Paula Notarino sent a message to Carol Meyrowitz that said:
I will no longer shop at TJ Maxx in East Haven, CT I am sick of seeing NON service dogs in stores. Today, a man was inside the store near the entrance with his dog on a leash, another woman came in with 2 dogs in a baby carriage and they proceeded to bark loudly at the other dog who barked back and the man had to pull the dog closer to him. It was very loud, people were staring; and not a manager in sight. When I asked to talk to the manager and told her I was leaving the store without buying what was in my carriage; another worker offered to check me out ahead of everyone else. I said NO.....I have great respect for the disabled, my son is mentally disabled, but I am getting so tired of people breaking the law. These are NOT service animals. Service animals are trained at the cost of thousands of dollars to sit at their handlers feet and perform their service; they do not bark and cause a ruckus in stores. I find that people today are spoiled and selfish and think they are above the law. No one is above the law.....well, maybe the president is, but that's another story. I plan on reporting this incident to the State dept of public health; along with the local health dept. This violation of the law has to stop; the ADA was passed for the truly disabled, not someone looking to circumvent the law. I do know that under the ADA you are allowed to ask what service the dog performs for the person. Question: I wonder what service those 2 dogs in the baby carriage were performing for the woman that entered the store. Thank you for your time and have a blessed day