Trader Joe’s customer is shopping with service dog when an employee tells her to leave. So she makes them look up the law: ‘that’s not on me’

A recent video has sparked a conversation about a type of service dog that most people don’t know about. TikToker Elyssa has one of these rarer service dogs, the kind that stays unleashed, and she recently faced a lot of friction over this, seemingly at a Trader Joe’s. She uploaded part of the incident to TikTok, recording the moment a grocery store employee made a specific demand. The video went on to get over 1.9 million views. 

In the video, Elyssa asked the employee, “You said if I don’t put her on a leash, that you’re not gonna check out my groceries.” The employee responds, “Yes, I am saying that you are not welcome to shop here when you have the dog on a leash.” When Elyssa attempts to bring up the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, the employee offers a different solution. 

“I can offer an alternative,” the employee told Elyssa. “I’m letting you know I am happy to accommodate your grocery shopping. If you would like to wait outside while I complete it for you, I’m happy to do that.” Elyssa understandably refuses this, stating, “I’m not gonna let you do my grocery shopping. I come here all the time.”

Service animals have to be contained but not leashed if needed.

The interaction highlights a common misunderstanding regarding service animals. When a manager came up, Elyssa explained that her dog is trained to perform deep pressure therapy, pick up dropped items, and circle to guard her. She claimed, “One of her tasks is to create extra space. She also has this, which she’s trained to use. Vibrating and alerting. She’s trying to do her job right now.” 

Despite the explanation,  the employee continues to insist on the leash. She told the manager, “I asked her if she could please put her service animal on the leash. I offered an accommodation of me doing her shopping.” Elyssa stayed calm, even though she sounded clearly frustrated, as she tried to explain the law. 

At one point, she tells the manager, “I’m recording this because I’ve gone to court before over crap like this, and if I have to document it, then I do.” Eventually, the manager looks up ADA rules and acknowledges the law. At that point, we hear the employee admit, “I will admit, according to this, I do think I was wrong, and I am sorry.” 

In the next breath, however, the employee brought up their offer again. At this point, the TikToker snapped back, explaining that it wasn’t a possible accommodation because, “I don’t know what I need.” The employee allegedly replied, “But that’s not on me.” Elyssa also rejected one of the employee’s alleged threats, stating, “It’s not a reasonable accommodation to follow me around the store.”

The video triggered a massive debate on both platforms. One user warned, “It’s a $10,000 fine to any business that does this btw. Just don’t f— with service animals.” Another commenter noted, “Imagine trying to take away someone’s wheelchair cause you don’t like it in the aisle. service dogs are not the same as pets they are legally medical equipment.” 

In the comments, one user identified the store as a Trader Joe’s. It was something that Elyssa had been avoiding. She then emphasized that she doesn’t want to blame the entire store, praising the other employees who were kind, and offered her flowers and chocolate to apologize for the experience.

It should be noted that there were users who thought the store was in the right. One wrote, “I’m so over dogs in stores!” Another argued, “THAT IS NOT A SERVICE ANIMAL,” which was an argument that a few people made in the comments.

According to the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered unless the handler’s disability prevents it or the device interferes with the dog’s ability to perform tasks. According to the Service Dog Training School, service animals are considered medical equipment, not pets, and are entitled to public access. When a handler’s disability requires a dog to work off-leash, the handler must maintain control through voice, signal, or other effective means.

The Service Dog Training School noted that public awareness is also essential to debunking misconceptions. When a person comes with a service animal, businesses are required to provide reasonable accommodations. 

As Elyssa told the employee during their standoff, “It’s not on you to be the ADA police when you literally didn’t even know about the law.” One commenter, however, really hit the nail on the head, writing, “Making you stand outside and her do your grocery shopping is not an accommodation. That is still discrimination.”