Dogs in Grocery Stores
To the person who kicked a dog in Ralphs (“Heard About Town” column, April 5), please don’t do that. The dog is an innocent victim of a narcissistic pet owner and Ralphs.
Instead, you should have first yelled “HELP!” at the top of your lungs when the dog nipped your leg, to get everyone’s attention in the store, including the manager.
Second, use your cell phone to quickly take a picture of the owner with her dog in the store.
Third, with the help of Ralphs management, get the owner’s contact information to report her to police authorities for having an unsafe dog and to health authorities for bringing a pet into a food facility (a properly trained service dog would not nip at someone’s leg)!
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is a federal crime to pretend to be disabled or that a pet is a service dog. It is also a violation of California health law, subject to fines of up to $1,000 and six months in jail or both.
A stiff fine and/or jail for the pet owner for breaking the law is a more fitting punishment for the nip than a kick to an innocent dog.
Fourth, report Ralphs management to the State of California and to corporate headquarters for not asking the dog owner the two questions allowed by the ADA when she entered the store with her dog: 1.) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? 2.)What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
These questions help weed out many service-dog fakers and protect your health and safety. The fakers get upset when you ask them these questions. Truly disabled persons with service dogs know the questions are allowed by the ADA to help protect them and their service dogs from fakers.
Nancy Moore
(Editor’s note: If you want to see an interesting story on “service pets” visit: newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/pets-allowed.)
Viewpoint Misses a Key Issue
Your op-ed Viewpoint piece (“Lack of Tolerance Is Frightening,” April 5) does not get to the heart of the matter. The issue is what sort of person voted for a man who spouts conspiracy theories published on the far reaches of the Internet, claimed for years that Obama was not born in the U.S., associates with members of the alt-right, and allows his supporters to run ads with more than a whiff of anti-Semitism about them, among other things. Does the voter agree with these things? Does she ignore them? Does she not care?
People can vote however they wish, and stay virtually anything they wish. But I, for one, need not listen to them or even play bridge with them.
Betsy Handler
Editorial and Theatre Thanks
Thank you for the “Lack of Tolerance” Viewpoint. Well thought out and well-written, it brought to light an historical perspective and a sense of balance when it comes to differences of political affiliations. I was truly shocked to hear a member of my group assert that any member there who voted for Trump was no longer her friend. Friendship beats a political stance any day, in my conception of things.
And a heartfelt thank you for including the article about the Playwrights Festival at Theatre Palisades and how the festival will honor Palisades playwright Diane Grant when it presents a reading of her play, Sunday Dinner, on April 18. I’m taking extra copies to Diane tomorrow (she can put them in her this year’s Christmas cards).
We are grateful for the Palisades News’ presence here in town, and we gobble it up eagerly.
Julia Whitcomb
Palisades News welcomes all letters, which may be emailed to letters@palisadesnews.com. Please include a name, address and telephone number so we may reach you. Letters do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Palisades News.
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