Woman Files Human Rights Complaint Because She Thinks She MIGHT Be Discriminated Against

[Pong Messiah]

What the ****ing ****?

Woman A with a service animal sees an apartment she likes, and doesn't apply because she is told twice by Woman B, who is showing her the apartment, that pets are not allowed.

Woman A then files a complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission, because she thinks she would have been denied housing. She was so sure of it, she didn't even fill out an application -- she just assumed the Woman B was going to do the wrong thing.

No benefit of the doubt. No asking Woman B if there was a misunderstanding. She filed a complaint based off of an assumption of character. At no point was Woman A actually denied housing.

There are so many explanations that aren't evil. A lot of people think service dogs are Labs or Goldens only. Maybe Woman B saw the Chihuahua and couldn't wrap her head around a Chihuahua as a service animal. It could have been a valuable teachable moment. Or maybe there was a simple miscommunication between the two women. Or maybe Woman B was ignorant of the law -- probably not a good idea for her to be showing rentals, but still a valuable lesson. And again: at no time was Woman A actually denied housing. For that to have occurred, she would have had to spend time filling out a rental application, rather than running to the Human Rights Commission with her claims of discrimination.

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For quick and simple review: pets are not service animals, and in most cases, landlords can decide what kind and how many pets are allowed. Service animals are not pets, and in most cases, a landlord cannot deny housing or evict a renter on the basis of them requiring the assistance of a service animal.

[Burt]

What to expect when you're expecting [to be discriminated against].

[Ms. Spam]

Self fulfilling prophecy?

 

Also I would want to strangle that woman for not asking. As a teacher there are no dumb questions. Ask for crying out loud. If your chihuahua is truly a service animal you should have some proof as they have to go through some training.

[monkeygirl]

Let's just kill her. She's a waste of skin.

[Odine]

The only service a chihuahua can provide is emotional boosts i.e constant hilarity(contempt) at the sight of their ridiculous appearance.

 

They'd make nice scarves though. (Not the bald Mexican ones though that'd just be silly)

[Pong Messiah]

I know you're kidding, Odine, but Chihuahuas can make great service animals for certain people. I know there are some who fake it and claim their therapy or comfort animal (or simply their pet) is a "service animal," but Chihuahuas and other smaller breeds can be great when it comes to sensing allergens for people who go into anaphylactic or as medical alert dogs, especially if those people live in apartments or other smaller spaces.

[Destiny Skywalker]

My mom has one of those bullshit companion dogs so that she can keep her dog at her housing complex. That bichon frise just barks all damn day long, and then she has to feed it and get it groomed. Service animal, my ass.

[Ms. Spam]

Chihuahuas are the most lickingest dogs that there are. Those things lick your shoes, your knees, your hands, your nose and if you're not careful they'll slip you some tongue. And yes, they do have a strong allergen detector but really I feel like an allergy that kills you is just weeding the population in the evolution garden. Companion animals are pets and my cats are companion animals but the moment I kick the bucket my cats won't hesitate to eat me to survive. The peanut sized Chihuahua brain will make it wait to eat until the corpse is decomposing if it's yap doesn't attract attention to your dead body. But then a dog bark is like that idiot who lives in your neighborhood with a super sensitive car alarm that goes off endlessly to the point you pray that one night someone is really stealing but you know the truth, it'll still be there in the morning and you are tempted to clip it with your shitty car.

 

I have a new neighbor who has a 'service' dog but I sincerely doubt it is. It barks endlessly.

[The Kurgan]

My family actually owns a chihuahua and I don't think I've ever managed to get within five feet of the thing. It's the most fearful creature I've ever seen.

[Ms. Spam]

Aw, fearful dogs have something going on in their tiny brains. Our family chihuahua is football shaped and because it is the only tiny dog in a house full of weimaraners and golden retrievers it is greedy as hell and not afraid.

[Copper]

I know service dogs are important, but literally every person I know who has one got it for a bullshit reason. I had a guy tell me at a party a few weeks ago that he got his dog registered so that it could, "go with him on public transportation when Armageddon breaks loose." I then told him that if it's Armageddon, that odds are the bus drivers wouldn't show up to work. He looked annoyed.

[Burt]

Let's just kill her. She's a waste of skin.

Turn her into a new coat?

[Odine]

I know you're kidding, Odine, but Chihuahuas can make great service animals for certain people. I know there are some who fake it and claim their therapy or comfort animal (or simply their pet) is a "service animal," but Chihuahuas and other smaller breeds can be great when it comes to sensing allergens for people who go into anaphylactic or as medical alert dogs, especially if those people live in apartments or other smaller spaces.

Yeahhhh...... See.... Allergens are easy to avoid if one is diligent enough. My best friend and ex housemate is deathly allergic to most nuts, severely allergic to eggs and dairy, and less so to a multitude of other things. He has only needed to use an epi-pen once in the 8 years that I've known him. No medical alert dog needed.

 

I take your point.. Sure some people could use a chihuahua to their advantage I suppose. But if you need a dog like that to warn you about the deadly contents of your microwave dinner you're neglegantly about to dive into perhaps you'd asking for it? I mean a little diligence is paramount to survival if one is anaphylactic. Don't think I would personally trust a little yappy rat to safeguard me.

 

But kind of irrelevant.. The woman in question in the OP is an idiot.

[The Kurgan]

I then told him that if it's Armageddon, that odds are the bus drivers wouldn't show up to work. He looked annoyed.

We probably would show up for work, actually. Acts of God only caused me to miss work once and that was when half my city was under water.

 

<anyhoo, enough smart assery out of me, back to the conversation>