Generally speaking, mental illness is legitimately Serious Business. However, I grow irritated with this recent trickle of trivial claims. It's rather tough to fake missing a leg (for example), which is why most of these shameless pet owners exaggerate what can't readily be disproved. Here, the truth:

Keith and Leslie Rouble [...] said the incident wasn't about the dog.

Allarie had been yelling and swearing, demanding service, Leslie Rouble told the tribunal Tuesday.

"We never mentioned the dog at all," she said. "It was his vulgar, violent, assaultive behaviour."

Why are so many owners of small dogs such assholes? Do they decide to hunt for a "toy" pet that's as annoying as they are?

I am generally in sympathy with people who have mental illnesses and recognize that animals fill a vital need for these people. I do wonder that they are necessary to enter a store, but I withhold judgment there and am willing to be open-minded and assume the man is so fragile he cannot even run to his local bulk foods without canine support.

What I cannot forgive is naming the dog 'Dee-o-Gee'.

The f*ck, dude? Was that really the best you could do? Poor dog. That's borderline inhumane treatment right there.

EverWatcher: Here, the truth:

Sounds like there was a history and that the owner of the dog was carrying him and thus getting him near the foods. Something doesn't quite jive with the store owners' story, either; they say they never mentioned the dog at all and yet the dog is their reason for them not allowing him in the store (as they said)? I think both parties likely caused this situation to get completely out of hand.

It's totally ridiculous; one of them sold their business because of the other? Are they serious? If he was bothering them, then they should have involved the authorities. If they sold their business just because they don't want to let a guy with a chihuahua in their store because he has a legal right to bring it in, I'm going to have to ask how old these people are. That's absurd. And as for him, he shouldn't be provoking them like that; his behaviour isn't any better. All due respect to mental illnesses and stressful businesses, but all of them need to grow the f*ck up.

Okay, fine, if the guy's depressed, great. Come back out and greet your happy little wingless-gargoyle in fifteen minutes, when you're done with your shopping. It's not like a service animal that a blind man needs to merely navigate - it's something that makes him feel better. Yes, that's probably important, but seriously, he can't set it down for five, ten, or fifteen minutes? It's not performing CPR on him, it's there as simple companionship. Keeeee-rist.

Who could blame him.

Those little buggers are hilarious. Midgets of the dog world.

Dogs around food that other people whom might be allergic to pet dander
/Slippery slope here

Get a cat, dogs should be food any ways.

drjekel_mrhyde: Dogs around food that other people whom might be allergic to pet dander

Want to try that one again?

As I listen to my boxer, Cromwell, snore in the other room, I can't help but wish he and said chihuahua would me one day. And, Cromwell would fark the chihuahua to death.

/sorry...in a violent mood this morning

If you don't like this dog's use as a service dog, change the laws, don't break them.

/but change them soon please. Dogs on food? No thanks.

would "meet" one day...not "me"

sheez.

Dee-o-Gee? Yep, the guy is seriously mentally deficient. Case closed.

"We never mentioned the dog at all," she said. "It was his vulgar, violent, assaultive behaviour."
Or we could READ the article...
" the two sides had had an earlier conflict in 2006, when Allaire came in with Dee-o-Gee on a retractable leash and allowed the dog to sniff food items."
Yeah, so get sued for discrimination, or shut down by health services. Nice position to be in, the guys an asshat.

Depression/anxiety? There are pills for that. Leave the yip-dog at home.

Dee-o-gee?! DIAF

hockeychick: Listen, I know that mental illness is not something to be taken lightly. It sucks and can be debilitating. However, if you can't leave your house without your precious Fluffy because the big, bad world is just too scary, then perhaps you shouldn't go outside. Your disease is NOT under control and you need serious help.

Yeah, see, would you rather that some guy who lives alone with no relatives or friends pays for pet food every month, or would you rather he needs state assistance to send someone out and buy his food for him?

Their property, their decision.

I'd be pretty depressed if my doctor told me my ailment required a service animal, and then trotted in a fricking hairless rat.

Why does the little rat have a muzzle on? Do you mean to tell me the little rodent bites, too? On top of being a complete waste of life?
Owner and animal need to be eliminated from this planet.

simply a case of the doctor pencil whipping the note to get the asshat out of his office. so now this asshat with [cough cough bullshiate] anxiety and depression issues can make himself a attention whore. why would people really suffering with this want to draw attention and more anxiety to themselves?

If your "severe" mental disorder requires you to carry around a yapping piece of shiat you should probably just slit you wrists.

And really, your dog's name is "Dee-o-Gee?" I bet every time this asshat meets somebody he tells them the name, then follows it up by "Get it? HAHA that is funny right!"

It has begun.

At this rate, we'll see animals with voting rights in about 5 years.

Your dog no longer wants steak. It wants a mortgage loan on a new house and to chair your local HOA board.

Xanlexian: Whatever happened to posting a sign, "we reserve the right to refuse service to any person for any reason"? I don't know jack about seeing-eye-dogs -- but I can sure as hell identify them. The bright red/orange vest, the bracket the human holds on to, extremely pleasant demeanor of the dog -- if your animal doesn't fit this description -- it's just a pet. "We reserve the right to refuse service to anybody. No pets allowed."

Sadly, the damn discrimination and service animal laws mean people DON'T necessarily have the right to refuse to serve anyone anymore.

That said, I've been treated for severe and chronic depression myself. If you can't manage a trip to go food shopping without your ugly-ass rat, then your illness is not appropriately controlled. It's not like I try to carry my ferret into Albertson's, FFS.

Earpj: I have a chihuahua. I can vouch for their ability to ward off depression.

yes, ecspecially when you put little booties on their feet and watch em dance about. endless hours of fun (therapy)

So I'm guessing that after most of the people that think this guy is a grade A asshat, are done with him, that the resulting chihuahua suppository just isnt gonna be as therapeutic as it was in the beginning. Wow, now that would just be such a terrible, terrible thing.


....And you wonder why people with actual real problems are given a hard time occasionally.

Bass O Matic: It has begun.

At this rate, we'll see animals with voting rights in about 5 years.

Your dog no longer wants steak. It wants a mortgage loan on a new house and to chair your local HOA board.

In all fairness, in about 20 years, the average dog will be more intelligent than the average American.

2wolves: I take a hive of bees with me where ever I go to ward off feelings of honeylessnes.


That's so sweet.

buckler: Shivery, pop-eyed, dome-headed little freaks.

LOL

Is there a service animal to assist with being an entitled prick?

I'm allergic to dogs and I don't particularly care if this tool is "depressed" for the 15 minutes he's away from his dog. I hope someone shoves Dee-o-Gee up his ass.

mmm... pancake: Is there a service animal to assist with being an entitled prick?


I think that's called a wife.

Fun fact: Chihuahuas were originally bred for food. They were perfect for spit roasting.

buckler: Schmee: I'd be pretty depressed if my doctor told me my ailment required a service animal, and then trotted in a fricking hairless rat.

The pizza joint up the street still won't let me bring in my service scorpion.

Really? They seem to be pretty accepting of my service sloth

Someone here deserves a swift kick in the ass, and for a change it's actually NOT the chihuahua.

What. A farking. Douche bag. Is it just me, or can you imagine beating the living shiat out of this prissy little arsewipe over something like this?

kerfuffle

/that is all

My new term is "douche canoe" and this guy fits it perfectly.