One woman was left embarrassed and hurt after being told to leave a branch of Asda, for having her guide dog with her.
Louise Cannon was shopping in her local Asda with her harnessed German Shepherd, Harmony, when she was approached by a security guard.
The security guard asked her to leave, as shocked shoppers looked on, with one even claiming she had every right to shop in the store with her guide dog.
The 34-year-old charity worker, who was shopping with her niece, said:
My niece Abbie said, ‘Aunty Lou, that man’s talking to you’.
I asked him what he’d said and he told me, ‘no dogs allowed, go outside’.
I told him, ‘she’s a guide dog’ but he said it again, ‘no dogs allowed, go outside’.
I told him that it was against the law to stop me coming in with Harmony but he continued to tell me to leave.
Usually I’m so confident and I deal with lots of situations but this has really thrown me. I won’t go in there again because I won’t be able to see if it’s the same security guard who made me feel so vulnerable.
That’s a massive part of my independence gone – and I’ve worked so hard for that.
Security guards are supposed to protect you – not intimidate you.
The Asda, in Liverpool, have apologised for the confusion, and allowed Louise to carry on with her shop after the store manager became involved.
They have also said the security guard has been retrained.
