Clothing store apologizes after incident with woman and her service dog in Sudbury
A Sudbury woman says she was discriminated against after bringing her service dog into a clothing store.
Victoria Chellew was looking to buy a new pair of shoes at Ardene, when she said she was confronted by a store manager who said she needed permission.
Chellew has had a service dog for years to help with anxiety. She was trying on shoes when a manager told her that the next time she comes in, she has to check with her first.
"To me I was kind of shocked when she did that because I've never had someone do that before," Chellew said. "She was just kind of extremely rude about it and my friend was shocked, too."
An upset Chellew left the store without buying anything.
Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, a service dog must be identifiable with a vest and a handler can be asked for documentation.
Don't have to ask for permission
But asking for permission is something entirely different.
"People need to understand that it's not always my choice to have a dog there to help me," Chellew said.
Paralympian Victoria Nolan said Chellew's experience is part of a bigger issue. Nolan has even encountered these problems herself with her guide dog, Alan.
"I don't understand what the missing piece is here, how people don't know that it is the law that a person with a guide dog can go anywhere the general public can go," Nolan said.
Rob Dimeglio, of Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin, said the situation is disappointing but he hopes this will serve as an educational opportunity.
"Government has to give us … government issued ID for service animals -- that would be my wish, so store owners would be able to receive a government-issued ID for the service animal," Dimeglio said.
Ardene has apologized for this incident, sending a statement to CTV.
"Not only do we respect the rights of our customers, but we also believe that fashion should be inclusive and welcoming to all. Our customer service team is in the process of reaching out to Ms. Chellew directly for a formal apology. In addition, we have launched an internal investigation and will take appropriate action to ensure incidents like these do not happen again in the future."
For her part, Chellew said all she wants is for people to be aware that these dogs are here for a reason.
"And I just hope that next time they ensure that all members of staff that are in charge … know what's right and wrong to prevent mistakes like this from happening in the future," she said.
There are several types of dogs that can work to meet a persons physical or emotional needs. The CNIB said Ontario is one of only five Canadian jurisdictions where a disabled individual can call police if they feel they are being denied access.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.