a more detailed version of events: Star Telegram

[OldCorps]

Note to self:

Don’t shop at Dullard’s.

Ok

[RDTF]

[RoadTest]

Sounds like Dillard’s is like the Clintons: they’ve only done wrong if they get caught.

[mad_as_he$$]

My kid fogged up my screen with that one yesterday.

[GOPologist]

I don’t know the veteran, but I like him too. He is a fellow veteran—he more recently—I many, many years ago—but in any case, my buddy.

BTW, I sent an e-mail to Dillard headquarters expressing my opinion of them.

[tcrlaf]

To heck with the customers.....
Just wait until the ADA attorney’s get a hold on this!!

I smell BIG MONEY!!!!!

[Clint N. Suhks]

Dillards Contact Info

http://www.dillards.com/kana/KanaStartServlet

[nyyankeefan]

BOYCOTT DILLIARDS!!!!!

[maine-iac7]

Wow - that IS a screen fogger = warning: have tissue in hand: ‘Brought back memories of the times I watched my little granddaughters greet daddy coming back from deployment - and visions of my dear grandson coming back next year after his 15 month deployment in the Valley of Death in the Korengal, Afghanistan’

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=14354

[Clint N. Suhks]

questions@dillards.com

[Prophet in the wilderness]

It could more of the fact that the people who was managing that store was anti-war freaks and had disdain for the war vets, I don’t think it had anything to do with his dog at all, they just used it as a excuse.

[maine-iac7]

Dillards Contact Info

Do the phone call or a post card - not this email. All this will do is put you on the email and catalog "forever list"

[tenthirteen]

The store ought not have escorted this man out, as I believe he has every right to be there with his service animal. The training part on the escalator, however, is a little strnage to me. I have been around service animals for over ten years now. I sense that the store has a minor point in that if any training were to be done there, the store must be contacted and arrangements made, both for the safety of the veteran and that of the animal. Additionally, I have never heard of a service animal on an escalator, as it is dangerous. In all cases the service animal should be utilizing an elevator.

In sum, this is a public relations nightmare for the store and this veteran should never had been treated, in public, like this.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" Dillard’s could make things right by firing the jerk responsible " and make it known publicly that they do not hold the political liberal views of the manager. This was more about the manager being against the war in Iraq than the vet bringing his dog into the store.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

We need to send this story to Rush so Rush can talk about it on his show Monday.

[eyedigress]

Dillards was always one place I could find the clothes I wanted. What a shame.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Dillards ? we won’t be satisfied with just a apology, fire the manager who is responsible for this hate crime, and make it known publicly that you DO NOT hold his liberal political views.

[Hot Tabasco]

video at link

Where?

[AliVeritas]

I wished I lived near a Dillard’s, I would protest until they took me away... people should know how they treated this vet.

[AliVeritas]

ping

[Hot Tabasco]

I still can’t figure out who militant employees think they are.

IMHO, I don't think its "Militant Employees" so much as it is just plain ignorance and lack of common sense on the part of stupid employees. To blame Dillard's or whomever is a stretch and at least the manager did call to apologize........

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Class Action law suite in the making

[9422WMR]

I do live near a dillards.
Here is what I plan to do:
Go there on a busy holiday shopping day,load a cart with everything it will hold. Lots of small expensive items, from numerous areas of the store. Pick the busiest register.
Delay the heck out of the cashier, asking/arguing about prices on each item. If when they finally get to the total price, I will inform them that I have changed my mind. Then I will walk out the door. Repeat as necessary or until I’m banned from the store...

[maine-iac7]

at least the manager did call to apologize........

LOL

? to cover his/her and Dillard's a*s after he/she was ordered to call by the higher up who know this will pinch their pocketbooks...

To me, that's a 'no apology apology" aka, an apology of convenience

[eyedigress]

This is a case of either a naive idiot or someone with an agenda. Maliciously disrupting business in a different store and causing inconvenience to other shoppers will make you the villain.

[maine-iac7]

LoL

That is exactly what I did 2 years ago after going to a WalMart and realizing there was no Christmas music or any other recognition of Christmas - and after talking with the manager who said they didn’t want to “offend” anyone - I did what you proposed = leaving them with “I am offended that I should be expected to spend my Christmas money in a store that feels “Christmas” is offensive...

I guess I wasn't the only one who let the mighty WalMart know this was unacceptable - they now 'allow' Christmas and even the Salvation Army red kettles out front

All that is needed to reverse most offensive trends is for us to speak up loudly, often and clearly - or we have not right to complain