Laura Joos has a service dog that helps her know when she might suddenly lose consciousness.
Her loyal pooch, Polly, goes anywhere with her, wearing her informational harness.
Last year, she shared a story about an incident at Walmart that involved kids and their mother. It was evident that the family did not care or know about how to act around a service dog.
Joos was with her two children and niece and she saw a family and the kids saw her. The kids became so excited to see the dog, and their mother said, ‘yes look doggy, woof woof!’
“With people behind me, shelves on both sides,” Joos wrote on Facebook. “I had no choice but to pass you.
“I was dreading it, I knew your kids where going to try and pet my dog. I knew you had no intention on telling them “don’t pet the dog, it’s workings.”
“I tried to put space between me and the people in front of me, so when it was my turn to walk by I could do it quickly, however my attempts to do so failed and I had to slowly walk past you and your kids.
“Your daughter recached out and SMACKED my dog, hard an Audible thud as her hand hit her back.
“My dog is highly trained, so luckily for your daughter the only reaction out of my dog was a tail tuck, and a quick Scurry up in front of me to get away from her.
“I told you “she’s a service dog, please teach your kids not to pet them”
“And maybe you where having a bad day, maybe you think your the worlds best mom, maybe you just think your kids are angels and can do no wrong and allow them to do whatever they want. I don’t know. I have never seen you before, I may never see you again, but I hope that if I do, you have done a better job at trying to help your children, how to behave better around service dogs.
“Here is what you didn’t see.
5 minutes before I saw you I got an alert from my dog, my heart rate was steadily climbing, my chest was becoming tight, my vision was going fuzzy, I felt like I was under water.
“You couldn’t tell my hip was sliding in and out of place and every step I took was painful, agonizing.point 88 | You couldn’t see that your daughters actions caused my dog to miss a second alert.point 158 | My heart rate now nearly 120, I felt like I was going to vomit, luckily I made it to my car before The full effects of my heart rate hit me, like a ton of bricks.point 285 |
I almost lost Consciousness.point 25 | Luckily my kids didn’t have to stand over their mother in the middle of the grocery store waiting for her to wake up.point 122 |
Luckily your kids didn’t have to see some woman hit the ground, it can be scary for young kids, and even some adults.point 219 | 1
point 0 |
“I’m sorry that my “tip” to help you help your kids, and help the the service dog Community, pissed you off, and you felt the need to snap at me “EXCUSE YOU” in a snotty holier than thou tone, but yes, excuse me, excuse me for expecting YOU as an adult to teach the children you are raising to be respectful of disabled individuals.point 381 |
I’m sure you wouldn’t allow them to grab someone’s cane, or yank on their nasal cannula that supplies their oxygen.point 102 | 1
“My dog provides life saving assistance to me every day. She keeps me alive, and safe so that my kids, can enjoy their mother.
“I’m not asking much. I’m just asking you to give the same respect you would expect, had you been the disabled mother and service dog handler. So mom, if your reading this, know I’m not mad, just disappointed.
“Disappointed you didn’t apologize, disappointed that I can’t shop without fear of your kids hitting my dog, disappointed that as a mom to another mom you reacted the way you did.
“However, that while yes my night went to shit in a matter of seconds, I’m safe. I’m home, and I’m alive, because yes it could have ended completely different. I could not be.
Just like that.
“-signed
Another mom, who happens to be disabled, and a handler of a service dog.”
Joos hopes that her message will also help other parents teach their children to behave around service animals.
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