Veteran & service dog kicked out of salon

When Central Indiana veteran Jody Mitchell visited a Kokomo salon for a haircut, naturally she brought her service dog, Ella along.

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Upon entering the Solutions Day Spa with Ella by her side, Jody was quickly stopped.

“‘Your dog is not allowed in here. I hope you’re gonna take that dog and put her in the car,’” said the employee, Mitchell explained to Fox59.

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“I tried to tell her, I said ‘Ok, she’s not a dog. She’s a service animal. By federal statute she’s allowed access in here.’ She’s like no she’s a dog. We have a letter that says dogs are not allowed.”

What so many people are failing to understand is that service dogs are not pets. They are as vital to their handler’s day to day life as a wheelchair may be to another’s mobility. And, as a service animal, they are allowed access, even to places where pet dogs may not be allowed, such as restaurants and salons.

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“It’s kind of (a)… slap in the face,” she told FOX59. “This person didn’t even acknowledge the state statutes, the federal statutes. It was just ‘No dogs are allowed.’”

Mitchell left the salon as asked and went around the corner to Great Clips who accepted her with no problem, as federally required.

Mitchell has filed a complant with the ADA. If found non-compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, Solutions Day Spa may be required to pay penalties and monetary damages.

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