Woman Shares Powerful Message Of Kids Smacking Service Dog With Mom Just Mere Feet Away

We may have many different friends in our lives and we may never be closer to any human than we are to our loyal dog. They just seem to be so faithful that we want to have them by our side, each and every moment that it is possible to do so. Everybody who has ever had a dog in their life recognizes how important they are, which is why taking the dog out in the public often results in people coming up and wanting to be sociable. When people see the little dog walking around, it just seems as if there faces light up automatically.

Although that may be the case, people can also be rather rude and they may do things without thinking about it. They may reach out to pet or grab a strange dog without getting the permission of the human on the other side of the leash. When we see a dog that looks calm, we automatically think that they are calm but the unfamiliarity can end up causing some problems and you may have to go for some stitches if you’re not careful.

This leads to some protocol and it is a good idea to be familiar with the basic rules, even if they are unspoken. There are also times when the rules are actually spoken and this is the case with service dogs who wear a vest. That vest explains that they are training and are out there for a purpose, and it often contains a sign that tells you not to pet the animal.

It isn’t because the handlers want to get on people’s nerves, it’s because the dog is working and they need to avoid distraction. Even though people may be the most well-meaning individuals in the world, it could be a matter of life or death for the owner.

That leads us to our story of a dog named Polly. She is a service dog owned by Laura Joos and the dog lets her know when she might be losing consciousness. Joos is never out without her dog and she is outfitted with an informational harness.

Joos went on Facebook to talk about something that happened at Walmart. It involved a mother and her children who were obviously not schooled in how to handle themselves when they are near a service animal.

Joos was with her two children and niece at Walmart. She saw the was a family ahead and when the kids looked back, they started yelling about the service dog.

“With people behind me, shelves on both sides,” Joos recalled. “I had no choice but to pass you.”

“I was dreading it, I knew your kids where (sic) going to try and pet my dog. I knew you had no intention on telling them ‘don’t pet the dog, it’s workings (sic).’”

She did everything she could to avoid a difficult situation but contact was inevitable. “Your daughter recached (sic) out and SMACKED my dog, hard (sic) an Audible thud as her hand hit her back.”

The dog moved away without retaliating and when Joos passed the mother, she had the following to say: “she’s a service dog, please teach your kids not to pet them.”

“And maybe you where (sic) having a bad day, maybe you think your the worlds best mom, maybe you just think your kids are angels and can do no wrong and allow them to do whatever they want. I don’t know. I have never seen you before, I may never see you again, but I hope that if I do, you have done a better job at trying to help your children, how to behave better around service dogs.”

It may have appeared as if Joos was being overprotective but that was not the case. What her dog does is so important that even if it is invisible, it could be a matter of life or death.

“5 minutes before I saw you I got an alert from my dog, my heart rate was steadily climbing, my chest was becoming tight, my vision was going fuzzy, I felt like I was under water,” Joos wrote.

“You couldn’t tell my hip was sliding in and out of place and every step I took was painful, agonizing. You couldn’t see that your daughters actions caused my dog to miss a second alert. My heart rate now nearly 120, I felt like I was going to vomit, luckily I made it to my car before The full effects of my heart rate hit me, like a ton of bricks. I almost lost Consciousness. Luckily my kids didn’t have to stand over their mother in the middle of the grocery store waiting for her to wake up.”

“Luckily your kids didn’t have to see some woman hit the ground, it can be scary for young kids, and even some adults.”

“I’m sorry that my ‘tip’ to help you help your kids, and help the service dog Community, pissed you off, and you felt the need to snap at me “EXCUSE YOU” in a snotty holier than thou tone, but yes, excuse me, excuse me for expecting YOU as an adult to teach the children you are raising to be respectful of disabled individuals. I’m sure you wouldn’t allow them to grab someone’s cane, or yank on their nasal cannula that supplies their oxygen.”

“My dog provides life saving assistance to me every day. She keeps me alive, and safe so that my kids, can enjoy their mother.”

“I’m not asking much. I’m just asking you to give the same respect you would expect, had you been the disabled mother and service dog handler. So mom, if your (sic) reading this, know I’m not mad, just disappointed.”

Hopefully, this is a message that will teach many people about the seriousness of service animals and how their children should behave around them.