Woman Says She was Denied Emergency Service Due to Her Dog
A Lexington woman said she was denied service at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Saturday because she brought her service dog into the emergency room. “It was another woman who started saying that dog can’t be in here,” said Kathy Charles,44, the disabled woman who said she was denied service at an emergency room. Charles said she suffers with complication from fibromyalgia which causes her to lose her balance. She said the dog is used for support as she walks. She said the hospital security said only seeing-eye dogs were allowed in the hospital. Charles said her dog is a Great Dane, which is perfect due its height. She said the hospital security guard informed her she would have to leave if she chose not to remove the dog from the premises. “They were basically there to bodily remove me if I didn’t leave,” said Charles. Jackson-Madison County General Hospital released the following statement: “Based on Tennessee Department of Health rules and regulations, dogs, cats, or other animals are not allowed in our hospital facilities unless they are specially trained for pet therapy or a certified service animal. At no time was emergency care delayed in this situation,” said Tina Prescott, RN, vice president of hospital services. Charles said there are no official certifications required for service dogs. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, businesses and organizations which serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go which includes hospitals. It said staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog. “I think they should allow her to go in there with a dog. I mean that’s what the dog is suppose to do is help her,” said Shane McBroom, a Jackson resident.
