Dogs are more than just loyal furry friends and faithful companions. For some people, dogs are their lifeline. Assistance dogs help people with life-changing conditions and disabilities such as blindness, epilepsy and PTSD navigate the world safely and comfortably, and their importance cannot be overstated.

Unfortunately, it seems this woman’s sister didn’t get the memo. A desperate Reddit user and service dog owner took to the popular subreddit r/AmIThe***Take a breath of fresh air about skipping her sister’s wedding after—loosely—her service dog was denied an invitation.

OP, a 27-year-old Reddit user u/namealreadytaken-NOT, begins her story by explaining that she has a service dog due to severe anxiety and PTSD stemming from a traumatic event several years ago. OP’s service dog is trained and well-behaved, and her 30-year-old sister is well aware of how important her service dog is in helping OP navigate social situations.

Related topics: Assistance dog asks his mother at work for help with a “crisis”

When OP was invited to her sister’s wedding, she indicated in her response that she would bring her service dog. However, a few days before the wedding, OP’s sister called her and asked her not to bring her service dog because she was concerned it would be disruptive and “might embarrass some guests.”

“I explained that I rely on my service dog, especially in stressful situations like weddings, but she insisted that her ‘perfect day’ would be ruined if guests were distracted or if photos were ‘ruined’ by the dog in them,” OP wrote.

Despite this, OP attempted to attend the ceremony alone. However, without her service dog by her side, she felt overwhelmed during the ceremony and had to leave early to explain the situation to her sister. This reportedly left her sister “visibly upset” and she later sent OP a long text accusing her of limiting the wedding to just herself.

OP’s family is now divided on the issue. Some feel she was in the right, while others feel she should have “compromised” on her sister’s wedding. All of this drama prompted OP to question on the popular subreddit whether or not she was the “asshole” in the situation.

Reddit gets involved in the drama surrounding service dogs

Luckily for OP, users of the subreddit overwhelmingly ruled in her favor, stating that her sister was completely in the wrong for denying her service dog entry.

“It sounds to me like she was jealous of the attention you get when you have your dog around and didn’t want to compete with you on her wedding day. However, you actually have a medical issue… and she put herself above your medical needs. She’s a vet,” u/IamIrene said.

“You already compromised by entering your medically necessary service animal with you,” said u/NoSalamander7749, addressing the criticism from the OP’s family. “NTA. Very insightful about the mentality of your sister and all the family members who sided with her.”

“NTA. Service dogs are a medical service. This is like asking someone to leave their wheelchair at home and be carried around at your wedding,” argued u/Name-Bunchanumbers.

I couldn’t have said it better. Far too many people still have trouble understanding that service animals not the same as domestic dogs. According to USAAUnder the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs are considered medical devices, just like wheelchairs and oxygen tanks. If you wouldn’t ask someone to leave their wheelchair or oxygen tank at home to attend your wedding, it wouldn’t be fair to ask a service dog user to do so, either. And if you would Asking someone to drop off their medically necessary equipment for your wedding… Well, I’d say you have to get your priorities right!

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