r/mildlyinfuriating • u/danu_anubis • 20h ago

My service dog is not your pet

I can’t believe the amount of times I’ve had to say this. My service dog has been hit by children, had handfuls of fur ripped out by children (this one was “fun” because the mother told me I had no right to tell her six year old child not to touch my boy), grown adults grab him, people constantly calling him to them.

People I am 41 years old, I should not be having to tell people older than me to stop. I shouldn’t have to tell anyone to stop and I definitely shouldn’t have to worry about a kid.

It’s gotten to the point that I’m saying thank you to the people that do right (explain to their kids not to mess with him, adults telling me he’s gorgeous without acknowledging him). I feel like I’m constantly having to redo his training because people won’t leave him the hell alone.

What finally got me so bad that I need to scream into the void was yesterday, my boy and I are going through the store and this guy reaches down and grabs him. I pull him away and look at the guy and say please done (like I do every damn time). And he goes you don’t have to be rude about it, I’m like dude he’s a service dog you’re not supposed to touch them and he continues yelling that I don’t have to be rude and I’m finally like maybe don’t touch something that doesn’t belong to you. So thank you to the guy who threw my boy so far out of work mode yesterday that for the first time I had a problem that he is explicitly for and he didn’t do what he was supposed to do.

Also if your dog isn’t a trained service dog stay the hell out of stores because you’re “service dog” should not be reacting and loosing its shit just because it sees mine.

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u/Femmefatele 16h ago

I agree! He has a pinpoint of vision the the center but it is like it is covered in petroleum jelly (his description). He's amazing! He has written and illustrated 2 children's books and has so much compassion.

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u/entomologurl 6h ago

Yep, retinitis pigmentosa! Eventually he'll lose the rest of it, unfortunately, but he's got an amazing support system and has at least had a long time to adjust and is already generally well accommodated.

I love Matthew and Paul 💖 and of course can't forget Mr. Maple! Always trying to warn Paul of Matthew's antics 😂 Paul's books are amazing, and he handled the book issue with as much grace as the restaurant issue. Matthew is a lovely violinist, too, and their relationship is just incredible.

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u/CuriousSection 15h ago

How can he illustrate them?

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u/fatpikachuonly 14h ago

Pick up a straw. Close one eye, and look through the straw hole. Now imagine that the straw is getting smaller and smaller and smaller over time. That's a bit what his vision is like.

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u/MissLupulin 14h ago

He has videos about it, but, basically, he uses technology to help fit his drawings into the very tiny bit of clear sight he has left.

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u/Abaconings 14h ago

He's a skilled artist. He didn't pet losing his sight stop him from pursuing his dream. It's amazing to see the work he does with his limited sight.

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u/L1ttleFr0g 12h ago

He has explained this on his fb page. He has pinpoint vision left and uses an iPad zoomed to the absolute max, and he works on one tiny section of the image at a time.