A blind grandmother has been refused entry to a Morrisons Daily store with her guide dog after the owner claimed to have a “severe pet allergy”.
Caroline Kennelly, 54, who has just three per cent of her vision, was turned away from the branch in Wincheap, Canterbury, on Thursday.
Despite having the legal right to enter shops with her assistance dog Dougie, staff cited the owner’s “severe pet allergies” as the reason for refusal.
Three signs in the store window warn that dogs are not allowed.
(File pic) The Morrisons Daily in Canterbury refused Kennelley access to the store
Google maps
Kennelly, who has been registered blind since 2003 due to retinitis pigmentosa, had hoped the store would be a safer option as it wouldn’t require crossing busy traffic.
The incident left her distressed and nearly in tears.
Kennelly described the confrontation: “I told Dougie to go forward through the door and as I walked in, the man behind the counter said, ‘no dogs’.”
“Dougie was in his full harness and working equipment, and I said, ‘No, I’m not leaving’,” she explained.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
She stood her ground, telling the employee: “You are breaking the law. You are not allowed to deny me access here.”
Despite informing staff that Dougie was legally permitted in the store, they remained firm and asked her to leave.
“I was nearly in tears, but I was trying to hold it together,” Kennelly said.
“You can stand your ground and say ‘I’m not leaving’, but inside you are in pieces because it’s intimidating and it’s discriminating.”
Eventually, a friend stepped in to purchase the items Kennelly needed.
(File pic) Kennelley said going into the store would be a safer option as it wouldn’t require crossing busy traffic
GETTY
Kennelly, who has a degenerative condition first diagnosed when she was 11, said the incident severely affected her confidence.
“I’m a very strong person, but when things like this happen, it really does affect you,” she admitted.
“I wonder if I’m going to get another refusal somewhere else. It dents your confidence.”
She explained how vital her guide dog has been to her independence over the past six years.
“It sounds really cliche, but when I got Dougie six years ago, he changed my life,” Kennelly said.
“He gave me back all my independence, to be able to go and do what I wanted to do, and just be my best mate really.”
Kennelly contacted the access team at the Guide Dogs Charity, who confirmed that the shop’s actions were illegal.
Clive Wood, lead policy and campaign manager at the charity, said: “We are very disappointed to hear of yet another business refusing access to a visionally impaired person because they were accompanied by their guide dog.
“Every access refusal experienced by a guide dog owner is devastating and chips away at their confidence.”
A survey by the charity last year revealed 88 per cent of guide dog owners have been refused access from businesses and services.
“Assistance dogs are classed as a ‘reasonable adjustment’ in the law, as they help people with disabilities carry out day-to-day activities,” Wood explained.
“Refusing to make a reasonable adjustment is against equality law across the UK and Northern Ireland.”
Morrisons has apologised for the incident, acknowledging it should never have happened.
A spokesman for the supermarket chain said: “Everyone is welcome at Morrisons and so we have followed up with the store directly as this should not have happened.”
“We are also reaching out to the customer directly to apologise.”
The spokesman noted that the Canterbury store is a franchise and added: “We are working closely with the team there to find a solution.”
However, despite the corporate apology, the local store manager has doubled down on the ban.
They insisted Kennelly would still not be allowed in with Dougie because of the owner’s allergies.
Instead, they suggested that a staff member could do her shopping for her if requested.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission advises that banning all assistance dogs is generally not considered a reasonable measure.
