Mall Santa Turns Away Autistic Child Because Of Service Dog

Posted by | December 2, 2014 13:00 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly Top Stories


The Orange County, CA Santa was afraid of the child’s service dog.

The incident took place at The Shops at Mission Viejo on Sunday afternoon after Abcde Santos and her 5-year-old pit bull service dog Pup-Cake waited in line for 30 minutes to see Santa – only to be told he would not meet with her, reports Orange County Register.

“For an autistic child to wait in line for 30 minutes, that’s an accomplishment in itself,” said Julie Miller, who is a friend of the family and in charge of the Pup-Cake the Service Dog Facebook fan page.

The Santa was reportedly hired through an outside agency and his name has not been released. After expressing his fear of the dog, the Santos family reportedly offered to remove him from the area so the little girl could visit Santa. The man still refused, according to the family – and then reportedly claimed he was allergic to dogs.
By law, service dogs are allowed in stores and other businesses. But Miller says the Santos family is often treated unkindly because of the dog’s breed.

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Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

55 responses to Mall Santa Turns Away Autistic Child Because Of Service Dog

  1. mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 13:03

    Bad Santa. :-(

    • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 13:05

      maybe he really is deathly afraid of dogs…I will reserve judgement. I have a friend who is terrified of dogs from a 3.5 lb yorkie to a 45lb border(mine).

      • mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 14:04

        For an autistic child you should put aside your fears. A parent of the child could of been right there with the dog to help. So many ways this could of gone the right way, this was the wrong way.

        • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 14:07

          not that easy, do you have a deep seated fear of something?

          • Carla Akins December 2nd, 2014 at 14:12

            But once the parents offered to remove the dog, he should have made the effort.

            • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 14:13

              still, I will reserve judgement. Fear is not logical or overcome that easily.

              • FrankenPC . December 2nd, 2014 at 14:54

                Agree. Irrational fear is, well, irrational. It’s a legit mental disorder that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

              • Bunya December 2nd, 2014 at 16:09

                I agree. I have a friend who is deathly afraid of dogs. She’ll run if she spots a small Chihuahua a block away. I never understood that fear, but then again, I’m afraid of heights.

            • R.J. Carter December 2nd, 2014 at 16:59

              His whole “I’m allergic to dogs” after the dog was removed made me feel he was more “averse to special needs children.”

              I can imagine the poor child’s reaction at being, literally, rejected to her face by Santa Claus.

            • rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 17:36

              Wonder what he did when he got peed on

          • mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 14:20

            Not of anything irrational. I have been in some very scary situations though and have always risen above my fear and acted rationally. Granted that is difficult for many but that is when you get help. This was one of those situations where there was plenty of help available. It wasn’t a war zone or major natural disaster. It was a peaceful holiday event.

            • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 14:24

              so the answer is no.

  2. mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 14:03

    Bad Santa. :-(

    • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 14:05

      maybe he really is deathly afraid of dogs…I will reserve judgement. I have a friend who is terrified of dogs from a 3.5 lb yorkie to a 45lb border(mine).

      • mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 15:04

        For an autistic child you should put aside your fears. A parent of the child could of been right there with the dog to help. So many ways this could of gone the right way, this was the wrong way.

        • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 15:07

          not that easy, do you have a deep seated fear of something?

          • Carla Akins December 2nd, 2014 at 15:12

            But once the parents offered to remove the dog, he should have made the effort.

            • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 15:13

              still, I will reserve judgement. Fear is not logical or overcome that easily.

              • FrankenPC . December 2nd, 2014 at 15:54

                Agree. Irrational fear is, well, irrational. It’s a legit mental disorder that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

              • Bunya December 2nd, 2014 at 17:09

                I agree. I have a friend who is deathly afraid of dogs. She’ll run if she spots a small Chihuahua a block away. I never understood that fear, but then again, I’m afraid of heights.

            • R.J. Carter December 2nd, 2014 at 17:59

              His whole “I’m allergic to dogs” after the dog was removed made me feel he was more “averse to special needs children.”

              I can imagine the poor child’s reaction at being, literally, rejected to her face by Santa Claus.

            • rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 18:36

              Wonder what he did when he got peed on

          • mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 15:20

            Not of anything irrational. I have been in some very scary situations though and have always risen above my fear and acted rationally. Granted that is difficult for many but that is when you get help. This was one of those situations where there was plenty of help available. It wasn’t a war zone or major natural disaster. It was a peaceful holiday event.

            • tracey marie December 2nd, 2014 at 15:24

              so the answer is no.

      • M D Reese December 2nd, 2014 at 17:00

        I had a utility meter-reader who was afraid of dogs once. I caught him trying to mace my shepherd one time. After that, she went bat shit over any man in a uniform.

        • rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 18:34

          Was talking to a oil service man who was told the boiler was in the basement…they neglected to warn him about their pet bear down there… This is lower New York not Alaska

          • Hirightnow December 2nd, 2014 at 20:30

            OK, smarty-pants…
            Where would YOU keep the family bear?

            • rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 23:50

              Next to the honey jar of course

              • M D Reese December 3rd, 2014 at 18:49

                And of course what would you feed it?
                –Whatever it wants!

  3. R.J. Carter December 2nd, 2014 at 13:04

    Speciel Profiling.

  4. R.J. Carter December 2nd, 2014 at 14:04

    Speciel Profiling.

  5. StoneyCurtisll December 2nd, 2014 at 14:13

    Santa doesn’t have it easy..
    Especially with the “war on Christmas” and all..
    Ya think it’s easy being Santa?.
    Watch this..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t2TzJOyops

  6. StoneyCurtisll December 2nd, 2014 at 15:13

    Santa doesn’t have it easy..
    Especially with the “war on Christmas” and all..
    Ya think it’s easy being Santa?.
    Watch this..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t2TzJOyops

  7. granpa.usthai December 2nd, 2014 at 16:55

    Probably wasn’t the ‘real’ Santa. Next time, call Mall Security and demand he produce a ‘real’ birth certificate or throw the lying socialist bum out. False Santa’s are destroying Christmas! The real Santa would never turn away a sweetheart with a dog decked out to be a reindeer. No doubt this fake is probably from Arizona and a Republican!

    • mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 17:26

      No Doubt.

    • Hirightnow December 2nd, 2014 at 19:29

      Who refuses to fly over Benghazi…

  8. granpa.usthai December 2nd, 2014 at 17:55

    Probably wasn’t the ‘real’ Santa. Next time, call Mall Security and demand he produce a ‘real’ birth certificate or throw the lying socialist bum out. False Santa’s are destroying Christmas! The real Santa would never turn away a sweetheart with a dog decked out to be a reindeer. No doubt this fake is probably from Arizona and a Republican!

    • mea_mark December 2nd, 2014 at 18:26

      No Doubt.

    • Hirightnow December 2nd, 2014 at 20:29

      Who refuses to fly over Benghazi…

  9. rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 17:31

    The milk of human kindness as expressed by a sensitive Santa

  10. rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 18:31

    The milk of human kindness as expressed by a sensitive Santa

  11. rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 17:34

    Was talking to a oil service man who was told the boiler was in the basement…they neglected to warn him about their pet bear down there… This is lower New York not Alaska

    • Hirightnow December 2nd, 2014 at 19:30

      OK, smarty-pants…
      Where would YOU keep the family bear?

      • rg9rts December 2nd, 2014 at 22:50

        Next to the honey jar of course

        • M D Reese December 3rd, 2014 at 17:49

          And of course what would you feed it?
          –Whatever it wants!

  12. fahvel December 2nd, 2014 at 19:06

    way off topic – what is this pop up crap about h2 or some other crap – it degrades the flow of LL.

  13. fahvel December 2nd, 2014 at 20:06

    way off topic – what is this pop up crap about h2 or some other crap – it degrades the flow of LL.

  14. Hirightnow December 2nd, 2014 at 19:28

    Pit Bulldogs are one of the goofiest,most loveable breeds out there.
    Try getting that reindeer getup onto a Chow-Chow (It doesn’t work, I can tell ya!).
    Santa just forgot that he wasn’t hired for his benefit.
    Hopefully, Santa got put on a road-cleaning crew by his temp staffing agency.

  15. Hirightnow December 2nd, 2014 at 20:28

    Pit Bulldogs are one of the goofiest,most loveable breeds out there.
    Try getting that reindeer getup onto a Chow-Chow (It doesn’t work, I can tell ya!).
    Santa just forgot that he wasn’t hired for his benefit.
    Hopefully, Santa got put on a road-cleaning crew by his temp staffing agency.

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