Service dogs are incredibly pivotal for helping Americans with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically states these dogs are trained to perform tasks for people living with disabilities. In most public areas, they get the green light. Unfortunately, people who own and work in businesses aren’t always on the up-and-up with those rules. One McDonald’s employee in Texas just wasn’t getting it when a woman tried to enter the restaurant with her service dog by her side.
TikToker Kimberly caught the confrontation on video. A McDonald’s employee—the owner, according to Kimberly—reiterates she can’t enter his restaurant with a service dog. “For the record, you made me leave because I had a service dog,” Kimberly says. The owner tells Kimberly she couldn’t prove her dog was a legitimate service animal. When she tells him there’s no documentation, he rudely says, “Then you need to get some.”
Because commenters are every bit as clueless, many of them sided with the manager in this case. They assumed Kimberly’s dog was an emotional support animal and had no right to enter the McDonald’s, anyway. What many people don’t understand is that some disabilities do not come with visible marks; some are internal.
Luckily, one commenter explained it best: “ADA website. I suggest someone read it because you can’t ask for proof of a service dog. It’s classified as discrimination and McDonald’s is asking for a lawsuit.”
Kimberly states in the caption to her video, “My dog was well behaved and meets all standards per the ADA. There is no legally required ‘papers’ for service dogs!”
You aren’t expected to carry papers proving your dog is a service dog every day. Kimberly then posted a follow-up video showing her service dog (and the good boy he is). He’s got quite the training, too, assisting Kimberly with “medical conditions and some light mobility,” and that’s awesome!
In a second follow-up video, she showed a statement from her local McDonald’s. She discovered they failed to follow their own policy on service animals and apologized to Kimberly for the inconvenience. She claims the owner of the McDonald’s reached out and “staff are being trained according to the ADA law!” Hey, credit where credit is due, McDonald’s turned the situation around fast. Kimberly even thanked the restaurant.
