Michael and I LOVE sharing Ms Frankie with our friends when we can so this does not really pertain to those of you close to us for the most part but…
We just got home from the hell that is Walmart from doing our monthly grocery shopping, of course Frankie was with us. She does amazing in stores and helps out so much by being there.However, please stop your children from trying to distract or grab her.
Although, we have so many more problems from adults that should freaking know better!
Today while we were at a standstill because no one would move there was an older gentleman in one of those store scooters. He of course saw Frankie.
Michael was anxious, as Walmart does to both of us, and I was trying to find an opening to grab something from the opposite shelf. This older gentleman then decided to move his scooter closer to Frankie, which caught my attention, and reached out to pet her. Michael told Frankie no and she sat by his side like such a good girl. The man then moved up more and reached out again, I took a step towards him and told Frankie to stay. He then looks at me and then Frankie and starts making kiss noises at her. I said “sir, she’s working please leave her alone”. He asked if Michael allowed anyone to pet her. I said “at this moment no and you are distracting her from taking care of him so please leave her alone”. He said “but she’s so cute”. Yea I know she’s cute but leave her be.
So here’s what we can learn:
1. If an owner tells you to leave their dog alone, service dog or not, then LEAVE IT ALONE!
2. Please understand that yes, you may be friends with the owner, but please do not randomly introduce or allow others to pet a service dog just because you are friends with the owner.
3. Please do not give treats to others to feed a service dog. ESPECIALLY if the owner does not know them. A lot of our friends do give Frankie treats that we typically have on us. BUT that does NOT mean that every Jack, Tom and Harry can give her treats.
4. If you have a friend that would like to pet a friend’s service dog, ASK THE OWNER! Just because this random person knows you does NOT mean the owners are OK with it. But sometimes owners can also get very anxious at telling someone no so read the room. Please be respectful.
5. If you see your child trying to call a service dog to them or distract them, please stop and correct them. It will be a lot nicer coming from you than a stranger that may not care about your child’s feelings. Yes, Michael and I are gentle correcting others children but others may not be. We had a great interaction with a lady and her 3 children that were commenting on Frankie. Before I could even step in or talk to them, this wonderful woman gave her kids the “service dog talk” very quietly and respectfully. Her kids were like oh ok, but she’s really cute and good. I mouthed thank you to the mom, she was great!
6. Last but no least, it is NONE of anyways business “what is wrong” with an owner. Whatever causes a handler/owner to have a service dog is none of your business if you do not work where the animal is. Sometimes owners are more open to talk about their reasoning of having a service dog, Michael generally will depending on his mood but others do not want to disclose their health concerns. RESPECT IT!
So hopefully we all learned something. First and foremost, BE RESPECTFUL to service dogs and their owners. Don’t think that just because you see one that’s cute you get to touch it. Just because you are friends with the owner does not mean you will get a free pass if you are acting like an ass.
We love all of our friends that love Frankie and us. Our friends do an amazing job with approaching correctly and having positive interactions with us and Frankie.
Again, this post is not pointed at you guys that we know on a personal level, we love yall! Help educate others.