Lia has arrived...

Lia got here Tuesday afternoon to be here permenantly. She has been doing great. She is really getting used to being with me 24/7 and is getting used to the base. Lia has met the important people of the barracks and everyone knows she is here. I did put a sign on the door to let everyone know that she is in the room and that they shouldn't BANG on the doors. Not only would it wake/startle her, it would get me too. So far, so good. We have been to the Wal-Mart today and got some treats, waste bags, and a new bone. The community seems to be embracing her with me. I did a brief interview with the Jacksonville Daily News about Lia arriving. It sounds like that will help with getting the word out that Lia will be around town with me, and maybe people won't be startled to see her inside their establishments. Well, back to the beginning of this blog, Kyria brought Lia here on Tuesday afternoon. We got back in the groove of being together. Wednesday, we stuffed the public access test and some training into one day. Weather up north wasn't agreeing with the plan so Kyria had to leave earlier than expected. No problem. Lia did FLAWLESSLY on the PAT. I was so proud. We had a good session and got some of my questions answered. That was Wednesday. Yesterday, we had a great day. We did have a little altercation at the gas station on base. We entered, spent maybe 4 minutes in the store browsing, and approached the register. The attendant was very friendly and greeted me and Lia. They were happy to see a service dog on base. Then, the manager yelled from her office that "If that isnt a see-and-eye dog, they can't be here." I, without getting upset right away, simply stated that she was a service dog and had every right to be here. She said that since food was served, she couldn't be. I then presented her ID card with her certifications and stated that under federal law, she can be where I am. Well, the manager was not receiving any information that day, so before getting completely "ticked" off, I left. I informed paws4people, and left it at that. I had a plan in my mind of what I should do, to educate the staff at the gas station. But, that could of turned into something I wouldnt want. It's in the past now, and can only hope that they are caught up on the current laws concerning service dogs. I didn't let it ruin our day. While the weather held out, we went for a walk down to the obstacle course and threw the ball around for a while. One thing i forgot to mention, was that Wednesday Lia had a microchip inserted for the on-base requirement to be met. it was painful, I can only imagine, but she recovered well. It was a good trip all together to the PetSmart/Banfield A.H. I was very proud of my girl this week, and look forward to many more weeks, months, and years together. I can only imagine how great things are gonna be from now on. Well, I will make sure to make an entry tomorrow. We should have a quiet evening and maybe watch a movie. Have a great weekend, everyone.