Woodinville, WA man claims Value Village kicked him out over service dogs
WOODINVILLE, Wash. – A Woodinville man says he was asked to leave a Value Village store this week after an employee questioned the legitimacy of his two service dogs.
James Oneal, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder, relies on his dogs, Sprinkles and Otis, to alert him to severe migraines before they occur.
The 62-year-old says he frequently shops at the Value Village near his home, often purchasing Seahawks gear and other items for his dogs. However, during a visit on Wednesday, he said things took a sudden turn when a store employee began following him around and eventually confronted him about his dogs.
“They barked once. He came over and went, ‘I need to know about them’, and I said they’re service dogs,” recalled Oneal.
Despite showing the employee an official card and explaining that Sprinkles and Otis are trained to alert him before migraines hit, Oneal said the worker wasn’t convinced.
“When I told him they were for migraines, he said, ‘You can check out and leave now,’” Oneal said.
Oneal, who has been battling a condition called neurofibromatosis his entire life, says he was left feeling confused and upset by the encounter. His disorder has caused tumors to develop in various parts of his body, including an 11-pound tumor that was surgically removed from his face in 2008.
“I just want people to understand what service dogs are for. Service dogs come in all sizes,” said Oneal.
Sprinkles and Otis are not Oneal’s first service dogs. He previously had a dog named Honeybear, who became well-known around Woodinville for assisting him at local stores.
After Honeybear passed away, Oneal adopted and trained Sprinkles and Otis, who have been by his side ever since.
“I can go to any restaurant anywhere, and I show them my service card, and they’re like ‘you’re good’,” Oneal said.
Despite his frustration, Oneal said he doesn’t want the Value Village employee to lose his job but hopes the store’s staff will be better informed about service animals in the future.
FOX 13 reached out to Value Village for a response to Oneal’s claims but has not received a reply as of 48 hours after the incident.
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