Service dogs in church?

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I grew up in classical Pentecostalism, as I have said several times, but we neither believed in, nor practiced, nor tolerated snake-handling. If we had been in a service, and someone would have opened a box and brought out a rattlesnake, my mother would have made one of those new doors that he was talking about 😃

D
 
angell1 said:
it’s just tough when people actually accuse you of disrespectingGod, wasn’t sure how to defend myself against that one. according to them animals are just bad for the mass
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You need to stand in front of a mirror and practice an incredulous and speechless look.
angell1 said:
i thought so too, btu sometimes I second-guess myself, especialy when claims of offending God are involved
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If you ever wonder, ask your pastor. Do not trust the personal opinions of people who make it their business to reform fellow parishioners.
snarflemike said:
There’s only one group of people ruining the genuine service dog concept, and that is the people who lie about their (not really) “service” dogs. We happened to go to a restaurant for breakfast over the weekend, and the person in front of us said they had a service dog. The dog was actually a yappy little dog with no training whatsoever, and there were about four other similar yappy dogs all barking at each other, jumping on chairs and people and being generally disruptive. It was like a convention of fake service dogs, and the owners were even introducing their dogs to the other dogs.
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The ADA does specify that “service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.” A dog jumping on chairs in a restaurant is not being effectively controlled.

I agree that a lot of people taking their dogs into grocery stores and restaurants do not control their dogs as required by law. I don’t know if they are “real” service dogs or not, but they’re not behaving or being handled as required for service dogs.
 
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Even if the government denied access, the Church still should not put up any artificial barriers to attending Mass.
 
DaveBj said:
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snarflemike:
There’s only one group of people ruining the genuine service dog concept, and that is the people who lie about their (not really) “service” dogs. We happened to go to a restaurant for breakfast over the weekend, and the person in front of us said they had a service dog. The dog was actually a yappy little dog with no training whatsoever, and there were about four other similar yappy dogs all barking at each other, jumping on chairs and people and being generally disruptive. It was like a convention of fake service dogs, and the owners were even introducing their dogs to the other dogs.
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There are laws about this. Service dogs are supposed to be trained, and they are supposed to wear jackets identifying them as official service dogs. No jacket – not a service dog.

D
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Anybody can buy a jacket that says “Service Dog”. In my state, there is no requirement that service dogs wear any sort of identification
 
I’m really sorry for you troubles @angell1

If I was in your parish I’d go speak with each parishioner individually that I’d notice making a comment.
 
ugh, tell me about it

like I said in replay to someone else, I couldn’, t care less if a restaurant is pet-friendlybut seriously,don’t lie or pretend you have a disability
 
yes, it’s true, there are even cases of people buying fake guiding harnesses and making fake idD
 
@HomeschoolDad
@DaveBj

I never imagined seeing Wendy’s name on these forums! So glad to know others here enjoyed his talents like I did. I was blessed to meet him a few times when I was younger (my grandfather was a southern gospel promoter) - he and his group were wonderfully kind people.
 
There is a service dog that accompanies a man to Mass and stations and whatever else at my parish. I don’t know him well to know if anyone ever bothers him about it. I would hope not. I know my kids get pretty excited when they see him.
 
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angell1 said:
I have experienced people thinking that service dogs at mass is offensive and disrespectful to god because no animal should be in church.
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This is their own problem. Not yours. The dog presumably is permitted in the church and people who don’t like it can sit far away from you or attend a different Mass.

Remember when Jesus was preaching to the 5000 he, and they, were outdoors. It was like that many places where he preached. I’m sure there were some dogs and maybe other animals around. Nobody got all wound up about disrespect over it.

If someone makes a rude remark to you like “leave dog outside”, you can simply explain to them that he is your guide dog and you need him to see. If they keep pestering you, move away from them or tell an usher you are being harassed. You don’t owe these people any explanation and don’t have to listen to or disprove whatever garbage they’re slinging.
 
phil19034 said:
or should I say… a real Catholic, German Shepherd!!! 🤣
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hmm . . . should probably name it “Benedict” . . .

:crazy_face:🤣:roll_eyes:
jimXroberts said:
PS Although each church needs to do what it can to maintain the dignity of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I can’t recall anything Jesus said that would exclude animals.
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In fact, the poor brought their animals to liturgy in the very early church.

While we have added other explanations since then, the altar rail in the West and the iconostasis in the East both descend from a barrier put up to keep animals out of the Holy Place! 😱😲
 
I remember when the Peshtigo fire happened in Wisconsin, all the families in the area of Robinsonville, Wisconsin fled to the chapel built in honor of Mary there, where she had appeared in the (now bishop-approved) apparition of Our Lady of Good Help. They took all their farm animals with them into the chapel yard and chapel and all inside were miraculously spared from the fire, which burned all around the chapel but didn’t burn it or the yard or any creatures inside.
 
oh, I could write a book or ridiculous comments I have gotten over the years that are disability-related. mostly try to shrug it all off the majority of time though
 
angell1 said:
oh, I could write a book or ridiculous comments I have gotten over the years that are disability-related. mostly try to shrug it all off the majority of time though
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angell1 said:
I really don’t want have to hold peoples’ hands in my late 20s
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Why do I have a feeling that these two might be related? Not putting anything on you, mind. But putting it together with what other people I know have told me, a lot of folk seem to have some sort of mental issue with a young person having a disability. I don’t know what level of impairment you have either, but I’ve also seen a lot of people not know that someone can be visually impaired enough to need assistance without being completely unable to see at all.

Of course you probably already know this.
 
Have you thought of sitting in the cry room. Perhaps when it’s empty!
 
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