Sainsbury's bans assistance animal

[FlorayG]

bbc/news/uk-61596623
Chloe is clearly an assistance animal and wears a marked vest. Surely there should be some sort of certificate the owner can carry or a unique badge assistance animals can wear to prove they are genuine? Some people even have assistance ponies these days. I can't understand why Sainsbury's thinks a cat under control is a health risk
What do you think?

Just found this one had to add it because it's a hilarious translation news.bksfe/court-fight-l...ban-12184.html

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by FlorayG

bbc/news/uk-61596623
Chloe is clearly an assistance animal and wears a marked vest. Surely there should be some sort of certificate the owner can carry or a unique badge assistance animals can wear to prove they are genuine? Some people even have assistance ponies these days. I can't understand why Sainsbury's thinks a cat under control is a health risk
What do you think?

Just found this one had to add it because it's a hilarious translation news.bksfe/court-fight-l...ban-12184.html

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“Chloe is clearly an assistance animal and wears a marked vest”.
He runs the assistance cat website, which basically seems to consist of him at the organisation.

catfriendly/about-us/

Given what he says he seems to have taken the cat from a rescue centre, then started taking it everywhere with him.

What makes it an assistance animal and who would certify it as such- him?

[novocastrian]

recently we had news story up here were a young girl wanted to take an "assisntance dog" into wetherspoons at 22:00 on a friday night & she was refused. She was with her boyfriend & some friends so surely had 'assistance'

transpired she bought the vest on amazon so in theory anyone could get a vest & claim its an assistance animal...


fwiw no i dont think cats , for whatever reason, should be allowed in food shops

imo of course

[FlorayG]

I think this is what I'm trying to say ( not very well obvs )
Is there an 'assistance animal' regulation? Can animals be registered somewhere to make them 'official'? I realise this would involve a visit and assessment so more costs for social services but surely worth it if it helps a person lead their life?

[Mazbar]

I thought humans where put on the planet to serving and worship cats.
It reminds me of the joke
A person feeds their animal and they have different responses
A dog
You feed me you love me you walk me you clean up after me YOU must be a god
A cat
You feed me you love me you look after me you clean up after me I must be a god

[JessBlu]

The only assistant animals should be blind dogs, IMO.

[lizzie145]

Surely an assistant animal is trained to help in certain situations? Hearing and seeing dogs for example.

I know some people find an animal is good for their mental health and so assist that way but not to the point of shopping. Think they are called emotional support animals

[lizzie145]

Originally Posted by JessBlu

The only assistant animals should be blind dogs, IMO.

See more...

What about hearing dogs, medical alert dogs and those for PTSD?

[grant_w]

Reminded me of this...
bbc/news/world-us-canada-42880690

[marlouwrig]

Guide dogs for the blind/hearing etc. are properly trained to keep their owners as safe as possible.

AFAIK (and I'm no expert) surely it's impossible to train a cat/snake or whatever to perform the same function?