We’re pretty raging too.
We’re major dog lovers here and guide dogs deserve to be bowed down to for the hard work they put in on the daily.
That’s why people (including us) are absolutely raging after a coffee shop refused to give a guide dog water after his owner stepped into have a coffee.
Oliver Gibbons went into Caffe Nero, with his 7-year-old Lab Sydney and their friend Helen after a long day, and were surprised when the café staff refused to give any water to the dog.
Helen told the Exmouth Journal UK: “I said, ‘he’s a guide dog’, but they just said ‘no’ and walked off. It was really hot, he had been working and we had just taken him off the harness for a free run.
“I was taken aback – any dog should be allowed a drink, but he is also a working dog. Ollie doesn’t want to go back again. It made him quite sad, really. He was asking why they were being like that.”
While the RSPCA also criticised the coffee chain, saying: “It’s extremely concerning to hear that a coffee shop refused to provide drinking water for a service dog whose handler was a customer.
“We would expect all businesses to show kindness and compassion towards all animals, but particularly to service dogs.
“Service dogs are always by their handler’s side and provide a valuable, life-changing service, so we would hope that businesses would cater to their needs, as well as that of their owners.”
A spokesperson for Caffe Nero replied to the controversy, saying that it is not in the shop’s policy to refuse water and they are currently looking into the situation.
“We are aware of this incident and are in the process of investigating exactly what happened. We absolutely comply with the legislation on access for guide dogs in all stores.
“It is not our policy to refuse water to guide dogs; we are not able to have our own water bowls for dogs in store for health and safety reasons.”
