It was a three strikes for Janice Whittle. Now the author and motivational speaker has had enough.
In the space of two weeks, the Brisbane woman has faced three instances of discrimination over her guide dog, Keegan.
Born with epilepsy and vision impaired, Whittle was trying to get into a taxi at Brisbane airport late last month when a driver refused her entry because of Keegan.
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Then on Friday, on a trip to Toowoomba, she had a knock on her hotel room door minutes after she had checked in.
After being told she needed to leave the premises, Whittle started to film the interaction.
“You are saying that — Keegan sit, darling — that because I have a service animal, I am being kicked out of the (hotel in) which I’ve just paid for the accommodation,” she is heard to say in the footage.
The staff member responded: “You didn’t state that you did have a service animal. If you did, we would have refunded before you stayed here.”
“Under the laws I do not have to. I have paperwork with me that states he is legally allowed in here,” Whittle said.
She is then heard to say she will be filing a discrimination suit against the hotel, which 7NEWS.com.au has chosen not to name due to threats against the establishment.
Then the following day, Whittle claims a local cafe would not allow her to sit inside the premises with Keegan.
“This is absolutely insane,” Whittle told 7NEWS.
“I’m over it. People need to know that service dogs are legally allowed to go anywhere the owner goes.”
She said there were important reasons for Keegan to be with her, including that she suffers seizures.
“He’s a massive part of my life. He’s more than a guide dog. Keegan is everything to me,” she said.
“Keegan can sense if I have a seizure … and will get me into a safe place.
“It’s really frustrating. Guide dogs have been around for a lot longer than I have.”