Blind Woman Wins Legal Battle Over of Service Dog

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| Print | By Jo Singer | November 6, 2009 10:04 AM

"Seeing eye dogs" are one of the most valuable aids for the visually impaired. These highly trained dogs both enhance mobility and enrich the daily lives of the folks who have come to depend on their canine companions. With the various types of support that these service animals provide today, folks who are utilizing the assistance of these dogs, have a far greater degree of independence, and opportunities available to them through this incredible partnership.

Photo credit: Golden Labrador Retriever Dogs Blog
6-Golden Guide Dog.jpg The American Veterinary Medical Association defines service animals as, "The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and other animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well being of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, other animals, and the environment."

It is very commonplace today to encounter guide dogs along with their owners at hotels, stores, on airplanes and trains or just walking around through the neighborhood.

And while Seeing Eye dogs are now readily accepted around the world today, apparently 36 year-old Laura Eitjes, a resident of Tauranga, New Zealand, ran into a disturbing situation while vacationing with a friend and her guide dog, Rua, according to a recent "Bay of Plenty Times" report. She and her friend and dog were asked to leave the holiday accommodation where they had been lodged for one night.

On the second night, the owners of the inn, a husband and wife couple, forced them out of their lodgings due to Rua's presence, even though Ms.Eitjes explained that Rua was a guide dog.

And when the wife blatantly refused to listen, Ms Eitjes tried to reason with the owner of the inn to no avail. Eitjes said, "I tried to explain to her that Rua was a guide dog and guide dogs had certain rights. But I was cut off at every attempt, and she flatly refused to let Rua back in."

Fortunately they were quickly able to find other accommodations and were welcome to remain for the remainder of their vacation.

Upon returning from holiday, Ms Eitjes complained to the Human Rights Commission about her ordeal. The HRC offered the two parties mediation. The inn owners refused and took the case to the HRC Review Tribunal. Robert Hesketh, the OHR Proceedings director said that this was the first time proceedings were issued in a case where a visually impaired person was denied accommodations for the use of a guide dog.

Following a long and drawn out battle, the inn owners agreed to an out-of-court settlement in Ms. Eitjes received an "unreserved apology" and in a "landmark" settlement, won $8,000 in compensation. Eitjes has donated $5,000 from the proceeds to the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's guide dog services.

My blood was boiling when I read about this very unfair incident. The saying that "ignorance is bliss" certainly does not apply here as the ending of the story may not have been as fortunate. What were your reactions as you were reading this item? Leave a comment and share.

RELATED TOPICS: Blogs (252) , Dogs (55) , Law (21) , Service Animals (6) , Travel (3)

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Diana November 6, 2009 11:52 AM

I think the name of the owners of this inn and the name of their innshould be posted world wide so that people will no to avoid these jerks. Unfortuneatly, the terms of the settlement keep this information confidential.

Cindy November 6, 2009 12:40 PM

I'm glad to see that compensation was awarded. It's unfortunate that this type of prejudice exists anywhere in the world today.

Vicki November 6, 2009 2:41 PM

It is so hard to believe that people are like this anywhere in the world. I am glad they were not let off the hook for this horrible deed.

Peggy C. November 6, 2009 5:15 PM

Sometimes, good comes out of bad situations. I am glad that Ms. Eitjes fought and set a standard for all hotels, in all parts of the world. Unfortunately, there may be no law upholding the rights of service pets in that country. What was called for her was some mercy on the behalf of the hotel owners. I bet hotel owners worldwide will take heed.

Rani November 6, 2009 5:21 PM

We are in the USA so we find this abhorrant. However, the rest of the world is apparently not so tolerant. I am on a committee with a blind man whose guide dog, Seymour, recently died. When I offered my condolences and asked when he will be getting another, he said he's going to wait till after he and his wife take the trips they've been putting off. Told me that he couldn't bring Seymour to Europe or S. America because of laws requiring that animals, including service animals, be quarantined for 30 days before being admitted into foreign countries. It didn't matter if they were registered service animals. It didn't matter if owners provided proof of their shots being current. Apparently, they do not have the same laws we have here.

For what it's worth, I've heard that they don't have laws about accessibility in Europe that we have here. I am disabled (not vision-impaired) so it makes me very wary about trying to travel there. Our ADA laws here are actually pretty recent, less than 20 years old. May take a little longer for the rest of the world to catch up in this issue.

Anonymous November 6, 2009 10:07 PM

I've seen this type of attitude under surprising circumstances. Last April, I was on a Mexican Riviera cruise out of Los Angeles and a couple with their service dog, Brenda, were on the ship. I know that Brenda was one of the 9/11 service dogs and she has a long history of heroic service. I don't know all the details; I wish I did. The couple with Brenda are not obviously visually impaired yet I overheard a lot of comments, as well as comments made to me directly by tablemates, about people allowed to bring their pets onboard. The comments were made very disparagingly. In each case, I immediately informed the people that Brenda was a highly trained service dog (a black lab) and that she wasn't a pet. Brenda's people handled all comments with grace and dignity but it made my blood boil.

Amy November 7, 2009 9:11 AM

Seems like there should be a universal law regarding "service" dogs. Every single nation has handicapped people and the dogs should be given certain "rights" to travel with their owners.

SDuser November 7, 2009 7:16 PM

The correct term for a service dog that assists a visually impaired handler is "guide dog". The Seeing Eye is an actual school for guide dogs. The dogs that graduate from that program are called Seeing Eye dogs.