Woman with disability 'in tears' after being 'kicked out' of Wetherspoons because of assistance dog

A woman says she's been left feeling like a "second-class citizen" after she claims she was kicked out of a Wetherspoons pub because of her assistance dog.

Louise Harris, who uses a wheelchair, went out with five friends at 7pm on Monday 16 January to enjoy a meal at The Reginald Mitchell in Hanley.

The 40-year-old - who has multiple sclerosis and suffers with a lack of mobility - was also joined by her sandy-coloured cockapoo Bella, an assistance dog that helps her with everyday tasks from getting dressed to opening doors.

However, she was soon approached by the manager who told her no dogs were allowed, despite her providing proof of Bella's credentials as an assistance dog.

She said: “The manager came up to me and he said ‘your dog isn’t allowed in here, I’d like you to leave, your dog isn’t an assistance dog’.“I showed him my paperwork. I had my hidden disability lanyard on, you can’t see I've got one when I’m sitting down, so it’s got my ID and a photograph which says what disabilities I've got.“Assistance dogs have to have their registered paperwork which I had on me. They have to have their coats on to prove she’s an assistance dog and not any old dog, so it’s visible."

But Ms Harris said the manager wasn’t interested in her paperwork.

“I kept it calm, I don't like any confrontation," she added. "I came out and cried. I was so upset and hurt. I felt like a second-class citizen.“I have a disability, she’s there for my disability. I use crutches and a wheelchair. She can undo my shoe laces, take my socks off, she’s going to learn how to open doors and press buttons.“I went to the bus station, I waited until I stopped crying. I didn't want anybody else to know what was going on. I try to fit in as best as I can, I am disabled but I try to be as able as I can.“It makes you feel like you don’t want to leave the house, it makes you feel discriminated against, and you lose the confidence to go out. It’s shocking they make people feel like this.”

The ban on dogs was introduced by Wetherspoons on 10 September 2018, but assistance dogs are exempt.

In a statement, spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “Wetherspoon operates a ‘No-dog’ policy in all of its pubs with the exception of assistance dogs.

"We are dealing directly with Ms Harris to understand and address her concerns.”

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