Photo via @chaoticqxeen/TikTok
August 16, 2021, 12:59 pm
A woman in a restaurant was filmed having a dramatic phone conversation on her opinions about an emotional support animal in the same establishment right in front of the dog’s owner. This woman, yet another who has been dubbed a “Karen” for failing to mind her own business, for some reason had a serious problem with a dog who, according to the owner, was lying quietly under the table after the manager gave them both permission to be there.
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She also didn’t realize that the owner is a TikTok user who goes by the name of Erika and who was about to make her internet famous.
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The Karen can be heard (since she’s standing right in front of Erika) complaining to a supposed friend who has a service dog about the difference between these and emotional support animals, which do get the same legal protections as service animals but are still often allowed in businesses. In the case of dogs like the one belonging to Erika, business owners are not legally required to allow them inside their establishments but can make their own personal decision to let them in, as was the case in this particular restaurant.
The Karen could have left and purchased food elsewhere if she had a problem with this, but instead decided to make a big scene so everybody could laugh at her, including the folks behind her in line.
We have the sneaking suspicion that no one is really on the other end of that call, especially since after Karen makes a big point to say out loud “so we have to call animal control” or the police on Erika and her dog, who doesn’t make a peep no matter how many times Karen slaps her own thigh, which is a lot.
“This dog should not be in a public place, I know that,” she says with two more thigh slaps.
Emotional support dogs, just like all dogs, are generally allowed in outdoor public places as long as they’re on a leash. This may not include private businesses, but this just emphasizes that either two people don’t know what they’re talking about at all, or just one if the Karen is talking to nobody.
“I’ve done extensive research on this and I know this dog’s not allowed to be here,” Karen continues.
If she had truly done the research, she would know that it is up to the business owner as to whether certain animals are allowed inside the seating area of their restaurant. Since no employees appear to have asked Erika to remove her dog, every other customer was minding their own business until Karen started hitting herself.
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“An emotional support animal is allowed to be in your house and an airplane, that’s it.”
Again, this is incorrect. Emotional support animals are also allowed to be outside and in businesses where the owner chooses to allow them, just like regular everyday pets, as long as it’s not a violation of local health codes. If it is, the health department would be the place to call, not animal control or the cops.
Finally, a bystander speaks up for Erika. “Ma’am, if you have a problem, you should just leave,” they suggest.
“I’m not leaving, I’m calling the police!” she declares.
The video ends soon after that, but we can assume Erika was not arrested for the non-crime of having a dog in a business where the owner was cool with it.
Erika turned off comments on her TikTok video, understandably, but it soon made its way to Reddit where the comments mostly find the Karen to be annoying, even if many have understandable concerns about people abusing allowances for emotional support animals.
*First Published: August 16, 2021, 12:59 pm
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