THE chief of a blind charity said he was almost kicked out of a Sainsbury’s store by an idiot manager who insisted his guide dog WASN’T allowed in.
Keith Valentine, chief exec of Fight for Sight, said he was left “shaking” and “totally miserable” after him, his daughter, and his four-year-old guide dog, Dottie, were told to leave.
But the trio stood their ground and insisted guide dogs WERE allowed in shops.
Dad-of-one Keith explained how the store – which is on his way home from work – is part of a route Dottie is specifically trained to take him on.
He now feels uncomfortable and can’t be sure that it is safe for him to shop there, he said.
It can take up to five weeks to train up a support pup.
Keith, 55, told how he popped into the Wapping Dock Local store in East London to pick up a few extra bits for dinner on Monday evening.
He said: “I have a condition called retinitis pigmentosa and have been registered blind for some time, with a guide dog.
“I have a route that I use regularly that goes past a Sainsbury’s on my way so that I can pop in and buy a bottle of wine or whatever.
“I was with my daughter, so we popped in and started to get our food.
“As we reached the back of the shop the manager walked up to us and two other members of staff.
“He said ‘You have to leave the store immediately, guide dogs are not allowed in Sainsbury’s stores’.
“I’ve experienced this sort of thing before, but not as aggressively as this guy. So I just stood my ground and said ‘No, this is a guide dog. I’m allowed to shop in Sainsbury’s, and I have been doing so for some time’.
“He then started to say no, and that guide dogs weren’t allowed around food or in restaurants – which is just plainly not true.”
Keith said his daughter, who asked not to be named, then began disputing what the manager was saying – even Googling it on her phone and reading the law aloud.
Tragically, Keith’s daughter was also recently diagnosed with the same condition and will also lose her sight.
He said: “It was quite tough for me to have to see her witness this, it could be a glimpse of what she has to face in the future.”
Keith added: “I was just speaking very clearly because I wanted the other people around us to hear.
“We didn’t feel safe in that situation.
“I just kept repeating ‘I will not leave the shop, I have a right to be here, I have a guide dog’.”
The 55-year-old said the manager then asked staff to “put the cameras” on him and his daughter, and even threatened to call the police.
Keith said: “I asked my daughter what we were going to do and she insisted that we stand our ground. So we just carried on shopping.
“My daughter went and paid for our food at the self checkout while I stood and waited for an apology.
“I just thought if we left the store now I’d never be able to use it again. It’s the shop on my trained route.
“The manager came back and said ‘the rules have all changed recently, so I’ll let you off’. I just thought ‘you’ve got to be joking’.
“I was actually shaking. When I came out I was just miserable. It’s a horrible feeling.”
Keith has formally complained to the store who told him an email: “I am sorry to hear about your most recent visit to our Wapping London Dock Local store whereby the duty manager and two staff members asked you to leave due to your guide dog, I understand how upsetting this would have been, I do hope you are okay.
“I would like to confirm, as stated on our website, assistant dogs are absolutely welcome in our stores and petrol stations. I will be contacting the stores management team to highlight the concerns you experienced. Please be assured we have taken this seriously and appropriate action will be taken.
“Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said, “We are in touch with Keith to apologise.
“We have a clear policy which welcomes guide dogs into our stores and we are investigating his experience and reminding all colleagues of our policy.”
If you have enjoyed the great stories we sniffed out for you why not join our mailing list to be the first to hear about more great stories like this!
We will never spam you or sell your data to third parties. We take privacy very seriously. See Privacy Policy.
More exclusives like this, only on The Badger – Explore our stories now!
We will never spam you or sell your data to third parties. We take privacy very seriously. See Privacy Policy.
More exclusives like this, only on The Badger – Explore our stories now!
