Nashua Mall Santa Allergic To Service Dog, Mom Mad
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I'm pretty sure this is a rerun of an old story from last year. Trot it out again because it is great for drama and outrage.
Helicopter mom was way out of line. This was a medical alert dog and a medical alert dog can and will alert from 10 feet away. The kid could have gone in, had the photo taken, been out in 2 minutes and the dog would have been right close by, working the entire time, and would have let everyone know if there was a problem.
I wonder if the mall tried to keep the Santa area as hypoallergenic as possible. Thousands of kids go through the Santa enclosure every year and it has to be kept as safe as possible for every one of them.
How can they keep the area or Santa dander free when he(This Mall's Santa) is scheduled for this event being held in the photo area? Nothing is changed. Maybe you guys are all to quick to villify a child (shame on all of you) and maybe this employee was overreacting?
So where does the Santa employee's rights kick in? It seems if he has a serious allergy to dogs, that needs to be accommodated too.
I'm so sick of seeing children on news reports hanging their heads and saying "it made me feel so sad" "it made me feel afraid". Why do we encourage children to say they felt sad or afraid? ???
Because children's feelings are just as valid as those of adults. Compartmentalization is not a healthy way to deal with negative emotions. That's one reason why we have people not talking about abuse they were subjected to until sometimes decades after the fact.
And if Santa's allergies are such a problem, he needs to find a job that does not involve face-to-face customer contact, because you don't get to pick and choose who you work with in those job situations.
I almost always agree with you, but in this case, I don't agree that a 10 year old has a "legal right" to have her photo taken with a dressed up Santa Claus at a mall.
Unless there is a posted age limit that precludes 10 year old children, she has every right.
Wow....Such hypocrisy. So Santa doesn't have any rights as someone who has allergies?
So, rather than one child be disappointed by this one attempt to sit on Santa's lap....Santa is supposed to get sick and disappoint all the other children.
How can someone support one person's disability and not another's? Taking to facebook to malign folks for every personal slight is ludicrous.
Mom certainly should have checked ahead, that is part of being responsible when you have a child with disabilities.
Your job is to teach your child how to live in this world, and it is a great disservice to teach a child that it is everyone else's job to change their lives to meet your needs. Sometimes we have to teach our child that there are other options, that not everything is worth falling on your sword for.
There are other Santa options, where pets are allowed. Now this child has this memory instead of a calm happy visit with Santa.
Me too. I am also sick of seeing them in grocery stores. We are not talking about seeing eye dogs, but those "emotional support" dogs people have to have with them 24/7 so they can function.
This is NOT an ESA. This dog is trained to detect epileptic seizures, which can happen at any time without warning.
What an amazing mom you must be! Let him believe in Santa as long as possible. I am tired of people trying to put everybody in a box. We are all different, and Santa is magical. I hope you and your son have a wonderful Christmas, and bless you both.
Thank you for this comment; I really needed it today!
I think all kids are different & most of my youngest son's siblings were over the whole Santa thing by the time they were 10.
It's just different for disabled children. My son is a great kid & in some ways, he is much wiser than I am. But he functions at the level of a 6-year-old & he gets very excited about Santa every year; I can't imagine taking that away from him.
We have, however, had to transition from the "taking pictures with Santa" to a yearly "Dear Santa" letter, as he is now 6 foot tall & 200lbs! Santa is a big guy but that's just asking a bit much!
Well according to the ADA, her daughter had the right to have the dog with her because allergy or fear doesn't limit where the dog can go.
So I have a ton of allergies and sensitivities. I could never have a job where I had to come in that close of contact with so many people (we are talking about sitting on laps!) because dander on the kids, strong perfumes, the smell of smoke all cause me to wheeze and need medication. If santa was *that* allergic to dogs you would think this wouldn't be his job.
He is working IN A MALL, not at a Humane Society or as a dog groomer. There is a reasonable expectation that he will not be exposed to dogs. And, while I can't speak for the allergic Santa, a little bit of dander on clothes might cause me a rash and some itching, but close exposure to an actual dog can trigger a major asthma attack. The woman was not denied entry to the mall, she was asked to keep the dog away from Santa and, when she complained, was told the mall offers Santa pet photos and to return for those. Sounds absolutely reasonable to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird
I think people are wrong about the mom too. People have no idea how much parents of disabled kids have to fight to advocate for their children. From the medical system, to schools...its a freaking nightmare. And people treat disabled people like second class citizens who get things they don't deserve.
The allergic Santa is also disabled and working in an environment where he can reasonably expect to not be exposed to dogs. Expecting the girl to have the photo taken without her dog is not unreasonable in the least and does not infringe on her rights as a disabled person. She was not forced to remove the dog from the mall, she/her mother were told she needed to keep him away from Santa, but that she could return for the pet Santa photo session and include him in that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird
It isn't true. A closer parking space with room to pull up a wheelchair, or being the first to board a plane, or being able to bring a service dog with you is not worth being seriously disabled. But people think disabled people act "entitled" when they insist on the few laws that protect them from being excluded be followed.
Its a huge case of people just not living it...or having the empathy to understand.
Where's the empathy for the allergic Santa? The girl could have survived 30 seconds without her dog to have a pic with Santa taken and then returned another time for the Pet Santa photos to include her dog.
Yes, she is. But I think the article said a sibling no longer believes in Santa, not the 10 year old.
I realized Santa wasn't real when I was 4. So there's that. I sat on this guy's lap and saw his fake beard and realized no one could deliver gifts all over the world in one night on a sleigh. When I was 4.
So yeah, it's time for her to realize this. I'm astonished why kids over 5 don't realize Santa is a fun tradition but isn't real. Like the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny.
What? Tooth fairy isn't real?
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