Have you and your guide dog encountered uncontrolled pet dogs in stores or other venues in your community? If you wish to lodge a complaint with the business owner or management, here’s advice from GDUI
Uncontrolled pet dogs in stores and other places of public accommodation can be dangerous for guide dog users and should be reported to management. If you have done this but feel your concerns were not taken seriously, you need to bring your issue to the attention of more senior management. Here are some tips to assist if you encounter uncontrolled pet dogs in public, whether it is your first time or a recurring negative experience.
- Locate a manager and let them know what happened.
- Ask about policies regarding pets on the premises and remind them of your rights as an individual with a disability partnered with a service animal.
- Ask if there is security video which may be helpful in proving the incident took place and who was involved.
- Ask what will be done to prevent similar situations from happening in the future, and offer suggestions on how this can be accomplished.
If the situation is not resolved and you need to take further action, here’s what you can do.
- Identify the correct mailing address of the company headquarters. You can ask your local store or do an internet search.
- Make certain of how and where to direct correspondence, finding out if email or hard copy is preferred.
- Begin your letter or email with a salutation which correctly addresses the recipient, making sure you use their official title.
- Thank them for the opportunity to communicate with the company, and refrain from adopting a belligerent tone.
- Now, state the purpose of your letter, saying whether you are writing about a first or repeat offense.
- Describe the incident including as much detail as necessary to illustrate your point.
- Include the date and time, where you were in the establishment when the incident took place and any other pertinent details you remember.
- List what actions you took following the incident and names of everyone (if known) with whom you spoke when you reported the incident and titles or positions of anyone else with whom you interacted.
- Describe the consequences of the incident, including any injuries, physical or psychological, sustained by you and/or your dog.
- Ask them about their pet policies and how they plan to remedy future problems and noncompliance.
- Describe the remedy you are seeking, and explain your rationale.
- Thank them for their consideration and state when you expect to receive their response.
- Close with your formal signature, contact information and affiliation.
These are simply suggested guidelines, which do not need to be followed verbatim, and below is a sample letter you can use to help you write yours. If you require further assistance, contact advocacy@guidedogusersinc.org.
A SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Consumer Outreach Person’s Name,
Person’s Title
Company Name
Street Address
City, State Zip Code
On Monday, August 22, 2022, I was in your store/restaurant/airport gate, etc., with my guide dog at my side. As we were approaching the end of aisle 4,
a shopper’s small dog on a retractable leash suddenly came around the corner and began barking and lunging at my guide dog. The dog would not stop the
assault, and its handler made no attempt to stop it. My dog tried to back away from the offending dog, which resulted in my being pushed back into a display
stand of flashlights that was positioned in the aisle. Both the display stand of flashlights and I ended up sprawled on the floor. Fortunately, nothing
— other than my dignity — was injured.
As I regained my orientation with my guide, I discovered that the offending dog and its handler were gone. I went to the service desk to report the incident.
I spoke with Jane Doe, the Assistant Manager, and detailed to her what had occurred. I asked what policy the store has with respect to dogs being in the
store. She stated that they only allow service animals in the store but that they cannot police that due to the volume of customers in the store and limited
employees on site. I asked if they had security camera footage that might have captured the incident so that I could make a formal report to the Animal
Control Officer. She replied that there would not likely be any.
It is clear from my encounter with the Assistant Manager that the local store has a policy that prohibits animals in the store other than service animals.
However, that policy is not enforced. A guide dog team relies on others not to distract them when they are working because of the dangers that are ever
present. While it is a positive measure to have a no-pet policy, it is useless unless it is understood by employees and enforced.
There is no doubt that steps need to be taken to ensure the employees and management of the local store, and all stores in your corporation, understand
and comply with the no-pet policies to ensure that those with legitimate service animals can enjoy a shopping experience that is free from dangerous and
possibly injurious incidents. Please provide to me the measures that you are taking to prevent recurrence of the situation I described above. I expect to receive a response from you by the end of the month, [Date], and appreciate your attention to this important issue.
I trust that I have provided enough specific details to allow you to review and take action. However, should you have further questions,
I can be reached at: name, address, phone, and/or email address.
Sincerely,
Signature line