Veteran says hotel dispute over service dog led to arrest

A bill making its way through the Legislature may prevent situations like the one Monday night in which a young veteran was arrested at a Bonita Springs hotel after he, his family and his service dog were denied lodging.

Jason White, 34, was arrested at the Best Western following a dispute with the hotel manager and staff over his service dog, Camo. He was charged with battery and destruction of property, the Lee County sheriff's report said, after he kicked and cracked a television and shoved the hotel manager, Vinit "Vinnie" Patel.

Carol Borden of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, which provided Camo to White, said House Bill 71 would cover issues like this one. The bill would require public accommodation to permit use of service animals by those with disabilities and revises penalties for those who interfere with that use.

White suffered a traumatic brain injury and spinal wounds while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in 2012 when a 200-pound improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. The Wyoming, Mich., resident said he has been on anxiety medication and has been helped greatly by Camo.

The dog was originally trained in a program to aid veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder at St. Matthew's House in Naples and was transferred to the Whites on Feb. 13. The family is in Southwest Florida to complete training for the 2-year-old German shepherd, who is set to graduate from training Saturday.

Problems began after White, his wife, Danielle, 30, and their daughter, Savannah, 2, checked in Monday night. White said he brought Camo in later and saw nobody at the front desk. Within minutes of entering their room, the dog ate something off the floor, White said, and started vomiting, frothing at the mouth and having hallucinations.

When White went to the front desk to seek help, he said Patel became irate about the dog and asked the family to leave. White called the sheriff's office when Patel was adamant that the family leave the hotel despite the dog being clearly marked with a black service dog vest.

Deputies spoke with Patel. According to the police report, Patel stated "that due to the couple not having a certificate for the dog, he did not believe the dog to actually be a service dog and he did not want them in his hotel."

Borden said that paperwork is not necessary for a service dog under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The Whites said they are willing to use this incident to educate the public about service dogs. "If nothing else, we are hoping to bring education and awareness to this area," Danielle White said.

Added Borden: "This is something we are teaching all the time. A service dog is not considered a pet."

Patel in a statement said: "We comply with all federal, state and local laws, including the Americans With Disabilities Act. We have a long history of accepting service animals. In fact, on the night in question, we had another service animal staying at our hotel, without incident.

"In this situation the guest did not identify that he had a service animal with him upon check-in. We were first made aware of the animal's presence in the guest's room through multiple complaints from other guests regarding the dog's barking."

The Whites said Camo did not bark and the manager did not know the dog was in the hotel until they brought him to the front desk.

White said that if he had the chance to do it over he would restrain himself better and not get rough with the manager.

"I stayed calm until the officers came out and said there was nothing they could do," he said.

Danielle White said her husband did well during the 45-minute confrontation. "You could see the hostility," she said of the hotel.

The Whites said they did not mention Camo upon registering because they have had issues at other hotels about Camo. "We've been denied before," Danielle White said.

Borden also praised the deputies. "They did the right thing. They did tell the hotel management the law. They can only tell the law, they can't arrest them," she said. "It should just never have happened."

Danielle White said she spent nearly three hours at Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialists & 24 Hour Emergency Hospital on Bonita Beach Road, where Camo received fluids and recovered.

She also found another hotel, the Holiday Inn Express in the Forum in Fort Myers, which allowed her, Savannah and Camo to stay.

Alexa Hardin, manager at the Holiday Inn Express, said the hotel does not usually accept pets but has policies and procedures in place for service animals and that managers are instructed in the ADA.

Hardin added that she has been in touch with local businesses collecting certificates for the Whites. "I'm sure they spent money they did not plan to," she said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, local restaurants Buffalo Wild Wings, Shoeless Joes and Texas Roadhouse provided the family gift certificates; Petco provided a large basket for Camo; and area IHG hotels provided points that the family can use on their trip home to ease some of the travel expenses. The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau also provided a gift basket that included tickets to local attractions and souvenirs.

About the Americans with Disabilities Act

Where Service Animals Are Allowed

Under the ADA, State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go.

Service animals must be under control

Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal's work or the individual's disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.

Specific rules

When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person's disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

Source: ada.gov

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