Service dog attacked by emotional support dog; a family's plea to other pet owners

>>> TWO DOGS IN A RESTAURANT,

ONE ATTACKS THE OTHER.

AND THE DOG ALLOWED IN THE

RESTAURANT IS A SERVICE DOG.

>> NOW MORE WITH WRAL'S MONICA

LALIBERTE ON THE STORY.

>> Reporter: WELL BEHAVED DOGS

ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED ON THE

PATIO THIS BUSINESS OWNER

SAYS.

BUT THERE IS MORE TO A WELL

BEHAVED DOG.

THEY SAY IF YOUR DOG CANNOT

KEEP ITSELF UNDER CONTROL,

LEAVE IT HOME.

SERVICE DOGS KNOW SUITING UP

MEANS IT IS TIME TO WORK.

FOR GRACE, A RECENT DAY ON THE

JOB AT A WILMINGTON RESTAURANT

ENDED IN A VETERINARY ER.

>> THE DOG SAW GRACE AND RAN

OVER AND LUNGED AT HER AND BIT

HER RIGHT HERE ON THE SIDE OF

HER NECK AND HER EAR.

>> Reporter: GRACE SUPPORTS

JERRY WENT WORTH'S DAUGHTER,

MELISSA.

>> I DIDN'T THINK THE DOG WOULD

EVER LET GO.

>> I WAS KICKING THE DOG AND

TRYING TO PUSH THE EYEBALL.

>> Reporter: WHAT WAS THAT

MOMENT LIKE?

>> TERRIFYING.

I THOUGHT THE DOG MAY DIE

TODAY.

>> Reporter: GRACE NEEDED

STAPLES TO CLOSE THE BITE

WOUNDS.

THE DOG THAT ATTACKED GRACE,

HER OWNER SAYS SHE IS AN

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG WHICH

LEGALLY SHOULD NOT BE INSIDE A

RESTAURANT.

LEGITIMATE SERVICE ANIMALS

TYPICALLY GO THROUGH YEARS OF

TRAINING.

BECAUSE OF THE TASKS THEY

PERFORM FOR A PERSON WITH A

DISABILITY, THE PERSONS WITH

DISABILITIES ACT SAYS SERVICE

ANIMALS CAN LEGALLY GO INTO

RESTAURANTS AND GROCERY STORES.

UNDER THE LAW THERAPY,

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS AND

PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE

GROCERY STORES, NOR RESTAURANT

DINING ROOMS.

A RESTAURANT CAN ALLOW ANIMALS

IN PATIO AREAS.

THIS DOG'S OWNER TELLS ME SHE

WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LAW,

SAYING QUOTE SHE HAS NEVER HAD

A PROBLEM TAKING HER DOG INTO

RESTAURANTS.

SHE DID NOT WANT TO TALK ON

CAMERA BUT SAID HONOR HAD A

HEALTH CONDITION AND MAY HAVE

ATTACKED BECAUSE SHE WAS QUOTE

ON MEDICATION, CONFINED TO HER

CRATE AND ISOLATED FOR 14

WEEKS.

ANIMAL CONTROL CITED THE OWNER

AND DECLARED HER DOG HONOR

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.

SHE HAS TO POST THIS SIGN

WARNING ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK,

DOG MAY BITE, AND SHE PAID

GRACE'S VET BILL.

AS FOR MELISSA, AFTER THE

TRAUMA OF THE ATTACK, SHE NO

LONGER FEELS SAFE TAKING GRACE

OUT WITH HER.

SHE AND HER MOM HOPE OTHERS

HEAR THE MESSAGE ABOUT

TRAINING, THE RISKS AND THE

LAWS.

>> Reporter: YOU KNOW DOGS SEEM

TO BE EVERYWHERE THESE DAY,

PET SERVICE DOGS AND OTHERS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT FEDERAL

RESERVE AN ATTACK ON A CUSTOMER

AT A RESTAURANT AND MORE AND

THE UNIQUE WAY RESTAURANT

OWNERS HERE ARE TRYING TO REEL

THE PROBLEM IN.

THAT AHEAD AT 6:00.

>> I AM CURIOUS HOW A

RESTAURANT OWNER KNOWS THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EMOTIONAL

SUPPORT DOG AND A SERVICE DOG.

ARE THE JACKETS THE DOGS WEAR

DIFFERENT?

>> Reporter: NO.

THE JACKETS HAVE NOTHING TO DO

WITH IT AT ALL BECAUSE ANYONE

CAN BUY A VEST ONLINE.

IN FACT, A LEGITIMATE SERVICE

DOG DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO WEAR A

JACKET.

BUT AT 6:00, IT IS KIND OF

SEVERAL THINGS, TWO QUESTIONS

A BUSINESS CAN ASK AND WE WILL

HAVE THAT FOR YOU AT 6:00.

ALSO SOME OF THE THINGS TO KNOW

THE DIFFERENCE CLEARLY BETWEEN

A PET AND SERVICE DOG.

MORE ON THAT THEN.

>> VERY GOOD, MONICA.

THANK YOU.

>>> WELL, THINK OF YOUR FIVE