Esa animals
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 1
Esa animals
I am extremely pissed off. I have been attending the AA meeting, Alive at Eleven for a few weeks now, here in Omaha Nebraska at the Hamilton Club, located inside of the Center Mall, 1941 S 42 nd Street suite 109 lower level.
Our city is really cracking down on the Covid 19 Virus and it is causing my anxiety to be off the charts. I am required to attend 2 AA meetings per week due to my Diversion. Tonight, 3/15/2020 I brought my Emotional Support Dog to the 11:00 meeting. I brought a can of soda with me and placed it under my chair, out of the way. I accidentally knocked it over with my foot. I immediately went and grabbed paper towels, but wanted to wait until the end of the meeting to take care of it. I didn’t want to be RUDE and disrupt the meeting. My ESA dog sat very quietly on my lap, and then down by my feet. There was an extremely RUDE Overweight member and she disrupted the entire meeting and went and got a MOP, to clean up a very small spill. There was NO NEED to take care of this right then and there. She also informed me that PETS are NOT allowed at meetings. I asked her where the rules state that ESA animals are NOT allowed. She could not answer this question. I quickly left the meeting with my ESA. I was humiliated. She actually had the nerve to come outside and up to my car window. I let her know that what she did was NOT NECESSARY. I told her that there was another member that brings her dog. With all that is going on with this Corona Virus, and with me having an Autoimmune Disease, my ESA brings me comfort and helps with my stress and anxiety. I have been trying to find the rules regarding ESA’s and even called the AA 1-800 number. They informed me that there was NO information regarding ESA’s. I am just infuriated. I missed a meeting that was needed and was completely humiliated in front of the entire group. She was not running the meeting, she was just a member like myself. I would also like to add that my ESA is non hypoallergenic and does NOT shed. He was sitting on my lap inside a crossbody carrier sleeping. I would understand had he been disruptive or been running around, but he was neither. Can anyone tell me what the laws are regarding this?
Our city is really cracking down on the Covid 19 Virus and it is causing my anxiety to be off the charts. I am required to attend 2 AA meetings per week due to my Diversion. Tonight, 3/15/2020 I brought my Emotional Support Dog to the 11:00 meeting. I brought a can of soda with me and placed it under my chair, out of the way. I accidentally knocked it over with my foot. I immediately went and grabbed paper towels, but wanted to wait until the end of the meeting to take care of it. I didn’t want to be RUDE and disrupt the meeting. My ESA dog sat very quietly on my lap, and then down by my feet. There was an extremely RUDE Overweight member and she disrupted the entire meeting and went and got a MOP, to clean up a very small spill. There was NO NEED to take care of this right then and there. She also informed me that PETS are NOT allowed at meetings. I asked her where the rules state that ESA animals are NOT allowed. She could not answer this question. I quickly left the meeting with my ESA. I was humiliated. She actually had the nerve to come outside and up to my car window. I let her know that what she did was NOT NECESSARY. I told her that there was another member that brings her dog. With all that is going on with this Corona Virus, and with me having an Autoimmune Disease, my ESA brings me comfort and helps with my stress and anxiety. I have been trying to find the rules regarding ESA’s and even called the AA 1-800 number. They informed me that there was NO information regarding ESA’s. I am just infuriated. I missed a meeting that was needed and was completely humiliated in front of the entire group. She was not running the meeting, she was just a member like myself. I would also like to add that my ESA is non hypoallergenic and does NOT shed. He was sitting on my lap inside a crossbody carrier sleeping. I would understand had he been disruptive or been running around, but he was neither. Can anyone tell me what the laws are regarding this?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,378
I'm sorry that happened to you.
Service animals, especially ESA, are often not understood.
I'm not an AA member but others will be along I'm sure.
Can you bring this up at a Group Executive/Group Conscience level?
D
Service animals, especially ESA, are often not understood.
I'm not an AA member but others will be along I'm sure.
Can you bring this up at a Group Executive/Group Conscience level?
D
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
Posts: 39,870
I have been trying to find the rules regarding ESA’s and even called the AA 1-800 number. They informed me that there was NO information regarding ESA’s.
I agree with C0ntr0ls that you might want to find a different meeting. They are not all the same.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: US
Posts: 5,095
I am not an AA currently, but have been to many many meetings. It is my understanding that each meeting decides what their communities rules are. Closed/open, alcoholics only (ie no 'drug' addicts...whatever that means), kids, pets etc. So yes, some meetings have a no pet policy and that would include ESA's. Just as they have no kid policies. I go to one womens meeting where they allow pets but you can't pet them (because lets face it, people love dogs so we tend to make a fuss, which some can find distracting). So just find another meeting.
As for a no spill policy? Never heard that one
The fuss the woman made over your spill was stupid and on her. I'd just sit there and let her get all worked up if that suites her. If they have a no pet policy, find another meeting. I have been to meetings where there are multiple dogs and I do admit, it distracts. But I could care less because I love dogs so I find it all very cute. A lot of parents get frustrated by no kid policies and talk about worked up? Some people get down right hostel about kids. And ya can't leave your kid at home alone.....very frustrating for struggling alcoholic parents with children.
People. Its on them.
As for a no spill policy? Never heard that one
The fuss the woman made over your spill was stupid and on her. I'd just sit there and let her get all worked up if that suites her. If they have a no pet policy, find another meeting. I have been to meetings where there are multiple dogs and I do admit, it distracts. But I could care less because I love dogs so I find it all very cute. A lot of parents get frustrated by no kid policies and talk about worked up? Some people get down right hostel about kids. And ya can't leave your kid at home alone.....very frustrating for struggling alcoholic parents with children.People. Its on them.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
Yeah, I don't currently go to AA either but I've been to meetings with ESA dogs. It didn't bother me, but I like dogs. Not everyone does. If that particular meeting had a "rule" in place about no dogs, then someone should have told you in the opening announcements...but AA is pretty loosely run, so you'll hear and see all kinds of stuff that just shouldn't be happening. According to me. 
Same with kids. They don't bother me at meetings. I went to one Womens' meeting that always had kids. If the parents don't mind their kids hearing some pretty rough stuff why should I even be involved?
I agree, find another meeting and when you walk in ask the lead if your dog will be okay.
Same with kids. They don't bother me at meetings. I went to one Womens' meeting that always had kids. If the parents don't mind their kids hearing some pretty rough stuff why should I even be involved?
I agree, find another meeting and when you walk in ask the lead if your dog will be okay.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,909
I can understand and empathize with your frustration at this scenario. It would be frustrating and cause anxiety under normal circumstances; but compounding the situations is that lots (probably including the extremely RUDE Overweight member) of people's anxiety is off the charts due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the resulting threat of contracting COVID-19.
AA is not the entity that decides whether your ESA dog is permitted on the premises or not, that decision is made by government agencies and landlords of the facilities where the meetings take place.
The American Kennel Club, while not the official determining agency in this case states "ESAs are not granted access to establishments such as restaurants or malls like service dogs are."
I know this not the news that you probably wanted to hear, but at least it should help in narrowing down the direction that your search needs to go in order to get a correct answer to the question of ESA animals. Pursuing the answer through the channels of AA would be an ineffective use of your time, because they don't make the final decision. AA is merely renting the space where the meeting takes place, they have no official capacity to prove you with a solution to your question of ESA animals.
AA is not the entity that decides whether your ESA dog is permitted on the premises or not, that decision is made by government agencies and landlords of the facilities where the meetings take place.
The American Kennel Club, while not the official determining agency in this case states "ESAs are not granted access to establishments such as restaurants or malls like service dogs are."
I know this not the news that you probably wanted to hear, but at least it should help in narrowing down the direction that your search needs to go in order to get a correct answer to the question of ESA animals. Pursuing the answer through the channels of AA would be an ineffective use of your time, because they don't make the final decision. AA is merely renting the space where the meeting takes place, they have no official capacity to prove you with a solution to your question of ESA animals.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,474
I'm not an AA person either, but it you called the central number and were told there were no rules, then that's it. It seems that this particular meeting is causing you to lose focus on recovery, so it might be a good idea to look elsewhere for a meeting. I'm sorry this happened to you.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Christchurch, NZ
Posts: 517
That's life.
Interaction with other people is part of it.
You could easily get the same reaction in a McDonald's, a library ... anywhere there are other people.
AA (or regular life) never will be full of people who react to every situation exactly how we think they should.
ESA's are a relatively new thing so I think it would be best if you lower your expectations of others reactions to same and accept that it is what it is for now and just give it time for others to get accustomed to it.
If you get back to the same meeting and Jamie is there, she might apologize for the scenario playing out like it did and it'll all be water under the bridge.
Interaction with other people is part of it.
You could easily get the same reaction in a McDonald's, a library ... anywhere there are other people.
AA (or regular life) never will be full of people who react to every situation exactly how we think they should.
ESA's are a relatively new thing so I think it would be best if you lower your expectations of others reactions to same and accept that it is what it is for now and just give it time for others to get accustomed to it.
If you get back to the same meeting and Jamie is there, she might apologize for the scenario playing out like it did and it'll all be water under the bridge.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 533
Originally Posted by HeadEast 
You have a legal right to take your emotional support dog into meetings under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
As long as her dog is properly certified. People are abusing the service animal thing and they're really cracking down.
Buying a doggies vest on Ebay that says "service animal" is not going to cut it.
You need to have the dog certified.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,909
I have no issue or problem with emotional support animals. I am in favor of them if they provide help to their humans. However, my personal beliefs and philosophies have no impact on our legal system...from https://adata.org/guide/service-anim...upport-animals
While Emotional Support Animals or Comfort Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, they are not considered service animals under the ADA.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,132
Originally Posted by nez
I have no issue or problem with emotional support animals. I am in favor of them if they provide help to their humans. However, my personal beliefs and philosophies have no impact on our legal system...from https://adata.org/guide/service-anim...upport-animals
Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,909
Originally Posted by HeadEast
I was wrong about emotional support animals. Sorry about that.
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