Ian Fane, an autistic man, has exposed a case of discrimination after an incident at Sainsbury’s supermarket in London: he was denied entry with Chloe, his utility cat, he says Watchman.
On a visit to Sainsbury’s in Clapham, south London, in March, security and staff told Fenn he would have to leave the cat outside. After he complained, he was told that the supermarket chain would only allow help dogs in its stores.
Fenn has trained a black cat to be a source of support in his daily life and is taking legal action against the supermarket, arguing that the animal avoids sensory overload and that it should be treated as a guide dog or any other help designed to support it. A disabled person.
Typically, the cat appears around the owner’s neck and wears a type of fluorescent yellow coat to be recognized as a helper animal.
The supermarket chain said it was already working with its environmental health team to see if there was a way for Finn and his cat to visit stores safely. The company argued that while Chloe might be polite, if she changed her policy, other cats could wreak havoc – and there was no way to check an animal’s level of training.
“We want to be a one-stop retailer where people love to work and shop and understand that some of our colleagues and customers may need support in our stores. At the same time, safety is our top priority and our employees are trained to balance maintenance, our high standards of food hygiene, support All of our customers who shop with us.
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