A security guard at a fair (with a loud voice and a strong accent) approached Belle and Magic as we entered the park and demanded to see papers. I stepped aside with him and explained that he would have to talk to me because he would scare my daughter if he talked to her that loudly. I showed him the papers (which I’m not legally obligated to do) and agreed that I would pick up any messes that the dog might leave behind (of course).
We live in a very diverse city and I have noticed that the more recently someone has moved here from a foreign country the more unaccustomed they are to service dogs. If someone speaks broken English I make sure to not get defensive, explain as much as I can to reassure them that their business or establishment will be respected and, most of all, stay calm, smile, and be polite. It’s not like assistance dogs are an everyday thing. Everyone is learning as we go.
