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A man with autism has sued a London supermarket for not letting him in with his cat. To him, it’s like a dog, he says: absolutely necessary to keep his condition under control.
Help cat Chloe can make history. Its owner, Ian Finn, is suing the Sainsbury supermarket chain because he does not accept that he cannot take Chloe to the store in south London. Fenn has autism and has trained a black cat to support him in many ways. Having Chloe around keeps him from being overstimulated, which is why he feels that they should be seen as a service dog or another resource for a disabled person. “It gives my life structure, wakes me up in the morning and tells me when to sleep. I really feel like we’re a team.”
During that visit to the supermarket in March, Finn was asked to keep his cat outside. The help dog should be allowed in, but not the cat. While many hospitals, stores, and hotels don’t see any problem with Chloe. That is why he submits the company to court. “We certainly want to be inclusive,” a Sainsbury spokesperson said in a statement. Watchman† “But safety is our top priority and we also have hygiene standards that we must meet. We are working with local health authorities to see if there is a way to bring Mr. Finn in without compromising our values.”
