For more than two years, Wallis Brozman and her service dog Mork developed a close bond as he helped her navigate her world.
Brozman, who uses a manual wheelchair, has for 15 years benefited from the help of service dogs like Mork — named for the classic 1970s sitcom “Mork & Mindy” — to get around, retrieve small items, open doors and accomplish other daily tasks that would otherwise prove difficult. And as a communications and advocacy coordinator for Canine Companions, Brozman brought along Mork, a golden retriever and labrador mix, as she traveled the country to do education and advocacy work for service animals.
But Brozman’s time with the pooch became marred by a series of dog attacks on Mork that eventually led to his being taken out of service altogether.
The attacks — taking place in restaurants, supermarkets and retail stores — became so pervasive that an otherwise highly-trained animal became frightened and vigilant of the next threatening dog whenever they were in public. The final straw came in 2018 when Brozman said Mork became fearful of a retired service dog that she kept as a pet.
It’s because of Brozman and Mork’s encounters with other pets in public places that she wasn’t surprised to learn that Publix, a supermarket chain based in Florida, had been posting signage reminding patrons of their no-pets policy.
“It’s a huge issue for service dog users,” said Brozman, who is awaiting her next service dog. “We’re seeing this on a daily basis.”
Most grocery stores prohibit pets
Publix is not alone in its policy of prohibiting all dogs and other pets with the exception of service animals from coming inside its stores.
A search of the policies of major grocery chains reveals that most (if not all) do not allow dog owners to bring their pets into their stores unless they are registered service animals, a policy that aligns with guidelines spelled out by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
There are no exceptions for emotional support animals.
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