Grocery Store Karen Faces Severe Backlash for Calling Service Dog "Dirty"

Embarking on the grand journey of life's teachings, one of the earliest pieces of wisdom bestowed upon us all is the importance of minding our own business. If a situation doesn't concern you, it's wiser to steer clear!

Regrettably, some individuals skip down the path of meddling, poking their noses into affairs that hold no relevance to them whatsoever. Just ask Instagram creator Katie (@serviceaussiebailey), who recently stumbled upon a "Karen" at the grocery store. While strolling the aisles, a lady approached Katie and, without tact, deemed her service dog "dirty."

In the viral video, posted on Jan. 1, 2024, Katie and her adorable service dog, Bailey, casually strolled through the aisles of Target. Out of the blue, a total stranger swooped in and asked Katie, "Are you worried about his hair and things getting into the food? Are you allowed to bring him into places that sell food like that?"

With the patience of a saint, Katie explained that she was allowed to bring Bailey because he's a service dog. The woman carelessly waved off the info before hitting Katie with a big question: "Does he get bathed every day? Like, how am I supposed to know that he's clean?"

Despite Katie's reassurance that Bailey was indeed clean and didn't require daily baths, the woman disregarded the information and boldly requested Katie to provide a registration form confirming Bailey's status as a service dog.

Seriously? Who does this woman think she is?!

"One, there is no such thing as registration for service dogs in the United States," Katie informed the incredibly rude woman, adding, "And two, I don't have to show you anything." This response angered the woman, who audaciously questioned Katie about the disability that necessitated a service dog.

"It's none of your business, really," Katie retorted, further fueling the "Karen's" anger. Undeterred, the woman declared, "I'm gonna go find a manager to talk to because I just don't know how I feel about having dogs and animals around my food and the things that I put into my body."

"Ma'am, he's literally a life-saving medical device. Just because he's a dog doesn't mean he's just a dog," Katie said, to which the woman replied, "Yeah, that's great, but I just really don't believe you. So, I'm going to find a manager."

Katie further explained the situation in the caption, writing, "This whole situation made me so uncomfortable, I didn't know what to say or how to respond. I shouldn't be pressured to disclose my disability or be questioned [about] it."

"The fact this woman felt the need to harass me over Bailey was so unbelievably disgusting and stressful for me," she added. "I hate confrontation, and having to deal with this today was really difficult. After this, she literally followed me around the store, waiting for the apparent 'manager.' I ended up leaving without purchasing anything because of the amount of stress I was dealing with."

Katie's video has amassed over 800,770 likes and counting. Additionally, the comment section is filled with Instagram users condemning the grocery store Karen for her insensitive remarks about Katie and Bailey.

"Never once have I thought about going up to someone with a service dog and being so invasive with questions and accusations. The audacity," one person commented.

A second user pointed out, "It's totally illegal for her to ask these questions."

"By FEDERAL LAW, you cannot, I repeat, CANNOT, ask what someone's disability is!" a third Instagram user wrote in the comment section. "You can only ask 2 questions: 1) If the animal is required due to a disability and 2) What service they perform. THAT'S IT! Blows my mind that people feel so entitled to know other people's medical business."

Another person responded, "I work at a grocery store, I see service dogs come in all the time... everything in the isles should be packaged anyway, and I work in produce [so] if you aren't washing your stuff anyway wtf is wrong with you. This lady was literally harassing you, I hope you showed this to the manager."