The media have reported how an assistance cat is at the centre of a claim under the Equality Act after Sainsbury’s refused to allow her into one of its shops.
Ian Fenn, who is autistic and has trained the black cat to be a support for him, is taking legal action against the supermarket.
He says Chloe’s help prevents sensory overload and she should be treated like a guide dog or any other aid designed to help someone with a disability.
Mr Fenn told the media how staff at Sainsbury’s in Clapham, south London, said he would have to leave his cat outside when he visited the shop in March. He added that after he complained Sainsbury’s told him it would only allow assistance dogs into its stores.
Chris Fry, who specialises in disability discrimination actions, is now bringing a case for Mr Fenn under the Equality Act.
He told the media: “There are plenty of cases about guide dogs being refused access to places or services but there hasn’t really been any judicial exploration of what constitutes an assistance animal if it’s not a dog.”
Mr Fenn, a product designer from south London Hospitals, keeps Chloe on a lead and she wears a fluorescent yellow “service cat” jacket. She typically sits on his shoulders as he walks around.
Using the cat’s Twitter account, Mr Fenn wrote: “Chloe accompanies me to hospital, GP, and blood donation appointments.
“We’ve been to zoos and aquariums where biosecurity needs to be considered. We’ve been to other supermarkets. What is so special about Sainsbury’s, who originally said I was welcome in any store?”
Sainsbury’s responded that it was working with an environmental health team to see if there was a way for Mr Fenn and Chloe to visit safely.
Mr Fenn told the BBC: “I get sensory overload in busy environments and tend to shut down. But with Chloe I can focus on her.
“She brings structure to my life, she wakes me up in the morning, she tells me when to go to bed. It’s difficult to know how she feels about the relationship, but I feel that we’re a team now.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We want to be an inclusive retailer where people love to work and shop and understand that some of our colleagues and customers may need support in our stores. At the same time, safety is our highest priority and our colleagues are trained to balance maintaining our high food hygiene standards with supporting all our customers who shop with us.”
“We are in contact with the local environmental health team to see if there are ways we can help Mr Fenn to visit our store without compromising this.”
