Dining Out

Most Thursdays I meet a friend for lunch at a local restaurant. Today was no different. Towards the end of our meal, I excused myself to the restroom. While I was there, my friend overheard a patron in the booth behind us comment that he likes dogs, but not in restaurants. This brings today's topic to mind: going to a restaurant for food.

Without fail, at some point, someone will make a comment about your service animal being inappropriate in a given location, usually a restaurant. This is showing some ignorance about service animals and access. Service animals are trained to be unobtrusive in restaurant settings. For instance, Hippo was laying on a blanket underneath the table. She wasn't begging, nor did she eliminate on the floor. She simply exhibited good manners.

Hippo working on her tan


I can't say it often enough, barring sterile environments, your service animal goes everywhere you go. And sometimes people will say ignorant, hurtful things about your dog and it being with you. Their ignorance has standing save being an annoyance. But it might be an opportunity to educate someone about service animals and the rights of their handlers. It's okay if you don't feel like educating everyone who is snarky, but should you feel obliged to feel confident that you are correct.

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