Chloe, the assistance cat, could make legal history with her driver, Ian Fenn, after Sainsbury’s refused to let her into one of its stores.
Fenn, who has autism and has trained the black cat to support him, is taking legal action against the supermarket.
She says Chloe prevents sensory overload and should be treated like a guide dog or any other help designed to help someone with a disability.
During a visit to Sainsbury’s in Clapham, south London, in March, security and security staff told Fenn that he should leave the cat outside. After he complained, Sainsbury’s told him he would only allow assistance dogs into his stores.
Chris Fry, who specializes in disability discrimination actions and is filing a case for Fenn under the Equality Act, said: “There are many cases of guide dogs being denied access to places or services, but there has really been no judicial exploration of what constitutes a service animal other than a dog. “
Hospitals, shops and hotel chains have allowed Fenn, a South London product designer, to take Chloe for help. The black cat runs smoothly when he wears it in stores and wears a fluorescent yellow “service cat” jacket. He usually sits on Fenn’s shoulders as he walks.
“Chloe is with me at the hospital, the GP and the blood donation appointments,” Fenn wrote on Friday via Chloe’s Twitter address.
“We have been to zoos and aquariums where biosecurity must be taken into account. We have been to other supermarkets. What’s so special about Sainsbury’s, that he initially said he was welcome in any store? ”
Sainsbury’s said it was working with an environmental health team to see if there was a way for Fenn and his cat to visit safely. The company argued that while Chloe could be polite, if she changed her policy, other cats could wreak havoc and there was no way to check an animal’s training level.
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Fenn says Chloe makes it easier for her to cope with everyday situations while living with an autism spectrum disorder. “I have a sensory overload in busy environments and I tend to shut down. But with Chloe I can focus on her,” she told the BBC.
“She brings structure to my life, she wakes me up in the morning, she tells me when I have to go to bed. It’s hard to know how it feels about the relationship, but I think we’re a team now. “
A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “We want to be an inclusive retailer where people like to work and shop and understand that some of our colleagues and customers may need support in our stores. At the same time, security is our top priority and our partners are trained to balance the maintenance of our high standards of food hygiene with the support of all our customers who shop with us. “
“We are in contact with the local environmental health team to see if there are any ways to help Mr Fenn visit our store without compromising.”