A Surrey, B.C., woman, who is blind, says she was denied entry at two separate Walmart locations because of her certified guide dog.
Bridget Warner said that despite her guide dog, Dottie, wearing the proper harness with logos, she was stopped and asked to show certifications.
When she tried to explain that certification was not needed, she said they were denied entry.
“It made me feel like the invisible kid in the corner,” Warner said.
“It made me feel like I was a criminal, like I was actively robbing Walmart, like I was put in that position because I was pulled over to the side and the onlookers didn’t even help us, they just looked at us.”
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Warner said this first happened on May 10 at the Walmart on 88th Avenue, so she went to the Guildford location but experienced the same line of questioning.
The 18-year-old and her father, Simon Robinson, said they asked to speak to a store manager to explain the situation but were met with continued opposition.
“They were citing some store policy and I did ask, ‘Can we have a look at that? Can we see what it actually says?’” he told Global News.
“She wouldn’t provide that and I asked for a business card and she wouldn’t give me that.”
Walmart Canada has issued the family a written apology.
In a statement to Global News, Walmart said it is looking into the incidents.
“I am very sorry to learn of your experience and that of your daughter at our store in Surrey,” Grant Coad, the chief ethics and compliance officer with Walmart Canada, wrote in the letter to the family.
“I have provided your note to our teams internally, who will reach out to you so that we ensure this does not happen again, and so that we can do our best to make this right. We welcome all customers at our stores and your daughter’s service animal is certainly welcome too.”
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Surrey woman with certified guide dog denied entry to 2 separate Walmarts
