THORNTON, CO (KCNC/CNN) - A woman said a Thanksgiving trip to the grocery store got ugly when a man attacked her service dog.
Justice is a 2-year-old Bernese mountain dog and a service dog in training for Cathy Burds who says she can't leave home without her.
"I'm not able to hear sirens, most of all the oven beepers and things, even alarm clocks," she said.
Burds usually has a problem with too many people trying to pet her dog, but while shopping for Thanksgiving at a King Soopers supermarket, a customer started a fight with her, saying she wasn't allowed to have her dog in the store.
"(The dog) had her vest on. I don't think any dog in that man's world is of service," she said.
Burds said the man tried to intimidate her and even tried taking her dog from her.
A handful of customers joined in the melee, and a manager helped Burds to her car.
She said she feared for her safety, but was too frazzled to call police: "In the moment when someone is telling you they're going to take away your dog, it's like telling someone, 'I need your wheelchair. Get out>'"
Burds said she never got the man's name and therefore couldn't file a police report.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects service dog owners from having to detail why they need their dog, but some people abuse the system.
Burds said those people are turning people who need service animals into victims.
"I think they're cheating the system, and it cheats all of us because then it causes this man to react that way," she said.
In a statement, King Soopers said Burds had every right to shop with her service dog, also saying "Service animals are welcome in our stores, and we comply with all ADA requirements. Our goal every day is to provide all customers with a positive shopping experience."
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