Give me a clue?

[shermay]

What has happened to this website?  I can't find anything anymore.  Where have the health pages gone? oh well here goes nothing.  Anyway my question is this, does anyone else have a Service Dog? and how do you manage to go into different shops with the Dog, without being accused of having ESA dog?  This question is MS related, as a friend of mine has one and she lives in America, she and her Service Dog were turned away.  

I told her to join this community to ask, but she told me that it was too hard to navigate around, and now I can see the reason why, it has taken me nearly all day to sort it out.

Anyway, as for me, and to anyone who is here and remembers me, I was dx with Hashimoto's Thyroid just before Christmas, the extreme tiredness I put down to MS, hair loss, that had to be the menopause, the list is endless. Happy days eh?  Hope that to anyone who knows my name are all doing well.  Hugs to all.

[HVAC]

If there is a real problem I tell the store owner they can call the police. That usually stops them. Many people carry the ADA rules with them. I only had that problem once. They thought I was using the dog to shop lift. Ironically while they were talking to me this guy ran out of the store with a coat. Most people are not mean just ignorant. Unfortunately people do fake it. You remember Polly I had to retire her last year. I have a new Dalmatian but she is not trained. Given another year and I would have another Polly. Her name is Fiona.

How are you? They changed the website and not for the better. Most of the old gang are gone. How are your dogs? And your family?

I unfortunately have terminal cancer. I have stopped treatment after 4 years. I am thinking of going on Hospice. It is hard to eat and I am in pain. I still ride horses and exercise when I can. I am afraid if I go on Hospice I will go down hill faster. I have to make it through the holidays if I can.

Alex

[shermay]

Yo Alex, I just saw this, so sorry about your cancer progressing, but your a fighter though, don't give in eh?  a Hospice is not a good thought, and I don't blame you for not going into one, do your best, your still able to ride, and that's good therapy any day of the week.  

I trained one of my dogs to be a service dog, and he was brilliant.  Alas, they were caught by baiters, and had to be pts.  Etienne is doing well, he'll be 14 in November, he's going to be tall like me.  Now you take care, and I'm gonna be more on this forum than before, but the changes I just can't get my head around....what's the old saying? if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Hugs Debbie.xxxxx

[supermum_ms]

Well hellllllo there Shermay, gosh it's been awhile but very very nice to to see you up on the boards again!! :D

In regards to the health pages became inaccessible around 2 years ago, the new site came about just going on a year now and it's still in development, our MS community has not been able to navigate the changed site and it's not been the same since, sad but true...

Unfortunately, i'm in OZ and can't answer your question about service dog issues in the states, Alex would be our resident expert on service dogs and hopefully she'll pop in and be able to give you some practical advice. Laura wrote an article about the service dog problems which draws attention to the issues that surround ESA dogs, i didn't notice the solutions that would give your friend some advice she's needing. see Laura's article here https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/let-dogs/  

All i can think of is the type of vest or harness she uses might make a difference in making it more obviously to people eg balance and mobility - the sturdy brace and Mobility Support Harnesses is similar looking to the harness the blind use and more obviously a mobility aid. Then i'd be adding things like stickers, bandanna, badges, id tags, etc anything that has Multiple Sclerosis clearly visible so unless the shop owner was a complete oblivious idiot, her reason behind needing a service dog would be easily worked out without comment.  

Hope you are doing well and the combination of MS, Hashimoto's and menopause isn't kicking you in the butt too hard!!

HUGS........JJ

[DLJ9]

The only thing I know about service dogs is: in the United States we have paperwork that one can fill out  with a doctor signature, so the dog is allowed to go into stores and what not.  Some seem to be jerks about having an animal in their store; however, if you have paperwork that proves that you need a dog to  help you, then you're allowed to have the animal at your side.   It's just a pain,  I believe because you have to carry the paperwork everywhere you go to prove that you are indeed "allowed" to have said dog with you.

Good luck!

[shermay]

Does the bump feature still work I wonder? just testing.