A service dog is refused entry at playcentre

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An autistic six year old Georgetown boy was told he was not allowed to play at an indoor Mississauga playcentre with his service dog. His dog is an autism assistance dog that helps him stay safe and feel calm. The family is calling it a human rights violation and a post made about it on Facebook has been shared nearly one thousand times.

The owner of the playcentre has apologized and is educating his employees about service dogs and where they are permitted to go. However, a service dog acts as an extension of the client, so wherever a client can go, the dog can go. Provincial law states that a service dog has to wear a special vest and if requested, the owner has to provide papers to prove it’s a service dog. In this case, the family says the dog was wearing the vest, but the staff at the playcentre did not ask for the papers.