Blind woman ‘livid’ after Wetherspoons pub asks for guide dog’s ID

Chain apologises after staff at Hartlepool pub demand proof customer’s companion is genuine guide dog

A blind woman felt compelled to leave a Wetherspoons pub after staff demanded proof that her guide dog, Rosie, was a genuine guide dog.

Joanne Hewitson, 31, said she was “livid” and “shaking” after her experience going for breakfast at a pub in Hartlepool. The pub chain has apologised for the incident, with a spokesperson saying an error was made.

Hewitson said she had been contacted by people with similar experiences. She said she was told at the pub that she could not be served unless she provided evidence that Rosie was a genuine guide dog.

The incident, which happened last month, was all the more emotional because it was Hewitson’s first time out since she fractured her back in January. She said she and her partner, Craig, were heading to the coast and decided to pop into the Ward Jackson pub for breakfast.

Hewitson said she had some new Meta glasses that could read the menu to her and she was doing that while Rosie, who has been with her for about five years, lay down. “She had her harness on with the nationally recognised logo,” Hewitson said. “She was under the table, impeccable behaviour, not bothering anybody.

“A staff member came and she said: ‘ID card for your dog.’ I said: ‘I’ve never been asked, I don’t have it with me.’ She said: ‘It’s our policy, you can’t come in unless you have identification.’

“I said: ‘She has a full harness on,’ and she said she needed to see the card. I said that by law you’re not required to provide one, [but] she just kept demanding it and I thought: I’m in a situation where I’m not really welcome.”

Hewitson, her partner and Rosie left the pub because of the fuss. “I felt like I was at a disadvantage compared to any able-bodied customer who can just walk in and order their food with no problems,” she said. “She [the staff member] wasn’t listening to me, she just kept reiterating the policy.”

Hewitson said she had been before to Wetherspoons with Rosie without any issues. “I don’t feel like I have a dog with me,” she said. “When I see her, she is my eyes. We come as a package deal, she is like an extension of me. I can’t leave my house without her.”

Hewitson posted about her experience on social media and reported it to Guide Dogs UK. “A lot of assistance dogs owners commented on my video saying they have experienced the same thing,” she said.

A Wetherspoons spokesperson, Eddie Gershon, said: “We apologise wholeheartedly to the customer that this situation arose. Guide dogs are welcome into our pubs, without the need for documentation. On this occasion we made an error.

“The pub’s area manager is meeting with the customer to apologise face to face. Once again, we apologise to the customer for the misunderstanding.”