Bob CollinsPerhaps there’s another side to the story — the one that’s being told doesn’t make a lot of sense — but an East Grand Forks, Minnesota, landlord is declining to say why he’s kicking an Iraq war vet out of an apartment.
Valley News Live reports that Jessie Johnson’s service dog is the issue. Johnson, an ex-Marine, suffered a traumatic brain injury during his deployment and now suffers from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
But even though he’s only been given a few days to get out, he says getting rid of the dog isn’t an option.
“The dog is a comfort to me, she helps me out even for being nine-weeks-old,” Johnson told Valley News Live. “At night-time when she sleeps in the bed with me, if I start having nightmares or sweat naps I wake up to her start licking my face.”
The law provides for a service dog in housing, apparently, although the management company says it will pursue the issue in court, at which time we’ll be able to hear another side of the story.
In an earlier story, Valley News Live played a recording of a verbal eviction order from the landlord.
“Guess what?” said apartment owner Larry Stauss. “I’m going to give you a three day eviction, I’m going to go to court and I’ll win.”
“So, you’re going evict me for having a service animal?” asked Johnson.
“I’m evicting you, period,” replied Stauss.
