Service Dog and Owner Denied Entry to Thrift Store — Should She Sue?

A social media user dedicated to awareness surrounding service animals posted footage of a thrift store denying access to someone with a service dog.

The Service Flower's (@theserviceflower) clip shows the owner being barred from entering the store with her animal. This is in spite of her several explanations of ADA rulings that indicate owners aren't required to present identification for their service animals.

At the top of the video, the TikToker can be seen walking into a store with her service dog in tow. The video's shot is focused on the animal in question, who looks around the store upon walking in. However, an employee of the establishment appears to stop the social media user upon entering.

"She's a service dog," the influencer can be heard saying to a person off-camera. Following this, the worker asks if the TikToker has an ID to present proving the dog's status as a service animal. However, the dog owner tells the person that IDs aren't required for service animals.

"There is no ID for service dogs," she says before continuing, "that's illegal you cannot ask for that."

However, this protestation doesn't have an effect on the worker's decision to not allow the TikToker to come into the store with her canine.

"Ma'am, there is no ID for service dogs," she repeats, before the worker is heard consulting with another employee of the business. Afterwards, the video cuts briefly to moments later in The Service Flower's post, where she tells the other worker, "She's asking me for an ID when legally there's no ID."

There's a brief pause before the worker can be heard asking the TikToker a question, who then affirms, "Yes, she's a service dog. She's a cardiac alert dog, there's no ID. You legally you can't ask for that by Federal Law."

Again, her telling this to store employees doesn't seem to change their outlook on the situation. The TikToker says, yet again, that people aren't allowed to ask service dog owners for credentials pertaining to the nature of their service work.

"No, that's illegal you can't ask for that," she says again. She goes on, "You can ask if it's a service dog and you can ask what task she's trained to provide. And she is a cardiac alert dog. You can't ask for anything else," the TikTok user tells the store employees.

"That's not like a business preference thing, that's a Federal law," she says again. One of the workers explains that a discussion with corporate will need to be had in order to suss out the situation. Moreover, the employee stated that as per the company's policy, they cannot allow animals in the building.

But the TikTok user fires back, "You can, she's medical equipment," she said, referring to her service animal. But the argument didn't sway them from barring her into the store. The TikToker then tells the employees that they may need to speak with authorities over the situation.

"Okay, well, you might have to speak to the cops in a minute because this is like an access issue. This is disability rights you guys realize that, right?" she tells the workers.

There's a brief silence before one of them speaks, and the TikToker can be heard talking again. "I'm just letting you guys know it's, you can't legally deny her."

Afterwards, she exits the store, but before doing so, records a sign on the front door pertaining to service animals. An image of two dogs are shown on the data sheet. One with a harness that has a green check mark hovering above it. Another shows a dog without a harness with a red "X" above its head.

The signage reads: "No dogs or pets are allowed," the top of the write-up reads. Beneath it, however, is an explanation that service dogs are indeed welcomed in the store, along with a distinction delineating the difference between service and emotional support animals.

"Service dogs are trained to do work or perform a task for persons with disabilities. Comfort and/or emotional support animals are not service animals, and are not recognized by the ADA," the poster indicates.

Commenters who saw The Service Flower's video shared their outrage over the situation.

One person penned, "I've noticed people with service dogs always get hassled. But yet a person with a random puppy who is not a service dog, no one says anything to them," one penned.

Another person highlighted the irony of the TikToker's video ending with a shot of the signage in front of the store. "The sign literally says service dogs are allowed," they remarked.