Lowe's hires man with service dog on one condition

A Canadian man who has had a brain injury for 40 years has finally found a job where he could take his service dog, Blue.

Owen Lima has a new job at a Regina, Saskatchewan, Lowe's home improvement store, but in order for him to bring his service dog to work, the dog must wear a vest just like all the other employees.

"It's so hard to find a job where people can accept me for the way I am and the fact that I have a service dog with me," Lima told CBS News.

Lima was given a position as a customer service associate and will greet customers with his 10-year-old dog, in a red Lowe's vest next to him.

Lowe's Manager Paulo Gallo didn't let Lima's requirement for a service dog affect the interview process:

"We asked what the dog was for, obviously, and then he took us through the story and we went on with our interview process like anybody else. The effect on Owen has been priceless. The engagement he has with our customers (and) staff, it's given him a new take on life, per se. All the great things that he is, he now can showcase."

"I'm just so happy to work here (and) so happy to be treated like a normal person. Lowe's has given me an opportunity to be here, to be my own person and not to be anybody else," Lima told CTV.

Lima is responsible for keeping Blue under control and not a distraction for other employees.

Cox Media Group