The events happened in Bogota, Colombia. A blind man aided by his service dog boarded the bus for route 135 in the Engativá sector, however, after the disabled man took a seat, the bus driver parked the bus and started a heated conversation with the blind man and other passengers.

The driver refused to offer the public service to the blind man as long as the dog was on the bus. He demanded the dog to be inside a crate, be left at the bus stop or placed in the bus’s locked luggage compartments. However, bus passengers who knew the law defended the blind man and his dog.

In the video you can hear passengers call the driver’s demands absurd. During the heated discussion, commuters called the driver “ignorant” and said he had no right to refuse service. All service animals and their owners have a constitutional right to board public transportation.

The confrontation got so intense that transit security officers were called to the bus’s location. A woman also tried to improvise a muzzle and see if with the driver would restore service, but even with that solution the driver refused to move the bus.

After a while the driver came to his senses – thanks to the passengers’ reaction and support towards the blind man – and the bus continued his route.

Sitp representatives said in a press release they will train their employees better.

Carlos Parra, director for country’s blind association told Caracol News he was ashamed of the driver’s actions but unfortunately Colombia’s blind citizens face this type of discrimination daily. Parra also said he was proud of his fellow country men and woman for standing up against the bus driver and not allowing such injustice to take place.

The post This Happened When Man and Service Dog Are Denied Bus Services appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Puppy mills will some day go out of business and with laws like the one passed in Arizona on July 30, 2015, this goal is closer then ever before. A federal judge in Phoenix, Arizona upheld a city law requiring all dogs sold in pet stores to come only from shelters or non-profit rescues.

Phoenix is now one of about 60 cities in the United States that requires pets sold at pet stores to come from shelters. The new law hopes to put an end to puppy mills by encouraging potential pet buyers to consider the adoption of homeless animals instead of unknowingly supporting puppy mills.

While Phoenix fights puppy mills, Illinois tightens the belt on irresponsible pet owners

In Illinois, it’s now against the law to leave pets outside in extreme temperatures. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed legislation making it against the law to leave pets in hot and cold weather that will cause them injury or death.

If a pet dies or gets hurt because he or she was left exposed to extreme weather conditions, the pet owner will be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. If found guilty in a court of law, the irresponsible owner will pay a fine up to a $2,500 or serve jail time up to one year.

This new legislation takes effect on January 1, 2016. The law is in response to the multiple dog deaths last winter after dogs were left outside in subzero temperatures.

We hope other cities and states follow Illinois and Phoenix’s good examples. It is our hope that our nation makes it illegal and severely punishable by law to abuse and harm any animals.

The post Phoenix, Ariz., and Illinois Are More Pet Friendly Than Ever appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.