David Cornelius is a man who has made great sacrifices for his country. As a Vietnam War veteran, he fought bravely on our behalf. His days in combat have left him with a number of different disabilities. Juliana is his service dog and he is highly dependent on her. This is usually not a problem for most establishments that he frequents.
When he attempted to check into a hotel recently, the staff at the Bentonville was not willing to let him sleep there. They told David that they had a no animals policy that could not be broken. He tried to let them know that Juliana is his service dog and was still turned away. He and his dog were forced to spend the night sleeping his car as a result of the decision.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, animals like Juliana cannot be turned away for any reason. She was fulfilling a legitimate function on David’s behalf. David even let the hotel know that he would be willing to show the necessary paperwork. It still did not matter. We understand that some people abuse the law but this is ridiculous.
It should have been obvious to the hotel staff that this man was not trying to pull a fast one. Veterans do not have to suffer just because others do not know how to obey the laws. We just hope all of the jerks who were willing to bend the rules to their benefit are truly proud of themselves. These actions have consequences and David is the collateral damage.
We hope that this story travels, so that people who behave in such a manner can realize the error of their ways. Instead of living in a world where people with service dogs can receive the assistance that they need, the scofflaws have created an environment full of skepticism. ADA guideliens were put into place to help people like David, not people who are just looking to travel on the cheap.
If you would like to learn more about this veteran’s harrowing story, please be sure to check out the link below. Those who would like to assist David should take the time to pass it along. This is a story that more people need to hear. Let’s stop using these laws for the wrong purposes and stop looking the other way when people who do not need service dogs try to travel with them.
Watch the video here