Service dogs and other working dogs need to focus on the task at hand.
That’s why they wear bright vests with patches that say they can’t be touched.
The distraction can be extremely dangerous for the person they work with.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands this.
A video surfaced on Facebook of an angry and entitled mother reacting extremely negatively when being told that she couldn’t pet a service animal in training.
Megan Stoff was at a dog handler’s meetup in a Pittsburgh mall in Pennsylvania when she was approached by a woman and her daughter.
The woman and her daughter asked if they could pet one of the service dogs in training, and Stoff, who hears this all the time, simply told her “no”.
The woman was absolutely furious in response.
She said that Stoff’s short reply that didn’t offer an extra explanation was extremely rude – something that doesn’t make sense, considering the fact that all Stoff said was “no”.
She also said that there should be more signs on the dogs that specify that people can’t touch them – but there were at least four patches on every single dog’s vest!
The woman then demanded that Stoff stop recording, saying it was illegal for her to be doing so without her consent and saying she would contact a lawyer.
This is, of course, incorrect, as it is legal to record in public spaces.
Ironically, what is actually illegal is touching and disturbing a service dog as they work hard to focus and concentrate.
One of the handlers also attending the meetup was Ciarán Williamson, who witnessed the event.
He said that mall security was then called by the woman, who was apparently crying when she spoke to them.
Mall security had to come and check on the group, and it was so stressful that they collectively decided to call it a day and go home. All this over a simple “no”.
https://youtu.be/9m-nXj_szQo
Williamson says he doesn’t mind being asked if his own service dog, named Clover, can be pet, but sometimes it can get tiring when he’s already exhausted or struggling with the task at hand.
He has autism, so he cannot always articulate what he wants to say clearly and explaining why Clover cannot be pet can be tiring.
Still, he’d rather they ask than simply reach out and grab her, which distracts her.
Unfortunately, many people just touch her without even asking.
Even more will take photos of them nonconsensually, which he very much dislikes.
Williamson explains that a lot of people with service dogs may have difficulty focusing on getting a full explanation out.
Those who use them have a form of disability that makes daily living a bit more of a challenge as it is, and then they have to deal with these types of people.
If you’re wondering if you can pet a service dog, in most cases, the answer is going to be no.
Some handlers will allow it in certain situations where they can keep the dog’s focus on them, but it’s very rare.
If a dog’s vest says not to touch them, well… just don’t touch them.