People!!!...

[AmyMyBlueFront]

….GRRRRR It is beautiful here today,nearly hit 80 degrees,so I kept my promise to the green dino and took him for a ride. We stopped at the local Big Y grocery store for a few things. Now I've been going to this place for twenty years or so and Amy has come with me on a number of times. He either rides on the carriage handle bars or on my shoulder. Today there weren't too many people there and the few who saw us said "oh what a pretty bird" or "oh you have your buddy with you" Then the manager came up to us and said "some-one" complained and said we had to leave

I tried to tell him he is my "emotional support" animal and he didn't want to hear it...said he can show me regulations were parrots aren't allowed where food is present. I told him he doesn't fly,just sits on my shoulder,but he said the bird has to go Even though I said I've been here before with no problems then I told him he just lost a valued customer of twenty years and I'll go shop at WALMART where I know we are welcome.

People p.m.r.o sometimes.


Jim

 

[chris-md]

Aw Jim, I’m sorry!

As a fellow parrot owner I completely sympathize. Though I also completely understand where the manager is coming from. Food safety is vitally important. A grocery store or restaurant (even outside) are probably the two biggest places I wouldn’t be too upset about being asked to leave.

Though As a friend I might recommend asking first before entering any establishment with an animal, ESA or not. And never assume you’ll have the same answer twice.

I had an experience with my teacup yorkie (4.5lbs) trying to go into a 7-eleven. From the door I asked the cashier (who I think was the proprietor) if I could carry her in and hold her - I was rather rudely told to get out. I wasn’t thrilled at how I was treated and haven’t been back to that particular location, but it was a great reminder to always ask first before taking any animal anywhere. If I just waltzed in, the confrontation would have been much worse.

 

[Owlet]

Oh dear I totally empathize but at the same time, as a service dog handler, I understand where he was coming from. It's a common misunderstanding that ESA's are allowed into places normal pets would not be, in fact they follow the same rules as a normal pet other than being protected under transportation and housing and unfortunately, at this time, only dogs and miniature ponies can be recognized as service animals and thus allowed anywhere the general public is.

As Chris said it's best to call beforehand and ask as it is never fun to be turned away when you're already there.

 

[Flboy]

I would consider giving them another chance! Without your sidekick!
Everyone is super spooked about any illnesses!
Many folks are of the generally accepted notion that birds carry all kinds of deadly diseases!

 

[charmedbyekkie]

There are 2 parts to how I feel about this:

1.

We bring Cairo everywhere. We always use outdoor seating when it comes to eateries, and even then it is not quite legal. Sometimes someone complains to a manager, and the manager has to ask us to leave. Which is fair, because if that someone who complain then goes to the government, the eatery can (and often will) lose their license. And yes, I still patronise those places again - it's not the eatery's fault there are people who complain and there are regulations. But at the same time, those eateries know I do my best to help them - we avoid bringing Cairo in (unless in his Birdie GoGo), and if someone wants to take a photo of Cairo, I move Cairo so that the eatery is not in the background to avoid implicating them.

We do bring Cairo indoors into shopping malls and other places as well. However, there is often an understanding of 'no pets' indoors, so Cairo sits inside his Birdie GoGo. No harm to Cairo, no harm to the people and shops around us. Win-win. I don't force people who are uncomfortable with a bird to have to deal with him, and he avoids getting complaints .


2.
As someone who used to work with a community that uses guide dogs (trained, certified guide dogs), I strongly disagree with the way 'Emotional Support Animals' are being used as an excuse to be entitled to bringing a pet around. When fake support animals are being used, it enables a culture that allows for incidents such as these to happen - Service Dog Attacked by Emotional Support Dog.
The number of fake emotional support dogs is exploding — why?
Fake service dogs, real problems

I refuse to call Cairo an emotional support animal, though he does provide a ton of emotional support for me. I do not want to contribute to normalising this culture of throwing a term around to the detriment of real service animals and their owners with needs that only their service animal can provide. I know ESA is a popular thing around this forum, but because I know the impact is has on communities that rely on their service animals, I feel it my duty to abstain from such practice.

 

[1oldparroter]

There are 2 sides to any issue. Not just pets. The last place I lived was an isolated trailer park. I was a ham radio operator and set my equipment up and raised a wire antenna. It was up 3 days when the landlord told me of a complaint. I insisted he look at the "un-connected" connector, then took the system down. A month later, I made up a vertical system and used it for a month (with no complaints). It has been my habit to put antenna's up and not connect them for a week. I became an Amateur Radio Operator at 32 and let my license expire at 64. My protest. jh

 

[SailBoat]

Aaaah, the joys of people (small p)...

We rarely take Julio out and about in public and never outside of his carrier. But, that is due to our location: Dead center of the hunt and training zone for Red Tail Hawk kids and also the general nesting area of HRH 'The Mother of All Hawks,' The lady is just huge! Add the two Eagle families that have added us to their Fly Over Land (FYI: they push a shadow when passing over) and Julio would be a very colorful attraction...

Sorry that you have run amuck of the 'silence complainer.' Those wonderful people that haven't the nerve to face to face and always complain to the manager or others.

Not the Store's fault, they have to deal with these individuals all the time.

Be a hero, visit the Store again and ask to see the Manager. This time, tell him that you where sorry regarding your dear Amy and after rethinking the discussion understand where he was coming from. You may just bring a smile to someones face! Count it as a small Win!!!

 

[Flboy]

There are 2 parts to how I feel about this:

1.

We bring Cairo everywhere. We always use outdoor seating when it comes to eateries, and even then it is not quite legal. Sometimes someone complains to a manager, and the manager has to ask us to leave. Which is fair, because if that someone who complain then goes to the government, the eatery can (and often will) lose their license. And yes, I still patronise those places again - it's not the eatery's fault there are people who complain and there are regulations. But at the same time, those eateries know I do my best to help them - we avoid bringing Cairo in (unless in his Birdie GoGo), and if someone wants to take a photo of Cairo, I move Cairo so that the eatery is not in the background to avoid implicating them.

We do bring Cairo indoors into shopping malls and other places as well. However, there is often an understanding of 'no pets' indoors, so Cairo sits inside his Birdie GoGo. No harm to Cairo, no harm to the people and shops around us. Win-win. I don't force people who are uncomfortable with a bird to have to deal with him, and he avoids getting complaints .


2.
As someone who used to work with a community that uses guide dogs (trained, certified guide dogs), I strongly disagree with the way 'Emotional Support Animals' are being used as an excuse to be entitled to bringing a pet around. When fake support animals are being used, it enables a culture that allows for incidents such as these to happen - Service Dog Attacked by Emotional Support Dog.
The number of fake emotional support dogs is exploding — why?
Fake service dogs, real problems

I refuse to call Cairo an emotional support animal, though he does provide a ton of emotional support for me. I do not want to contribute to normalising this culture of throwing a term around to the detriment of real service animals and their owners with needs that only their service animal can provide. I know ESA is a popular thing around this forum, but because I know the impact is has on communities that rely on their service animals, I feel it my duty to abstain from such practice.

Incredibly well said!
Same in the States, had the manager ignored the complaint, the store could face heavy fines! Especially in Connecticut!!
The manager would also face quite a beating from Corporate too!

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

I'm kinda afraid to say something about this because the last time I did, I almost got killed literally. Like physically attacked.
I've always had a belief that parrots make good therapy animals and my Moxxie has actually helped me a lot.
I have high functioning autism and PTSD from abuse and the incident where I almost got killed.
When I got Moxxie, he put me in a much better state of mind.

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

Oh dear I totally empathize but at the same time, as a service dog handler, I understand where he was coming from. It's a common misunderstanding that ESA's are allowed into places normal pets would not be, in fact they follow the same rules as a normal pet other than being protected under transportation and housing and unfortunately, at this time, only dogs and miniature ponies can be recognized as service animals and thus allowed anywhere the general public is.

As Chris said it's best to call beforehand and ask as it is never fun to be turned away when you're already there.

I'm gonna be straight up honest even though saying this almost got me killed.
I wish the ADA would recognize parrots as service animals, there are other countries that recognize them as service animals, UK, Australia. Some states here even went off on their own to protect parrots as service animals, Wisconsin is a big state I know of where they state "Any animal can be a service animal as long as it can do that task"

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

I would consider giving them another chance! Without your sidekick!
Everyone is super spooked about any illnesses!
Many folks are of the generally accepted notion that birds carry all kinds of deadly diseases!

I've read up that birds are cleaner than dogs

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

Oh dear I totally empathize but at the same time, as a service dog handler, I understand where he was coming from. It's a common misunderstanding that ESA's are allowed into places normal pets would not be, in fact they follow the same rules as a normal pet other than being protected under transportation and housing and unfortunately, at this time, only dogs and miniature ponies can be recognized as service animals and thus allowed anywhere the general public is.

As Chris said it's best to call beforehand and ask as it is never fun to be turned away when you're already there.

Plus not to mention I've read up and watched videos of parrots being trained to be desensitized to their destructive behavior. Not many people believe that though since that's what parrots are idolized for.
I don't want to get anyone offended here.
I'm just speaking out about the research I've done

 

[Flboy]

I've read up that birds are cleaner than dogs

Agreed! That birds are cleaner than dogs, not that you have read up!
‘But if anything good has come out over whatever is the world’s insanity of the day, it is all about perception!

 

[moxxiethecockatoo]

Agreed! That birds are cleaner than dogs, not that you have read up!
‘But if anything good has come out over whatever is the world’s insanity of the day, it is all about perception!

Agreed, our world has gone to crap and it makes me not want to go out these days till I get Moxxie more training