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A shopper at a Walmart in New York has raised concerns after alleging that she was harassed by store employees due to her service dog not being on a leash.
Crystal Pratt reported that while at the Albany Walmart, she faced repeated verbal confrontations from employees over her golden retriever service dog, Bella, according to CBS affiliate WRGB-TV.
Despite having properly registered Bella as a service dog and completing the necessary paperwork, Pratt claims she was subjected to excessive scrutiny by the store staff.
Pratt, who navigates the store using a mobility scooter following several surgeries, depends on Bella to assist her by retrieving items beyond her reach.
The conflict arose because Bella was not on a leash during their visit to the store’s supermarket section, which led to the alleged confrontation.
She claimed she was challenged by at least five workers, who she said were not wearing ID badges, before calling the cops.
“They just kept yelling from across the aisles that she needed to be on a leash,” she told the Daily Mail. She was at the checkout when cops arrived before being escorted out.
Service dogs must be harnessed or leashed, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. But there is an exemption for those who are unable to harness their animals.
In those circumstances, Americans must use their voice or signal to control their service animals.
Store workers can only ask two questions to Americans with a service dog if it’s not entirely clear what function the animal carries out.
The first question is: “Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?”
And the second: “What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?”
Store workers cannot probe a customer about their disability, or ask them to show medical documents, according to the terms of the ADA.
They are also banned from asking customers about asking an animal to carry out its duty in some sort of test.
“Walmart values every customer interaction and is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive and respectful shopping experience for all,” a spokesperson told WRGB.
“Service animals are welcome in our stores, and we are committed to following ADA guidelines and applicable state laws.”