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'Unhygienic' guide dog ordered out

Exclusive by Katherine Vine
25/ 1/2008

A BLIND woman was forced to leave an Urmston restaurant because staff would not allow her guide dog to stay, calling the animal unhygienic.

Catherine Hynes from Flixton, said she was appalled by the behaviour of those at The Italian Job on Station Road when she went there with her partially sighted mum, Joyce Acton, her three-year-old son and her mum’s guide dog, Emma.

She said: "My mum is almost totally blind and had her guide dog with her.

"After being seated the dog immediately and very quietly settled under the table as she always does when we are out.

"We were then approached by a waiter who told us the dog would have to leave as she was unhygienic."

Catherine, 33, says they explained that guide dogs are allowed to stay in restaurants by law, but were told the owner would not allow any dogs in the restaurant, and that other customers might complain.

She said: "He said that as my mum was sitting down she would not need the dog, and she could be put in another room. I agreed to look at this room, but was shown the foyer where the door was regularly opening and closing, and the dog could easily have escaped or been stolen.

"We declined this offer and ended up having to leave.

"My mum has lived in Urmston all her life and is a firm supporter of local business – she was terribly upset and hurt by this incident.

"She has never has a problem like this before, and I was quite shocked because we have been to lots of places and people are usually very helpful."

Guide dog Emma is three and has been with Mrs Acton, 60, for two years.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind said it is against the law for a restaurant to refuse entry to a guide dog. Charity spokesman Bill Alker said: "The owner of the dog is protected by the Disability Discrimination Act.

"In one of many cases where the RNIB provided legal support, one blind gentleman was refused entry with a guide dog. In court the judge, after refusing to accept the defence of ignorance of the law, imposed a fine and issued an injunction against the defendant, which could have resulted in a prison sentence."

Guidelines from The Institute of Environmental Health say ‘because of their training and skills the Institute of Environmental Health Officers has stated that assistance dogs are exempt from the usual hygiene rules that apply to dogs, including those that relate to areas where food is being served’.

Part three of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 places duties on all service providers, including owners and operators of cafes and restaurants, not to discriminate against disabled people and to make reasonable adjustments to their services and premises to enable disabled people to access them.

The Italian Job’s co-owner, Massimo Matin, who was not there at the time of the incident, has said it should not have happened and that it was a mistake on the part of those working at the restaurant at the time. He said he will be writing to Mrs Hynes and her mother to apologise.

Mr Matin added: "I do let guide dogs in and have always done so in the past. I know guide dogs are always very good and do not create a problem at all. This lady has every right to be upset."