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Man with service snake lobbies against WA bill

A man from Shelton who uses a snake as a service animal traveled to Olympia on Tuesday to lobby against a bill that would narrow the definition of an aid animal.

The measure opposed by Daniel Green would change the state law on service animals to meet federal standards, narrowing the definition to only dogs and miniature horses.

But Green says he's trained his snake to hug him when it feels an epileptic seizure coming to avoid injuries.

At a Senate Labor committee hearing, Green said the proposed bill would preclude him from going to many places. Green kept his snake in a bag during the hearing.

Restaurants and other retailers have backed the measure, saying that allowing any animal to be considered a service animal creates health hazards and other problems to their customers.

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014437306_apwaxgrserviceanimals1stldwritethru.html

"Restaurants and other retailers have backed the measure, saying that allowing any animal to be considered a service animal creates health hazards and other problems to their customers."

This is ridiculous as far as snakes are concerned. I would wager that a snake would be a much cleaner animal, and would pose a far less health hazard, than either a dog or a horse!

This is ridiculous as far as snakes are concerned. I would wager that a snake would be a much cleaner animal, and would pose a far less health hazard, than either a dog or a horse!

" creates health hazards and other problems to their customers."

Notice the other half of that statement referring to "other problems". Wether you want to admit it or not the majority of average people out there do not like snakes or are downright terrified of them. Restaurants are businesses who are out trying to make a dime like anyone else. You cannot do that with some dimwitt running around with his pet snake wrapped around him scaring off all your customers.

There is no defense for this clown as far as I am concerned. Snakes are not service animals by any stretch of the imagination. all this guy is doing is creating sensationalism for himself and problems for the rest of us.

Agreed...
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

More info on this story with lots of comments:

Debate grows over what defines a service animal

A friend from out of state was visiting my city. We decided to meet at a local restaurant. He has a cute little capuchin monkey that he brought with him, on a leash and perched on his shoulder. I was shocked that he expected to be able to bring the monkey into the restaurant. He claimed its allowed because its a "service animal".
I know this person is an able bodied capable individual with no disabilities that I could see. So I asked him, "exactly what does this monkey help you do?". He replied, "he helps me meet women!".
He was shocked when the restaurant manager made him remove the monkey from the restaurant. He claimed that he always gets away with it in his state.

I wonder if the restaurant manager was a woman, by chance?

My wife has always been the snake keeper in our house, (I've always been a lizard guy myself.) and I know quite a few women who like snakes. I have also seen grown men almost break down and cry at the sight of a little black racer crawling through hedges somewhere.
Which one was it again that had the conversation with a snake about eating an apple???? Adam right???? Nah he probably ran and hid from it.
Get out of the 50's you relic.
all that said I still don't think snake belong in restaurants.

I think you misunderstood my comment.
What I meant there was, in response to Wireptile's post, is that if he used his capuchin monkey to meet women in restaurants as a cover for his "disability", and the manager who ended up kicking him out happened to be a woman, that I would find that whole situation slightly ironic.

Sorry about that I guess I misunderstood you. That monkey pick-up tool, woman manager concept on that whole thing is a bit funny when I think about it.
It would really be interesting to get the monkey and the dude with the seeing eye snake in the same restaurant. Dinner would be ruined when all was said and done but the entertainment value would be priceless.

For the record, the restaurant manager was a male in his thirties.

Monkeys are nasty and with terrible table manners. lol
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Maybe the monkey's job is to make sure they don't have bad dates. "I am the monarch of the sea, I am the ruler of the..." Raiders of the lost ark..... anybody?!?!!