Robert Royal said he received an eviction notice from his landlord less than 24 hours after bringing home a VA prescribed service dog.
The Marine Corps veteran suffers from severe PTSD. Little two pound Lucy Louise was prescribed to soothe his nerves and help him to remain calm in situations that would otherwise cause anxiety. “Undying love and undying devotion, that’s what I get from her,” he says.
Speaking of anxiety, Royal said he’s seen his share of late: this week he received an eviction notice from landlord Tom Guyer allowing him 20 days to vacate the premises. Royal said it came as a shock, and maintains that he has been a good tenant for well over three years now.
Royal’s landlord has a “no pets” policy and Royal is convinced that the dog is the reason he is being forced out. He says, “I feel like he’s descriminating against me because I got a service dog from the VA and he don’t like that.”
Guyer’s attorney says that’s not the case at all. In a statement emailed to KING 5 Michael Mittge said, “We appreciate Robert Royal’s service to his country, and have only taken the present course after exhausting all other means of solving the problem. The whole matter is especially painful for Mr. Guyer, because he is also a disabled Vietnam veteran. Mr. Royal has had numerous problems in his interaction with other tenants in the complex. We have tried to work with him to resolve them, but regret that we now have to take this final step. We wish him well, and hope that he can find a living situation that better suits him.”
Royal maintains that he has lived a peaceful existence and has not troubled his neighbors. But despite what he considers an unfair outcome, he does not intend to go to court. Too weary to fight another battle, he’s simply moving on. “It’s a lousy thing to do to anybody who is disabled,” Royal said. “But especially bad against a United States Marine Corps Veteran.”
