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

Thu May 23 22:10:32 UTC 2013

As a mental health professional, I could say with no hesitation that a
mental illness is no excuse for destructive behaviors like this. The
woman even said she was under care and on medication and is now
pulling the 'crazy' card. well, that does not fly. She is not only
guilty of animal cruelty, but also assault towards a working dog which
is assault towards the handler that relies on that dog. I hope that
NAGDU or whatever organization helps with this sort of thing stays
involved to get her prosecuted to the fullest. If this is allowed to
go without consequence, it will continue. Eve

On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 2:41 PM, Michael Hingson
<info at michaelhingson.com> wrote:
> It seems to me she poses a threat to everyone.  Anyone who can go off that
> easily is a danger to society.
>
>
> Best,
>
>
> Michael Hingson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
> Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 01:15 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Article: Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog
>
> I thought the article said she was a customer. Regardless, I don't care if
> she's got a mental disability, her actions posed a direct physical threat
> not only to the dog but to its handler. She needs to be taken off the
> streets, at least.
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On May 23, 2013, at 4:06 PM, "Star Gazer" <pickrellrebecca at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Using the argument that mental health is a disability, and she
>> presumably has a real mental health issue, then why was she working in
>> an environment that could trigger her to act aggressively. It'd be
>> like if a blind person drove a bus, it could probably be done, but not
>> safely, and if a blind person did attempt it, and hurt someone or
>> damagd property as a result, then the blind person should face
>> whatever penalties anybody else would face if they drove a bus and caused
> damage.
>>
>>
>> -----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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