<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Scared Publix customer sprays seeing-eye dog with bleach<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sunrise resident cited for animal cruelty <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-service-dog-cruelty-20130520,0,447298.story">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-service-dog-cruelty-20130520,0,447298.story</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>SUNRISE — 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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"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."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lawler said she takes medication for schizoaffective disorder, and paranoia is one the symptoms associated with her mental illness.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Shore declined to comment Monday.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"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."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If convicted of the first-degree misdemeanor, Lawler faces up to a year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>