[nagdu] Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog

Sat Jun 1 02:17:43 UTC 2013

I know that this thread has mostly died down, but I want to post to it one
last time as I have information that I did not have before. I found the
answers for which I was looking from someone on another list who has worked
with people who have mental illnesses. I have pasted excerpts from the email
below. Please note that it is not the entire email. Now, run and hide under
my rock.

Nicole

I think it's generally thought to be a myth that people who experience
mental health diagnoses are more violent than those who do not.

My understanding is that individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
who are more likely to engage in violent behaviors would be those with
additional risk factors such as abuse of drugs or alcohol, a past history of
violence or abuse, or severe stress. But you could say that of all people, I
suppose.

Was this particular woman with schizoaffective disorder violent? Yes. Should
she have just walked away from the dog? Yes. Is that an oversimplification
of the situation? 
Yes, because we don't know her. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darla Rogers
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 10:27 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog

Great, Marion; I am sure everyone who uses guide and service animals will be
most anxious to see how the adjudication will work out here.
Darla

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of blind411
Sent: Sunday, May 26, 2013 6:33 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog

	The NFB of Florida is in convention this weekend; however, we are in
touch with this woman and will work with her and the State Attorney to
pursue criminal charges against the woman who attacked the guide dog as
Florida has a good Service Animal Protection Act that has never been case
tested.

Fraternally yours,
Marion

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Margo and Arrow
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 3:58 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog

Ditto, Marion, and I sincerely hope she's convicted.

Margo and Arrow

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of blind411
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 3:23 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog

Here is my take on this. Every individual has the right to travel freely in
their community and feel safe in doing so. We also have the right to feel
our personal property is safe and no one has the right to deprive us of our
property nor damage that property without just cause. This is true no matter
what the excuse from another person. Just because a person has a mental
illness, it does not entitle them to harm us or our property. 

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marsha Drenth
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 1:57 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog

All,
this is another one of those cases where it should be decided who should be
accommendated. Just like Marion posted about a week or so ago, a person who
has an allergy to dogs, has to figure it out themselves, its their
responsibility. Is a blind persons needs more important than a persons with
a mental health issue? or is it the other way around? Its a very sad case.
What the store clerk did was horrible, what her punishment should be I am
not sure. But if she had any assistance in being placed in that job, whom
ever was helping her should have gotten that information that she was afraid
of dogs, before placing her in a potential location that would have service
animals involved. I mean it could have been a a person who is physically
impaired come in with a service animal, the clerk could have done the same
thing. The clerk was afraid of dogs, it doesn't matter about the who has the
dog, its a dog, no matter what disability. Mental health is now considered a
disability. I am not sure  there is a right or wrong in this case. 

Marsha drenth
Sent with my IPhone 

On May 23, 2013, at 11:12 AM, "Criminal Justice Major Extraordinaire"
<orleans24 at comcast.net> wrote:

> I hope this owman that did this ends up serving time in jail and has 
> to
pay the $5000.00 fine.
> Wht this customer service representative di was unbelievable.
> I don't care if she has a mental illness, but what she did to the 
> guide
dog is very unexceptable and unexcusable!!!
> This makes me very angry and mad!!!
> *Disgusted and upset*
> I do hope that the guide dog has not suffered any trauma from this
incident.
> Bibi and son Odie
> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 8:09 PM
> Subject: Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog Scared 
> Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog with bleach Sunrise resident 
> cited for animal cruelty A seeing-eye dog had bleach squirted in its 
> eyes at a Publix grocery store when a 67-year-old woman intentionally 
> sprayed the animal in an unprovoked attack, a police report says.
> The 5-year-old yellow Labrador retriever appeared uninjured, the 
> report said, but Patricia Lawler, of Sunrise, was cited for animal 
> cruelty and given a notice to appear after the 4:15 p.m. Saturday 
> incident
at the store at 10155 W. Oakland Park Blvd.
> 
> 
> 
> Lawler told police she "thought it was a vicious animal" and feared it 
> would be a danger to other customers, so she grabbed a spray bottle of 
> Clorox cleaner off a shelf and sprayed the animal in the eyes and back.
> "I realize now it was a mistake," Lawler said when reached by 
> telephone Monday. "I have a fear of dogs. It was just a big dog with a 
> big
head. I was just afraid."
> Lawler said she takes medication for schizoaffective disorder, and 
> paranoia is one the symptoms associated with her mental illness.
> The dog's owner, Ronda Carin Shore, 45, also of Sunrise, told police 
> she is blind and keeps the canine with her at all times. It was 
> wearing a service-dog vest, an assist handle and a placard, the report 
> said.
> Shore declined to comment Monday.
> Although the dog wasn't exhibiting aggressive behavior, Lawler said 
> she got scared when she saw it and asked Shore to leave the store with 
> the dog. When that didn't produce results, she said she resorted to 
> the
spray bleach to get rid of the animal.
> "I was afraid the dog would go wild, or some small child would get 
> bitten, or somebody would get hurt," Lawler said. "I guess I 
> overreacted. But I still feel like a dog doesn't belong in a place 
> like a
grocery store."
> If convicted of the first-degree misdemeanor, Lawler faces up to a 
> year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.
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