By Carol Reiter Casey Freitas has been
through some rough times. Eight years ago, the 47-year-old was in a
motorcycle accident in He spent weeks in the hospital, getting used to not
having the use of his legs, and then he came home to When Freitas got back to Because he is in a wheelchair, Freitas
thought that his dog, which he named So for a year, the medium-sized tan dog learned to
be a help to Freitas, picking up items for him and
blocking him when he lost his balance in his chair. Seven years later, Except for one place. After years of riding on Medicab
Mobile Ministries, Freitas has been told that he,
and his dog, are no longer welcome on the van that
transports sick and handicapped people in " On Oct. 17, Freitas said
that a Medicab driver gave the handicapped man a
warning: the dog would no longer be allowed on the van. When Freitas asked why, the driver said that some people might
be frightened of the dog. "I thought that he meant that I had to ride the
van by myself, with no one else on it," Freitas
said. But on Nov. 21, when Medicab
came back to pick up Freitas for a scheduled
doctor's appointment, he and the dog were again denied access, even though
there was no one else on the van. "They told me no matter what, they weren't
going to take the dog," Freitas said. Roxanne Banks, director of operations for Medicab, said that although Freitas'
dog is licensed as a service dog, she doesn't believe the dog provides a
service for him. "This dog has been trained for service, but he
has the dog for companionship," Banks said. "If he says it is a
service dog, he will have to ride with another service." But Freitas has the law on
his side. Both federal and state laws give disabled persons with service dogs
the right to have access to any business. According to the United States Department of
Justice, a service dog is any dog trained to provide assistance to an
individual with a disability, including dogs that may pull wheelchairs or
pick up things for persons with mobility impairments. The law also states that a service dog does not need
to be certified by either state or federal agencies. Sean Rashkis, a staff
attorney for Protection and Advocacy Incorporated, a "They can't say that the animal may become
aggressive or attack someone," Rashkis said.
"They have to have a specific example where the animal became
aggressive. "They cannot make a generalization about the
animal." Freitas has some choices about what he can do to get access
for his dog, Rashkis said. He can bring civil suit
against Medicab, and he can also make a complaint
to the state. Rashkis said that his organization helps disabled people
get through the maze of government regulations in making complaints. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act,
allergies and fear of animals is not a valid reason for denying access or
refusing service to people with service animals. Banks said that she has never had another person who
is in a wheelchair have a service dog. She said Freitas
told her he wants the dog with him because the dog gets anxious if left at
home. "We didn't have a problem (with Freitas) until we got complaints," Banks said.
"People are just saying that they are afraid of the dog, they aren't
saying why they are afraid." Freitas said that "I've never had anyone complain about
her," Freitas said. "She's always clean,
and I've never had any hassle about her at all." Banks said that there are other avenues that Freitas can use to get to his appointments around town.
She suggested that he use Dial-A-Ride, a part of the Merced County Transit
System. Larry Shankland,
transportation manager for Dial-A-Ride, said that he has many patients who
ride the county's bus with service dogs. "Casey Freitas is
welcome on Dial-A-Ride," Shankland said.
"The only restriction we have on service dogs is that if they are a
danger to others, you are not getting on the bus." Freitas said he would like to keep riding on Medicab, the business he has been using for the past
eight years. " Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at |
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