Blind man humiliated after being asked to leave a restaurant because of his guide dog

  • 17/05/2018
Blind man humiliated after being asked to leave a restaurant because of his guide dog

A blind man was humiliated after being asked to leave a restaurant in Canada because of his guide dog.

Phil Bobawsky was early for his flight and decided to get something to eat at the international airport in Edmonton. 

Mr Bobawsky's dog Finnegan wears a sign saying "Guide dogs for the blind".

The dog led Mr Bobawsky to their usual spot at Edmonton Eskimos Sports Bar where a staff member asked him to leave the premise because of his pet. 

Despite explaining the dog was a service animal, the staff member remained firm in his request, CBC News reports.

The request to leave violates Mr Bobawsky's legal rights based on the Blind Person's Right Act in Alberta as well as the Service Dogs Act.

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police also approached him at the restaurant asking him to leave despite Mr Bobawsky's plea.

He reportedly got fed up with the situation and left to wait for his flight where he was yet again approached by two officers asking for his boarding pass and identification and insisting on the rules against bringing a dog into the restaurant.

Mr Bobawsky told CBC: "I said, Can't you see that this is a certified service dog? That it's a guide dog and I'm blind?"

To which the officer responded, "Oh, I didn't see that."

While the officers returned his documentation and wished him well, Mr Bobawsky said he felt humiliated at the lack of respect. 

"It's a fundamental human rights issue," he told CBC.

A spokesperson for the restaurant labelled the incident "a misunderstanding". 

The Royal Canadian Mountain Police denied the officers asked Mr Bobawsky to leave the restaurant. 

A spokesperson said, "Our members are aware that a service dog or guide dog can be in the restaurant."

Newshub.