Veterans with Service Dogs Are Not Allowed to Shop in Florida - VetsForJustice
Main menu
Veterans with Service Dogs Are Not Allowed to Shop in Florida
VETERANS WITH SERVICE DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOP IN FLORIDA
Attorney General, Ashley Moody, Says Walmart, Publix & ALDI's are Above the Law in Florida
P.T.S.D. SERVICE DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN FLORIDA STORES
When the Elderly, 100% Service-
On one occassion there would be no problem, everyone would be nice, and Kidwell could shop in the store in peace, with no problems.
Spratically, on other occassions, an employee of the store would run up, and attack Kidwell, acting like Kidwell was robbing the store, or committing a major crime, as the store employee screamed, and yelled, that Service Dogs are not allowed in their store, while pushing on Kidwell trying to make Kidwell move faster than his Disabilities would allow!
Store Employees, and Store Security, would push Kidwell to the door, not caring that he is Elderly, and Severely Disabled, and Unable to Walk without a Walker, or without leaning on a Shopping Cart to walk, and unable to run to the door like they wanted.
Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, would then call the Charlotte County Sheriff's Department, which would threaten to arrest the Disabled Veteran, and ban him from the store for having Service Dogs.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff the Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply in Florida, and the Sheriff's Department does not enforce Florida Disability Rights Laws like 413.08(4).
PUBLIX, WALMART, AND ALDI'S, CLAIM IF A VETERAN HAS MORE THAN ONE DISABILITY HE MAY NOT SHOP IN THEIR STORES
Vietnam Veterans were in far more combat than other American Soldiers, receiving mortors, and rockets, nearly every night, while engaging in other combat durring the day, being exposed to old French Mine Fields, Two-
As a result many Vietnam Veterans returned to the states with more than one disability. A large number returned unable to walk, while they had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, because of the excessive combat.
A large number of Vietnam Veterans that returned from Vietnam able to walk, are now elderly, with walking disabilities, AND Post-
The ONLY way these Elderly, Disabled Vietnam Veterans are able to shop is by leaning on a Shopping Cart, and putting their P.T.S.D. Service Dog inside the cart, while they shop.
It is impossible for those Disabled Veterans to shop and control their NEEDED P.T.S.D. Service Dog on the floor, because of their walking disability, and need to lean on a shopping cart to shop.
Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's state that Disabled Veterans, unable to walk, may NOT put their P.T.S.D. Service Dog in a Shopping Cart and shop in their stores.
THE WALMART, AND PUBLIX, SHOPPING CART CON-
The Lie
1. When a Disabled Veteran, needing to put his P.T.S.D. Service Dog in a Shopping Cart to shop, attempts to shop at Walmart, Publix, or ALDI's, those stores lie, and claim that their Shopping Carts are so clean that the Health Department has issued an ORDER prohibiting Service Dogs in their Shopping Carts.
The Truth
We have investigated and there is no such Order from any Health Department.
In fact, any Health Departments state that Walmart Shopping Carts are so filthy, that they aren't safe for food, unless the food is very safely packaged.
That Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's are blatant liars when they claim their keeping Service Dogs out of Shopping Carts has anything to do with food safety.
Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's hates Disabled Veterans, PERIOD, and that is their only motivation for violating the ADA, and illegally banning Disabled Veterans from shopping at their stores.
How Clean Are Walmart Shopping Carts?
The truth is that Walmart, and Publix, NEVER cleaned their shopping carts prior to the Pandemic.
For at least the past thirty (30) years Walmart has not cleaned their Shopping Carts in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Walmart Shopping Carts are used to carry Cow Poop, Rat Poison, Bug Sprays, and Poisons, from the Walmart Garden Center, Car Batteries, Automotive Poisons, and Chemicials, from Walmart's Auto Center, Raw Chicken, in leaking packages, and Welfare Kids, with Diapers Leaking Human Waste, are all put right next to the food that Walmart sells, and Walmart sees no problem as long as Walmart profits off the filth.
It is only Disabled Veterans, with P.T.S.D. Service Dogs far cleaner than any Walmart Shopping Cart, that Walmart does not allow, because Walmart Hates, and Discriminates Against Disabled American Veterans.
Tests have proven that Walmart Shopping Carts are 100 times filther than the floor of a Public Restroom. [See this report.]
The Lie
2. Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's, claim that they are Private Property and that they can trespass anyone from their property, and don't need a reason.
The Truth
The truth is that Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's, are "Public Accommodations" according to both Federal, and Florida Law.
And as Public Accommodations it is illegal, pursuant to the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act, to ban an ADA-
And in a case where a Service Dog is disruptive the store is REQUIRED to provide someone to shop for the disabled person.
Pursuant to Florida Law, F.S. 413.08(4) it is a crime to harass, intiminate, and/or, obstruct a Disabled Person from shopping in a Public Accommodation, with a needed Service Dog, and the store Management, and/or Security, obstructing the Service Dog should be arrested.
3. Walmart, Public, and ALDI's, claim that when a Disabled Person with a Service Dog asks to speak to the Store Manager, or the store's ADA Coordinator, that they are creating a Disturbance, and need to be rushed, and pushed out of the store, and then arrested, or trespassed from the store.
The Truth
Any Disabled Person harassed, and/or Denied Service with his Service Dogs has a Statutory Right to speak to the Store's Disability Coordinator, or to the Store's Manages when there is no Store Disability Coordinator, so that they can make a "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Request".
Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's, do not care about their duty to have a Disability Coordinator, or otherwise are required to allow a Disabled Person to speak to the store manager to make a "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Request".
The Lie
4. Walmart, and Publix, claim customers have no rights when they shop in their stores, and that they don't have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, because their stores are Private Property, and therefore they don't have to take, or respond to, "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Requests".
The Truth
Federal Law, the Americans with Disabilities Act REQUIRES that Walmart, and Publix, not only listen to "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Requests" from the disabled, but they are not allowed to Threaten, Harass, Push the Disabled Around, Publically Embarass, and/or, Trespass, the Disabled, like they presently do.
Walmart, and Publix, are REQUIRED to GRANT the "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Request" unless it is cost prohibitive.
The Lie
5. Walmart, and the Charlotte County Sheriff, said that Billy Kidwell's Service Dogs needed to be Registered as Service Dogs, proving they are trained Service Dogs, and that if Billy Kidwell couldn't produce Registration Papers, that his Service Dogs were fake.
The Truth
There is NO SUCH THING as Registration, or Registration Papers, for a P.T.S.D. Service Dog, and pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act it is illegal to ask a Disabled Person, with a Service Dog, for proof of Registration, or Registration Papers, for his Service Dogs.
According to Federal Law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Walmart, and the Charlotte County Sheriff's Department was only allowed to ask two questions.
Below is copied from the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights, ADA Section Website;
"When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task."
WALMART, PUBLIX, AND ALDI'S, REFUSED TO GRANT REASONABLE DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS
When Billy Kidwell was illegally banned from Walmart, for life for being Disabled, and harassed at Publix, for needing P.T.S.D. Service Dogs in his Shopping Cart to shop, he was not allowed to talk to a store manager, and not allowed to make a "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Request" at the store(s), other than outside the store after the Sheriff was called to Trespass Kidwell.
Therefore, Billy Kidwell, sent a written "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Request", pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to each member of the Walmart Board of Directors, to the CEO of Walmart, and to the General Counsel of Walmart.
Billy Kidwell sent similar "ADA Reasonable Disability Accommodation Requests" to the the CEO of Publix, Randall Todd Jones, and former General Counsel, John Attaway, and to ALDI's Corporate Officials.
For nearly four (4) years Billy Kidwell has sporatically sent these ADA Reasonable Disability Accommodation Requests to the Corporate Leadership of Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's, and none of those Corporations have responded to Kidwell's "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Requests", denying him the right to purchase the Basic Necessories of Life, at their stores, for almost four (4) years now, inflicting massive damages on Billy Kidwell.
Billy Kidwell made the following two (2) "Reasonable Disability Accommodation Requests".
(a) Reasonable Disability Accommodation Request Number One
Billy Kidwell asked that if the stores didn't want to allow P.T.S.D. Service Dogs in their Shopping Carts, as needed by Disabled Veterans unable to walk without leaning on a shopping cart, that Walmart, Public, and ALDI, supply just two (2) shopping carts per store for Disabled Veterans, needing to put their P.T.S.D. Service Dog in a shopping cart.
Those two shopping carts could have a tag saying "Disabled Veterans with Service dogs only", or something similar.
This would pose very little cost, if any for Public, and are therefore not cost prohibitive.
(b) Reasonable Disability Accommodation Request Number Two
In the alternative, Billy Kidwell asked that Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, merely santize the shopping cart used by the Veteran for his Service Dog.
If Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, really believed Service Dogs being placed in one of their filthy Bird-
For the past four (4) years Billy Kidwell has watched, and documented, that Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's do allow customers to put their pet dogs in their store Shopping Carts.
That for some unknown reason Walmart, Publix, and ALDI's, does not find small cute pet dogs being put in their Shopping Carts by their customers to be offensive.
It is only Disabled Veterans with P.T.S.D. Service Dogs that are harassed.
If Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, are determined to constantly "selectively" harass Disabled Veterans, for being Disabled, and needing P.T.S.D. Service Dogs to shop asked that Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, merely take a minute to santize the Shopping Cart the Disabled Veteran puts his Service Dog in to shop.
Sporatically, durring the present Pandemic, Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, have started santizing their Shopping Carts for all of their customers, proving that Billy Kidwell's "Reasonabled Disability Accommodation Request" was never cost prohibitive, and should have been GRANTED.
Proving that Walmart, Public, and ALDI, were targeting Billy Kidwell solely because of his being an Elderly, Severely Disabled Veteran, needing P.T.S.D. Service Dogs.
Proving Billy Kidwell should have been allowed to shop with his P.T.S.D. Service Dogs, instead of having Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, call the sheriff, attack, and harass Kidwell, Publically Embarass Kidwell, damaging his standing in the local community, while denying him the right to shop for food, as Walmart, Publix, and ALDI, intentionally, and with great Malice, aggravated Kidwell's Stress, Heart, and other disabilities, while prohibiting him from buying the basic necessories of life.
Click here to read how Inhuman, and Horrific, Walmart treated a Dying, Severely Disabled Veteran