We just got back from our trip to Tennessee. What a nightmare! First we had an accident, hit a deer on the interstate going 70mph. No one was hurt, thank God, but the car was damaged pretty good. Set us back a day. We ended up staying in a motel 3 different nights on the way there and back. Then it was the problem with Jetta! They would not let me stay there with her!!! I thought they had to?? I showed them the information you gave me but they wanted her registration number???? I got turned away by 2 in one area and we ended up driving 2 more hours just to find a place that would allow her and they even were sticklers about it but finally ended up letting us stay. Had I known all the problems I would never have taken her and yet I needed her twice while I was gone to help me up when my knee gave out. The place that flat out said no was, Days Inn, 1350 E. 83rd Avenue, Merrillville, IN 46410 Phone number is: 219-736-5252 and fax is: 219-769-9048.

I showed them the little card that say's "I am a service dog" and has the statue written inside. I told her to copy it and she said she didn't have a copy machine. Then I told her to familiarize herself with the law and she simply said, "I'm sorry, we don't take dogs". I said you will be more sorry if you get reported for turning us away and she again, just said... sorry. Very snotty!!! So I asked for their card for the motel information.

The one we stayed at was a comfort Inn 112 State Rd. 46 E.
Batesville, IN 47006
(812) 934-6185
They gave us a very hard time but did end up letting us stay. They went on and on about needing her registration number etc....they did make a copy of the law though. I will look that one up on our credit card for the info but I am not as mad at them as at the one above who simply refused us.

Then the last place we were at, also a Comfort Inn gave us a bit of a hard time but let us stay... All of them were in Indiana. We stopped at a Holiday Inn and they had no problem at all with having her there, the woman seemed to know the law as she said it is a state law in Indiana to allow service dogs but we didn't stay there because it was $120 a night.

Once we got in the room, we never went out because I was afraid to run into someone that worked there. The place that did let us stay in batesville come up to me when we were taking things to our room and said he talked to the manager and the manager wanted to see her registration number. I just said that I didn't have it and gave him what I did have which was the service dog card.

It was a horrible experience and I was hurting from traveling, tired and sooo frustrated!!! I was so afraid we would have to keep driving and it was hot and we had my mom along who is 81.

We'll see what the U.S. Department of Justice has to say about this. I looked up the Indiana State Law on Service dogs, and it states: "Indiana law guarantee's a blind, deaf, or physically disables person has the legal right to be accompanied by a specially trained dog in all public accommodations and on all common carriers. No extra charge can be levied because of the dog's presence, but the dog user is liable for any damage the dog might cause to the premises". The people that denied you access broke the law. In my handbook, there is no mention of identification requirements. This is from the eighth edition of the Legal Rights of Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, and Service dogs that I got from Assistance Dogs International.

I would like to hear a response from you regarding this as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Dawn Birling.