A wounded war vet evicted because of his service dog must vacate his apartment -- thank you very much -- and do so within the next 60 days or face legal action.
Jon Jans, his wife, and a loyal little canine named Alli have called the Minnesotan rental complex of Manchester Court home for several years now, but new management has taken issue with his K9 companion and want the trio to move out.
Jans, a former Marine who suffered severe head trauma in a roadside bombing while serving in Iraq, relies on Alli to keep him emotionally grounded, to alert him to potential health issues including seizures and blackouts, and even to sleep or socialize without anxiety.
Manchester Court has always had a no-pets policy, but, because they can’t discriminate against the disabled, does permit service animals for those who require them to function day to day.
And there’s little doubt that since Jon and Alli have paired up he needs the canine’s daily assistance. Her soothing manner has even helped him to reduce the amount of medication he has to take.
“She's been a godsend,” said Jon’s wife Jillian. “He was on eighteen medications when he got out of the Marine Corps. He was on nine when we first got her. He's on six now, so that's a huge difference.”
The new apartment managers however insist the Jans’ unit “smells” of dog and that Alli is often “unleashed” and does her duty “wherever she pleases,” although there doesn’t seem to be any such complaints from the neighbors.
That’s not been the ex marine’s experience, either: “I have never had a problem with this dog once,” he said, “inside or outside of any establishment.
As a result, Jon Jans, who was injured for life in service to our country and also struggles with PTSD, may have to seek a small favor in return now under the Americans With Disabilities Act, so he can keep Alli and his home as well.
“Without this dog, I would be dead or in jail right now -- I guarantee it,” he said. “She has saved my life several times.”
more K9s in the news: hero dachshund Leo bronzed and fearless seeing-eye Figo on the mend
