'Wetherspoons turned me away because of assistance dog'

Naimh MacLoughlin says having a medical assistance dog allows her to live independently

A woman says she was left feeling "dehumanised" after being turned away from a Wetherspoons pub because she was with her medical assistance dog.

Naimh MacLoughlin said she went to The Society Rooms in Macclesfield, Cheshire, last month for dinner with her partner and her dog Blu.

The 22-year-old, who suffers post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is vulnerable to fainting, said the duty manager had told her she would not be served as the company's policy only allowed dogs certified by the Assistance Dogs UK organisation.

Blu has been trained by a different official organisation and Ms MacLoughlin said the policy was "discriminatory". The BBC has approached Wetherspoons for a comment.

Ms MacLoughlin lives with complex PTSD and fibromyalgia, which means she has spells of excruciating pain.

The condition can also cause her heart rate to suddenly spike, resulting in her fainting - symptoms her dog is trained to recognise and alert her to.

"I would not be here without her and she gives me the independence to live my life how I should be able to live my life," she said.

Ms MacLoughlin is an assistance dog trainer

"I explained this all to the manager and I explained to her what Blu does. I tried to show her Blue's public access certificate and she just wasn't interested and she was quite condescending," Ms MacLoughlin said.

"It's something that needs to be addressed. Disabled people deserve the same as able-bodied people."

Ms MacLoughlin said her experience had been "very distressing" and she felt her condition had been "disregarded".

She said: "In an ideal world, I would love for Wetherspoons to apologise for what happened because it was completely dehumanising.

"And for the way I was treated with disrespect but also just disregard for my disabilities.

"I love a Wetherspoons breakfast. I want to be able to go there without the fear of this happening again."

An entry on the Wetherspoon website said its policy is that "animals are not allowed in its pubs, hotels, gardens, car parks or on other external areas. The exceptions to the policy are trained guide dogs and also assistance dogs with accredited training from Assistance Dogs UK member organisations".

The chain said it "does not allow emotional support dogs or any other animals".

It said dogs could sometimes behave "unpredictably" and "some customers may be frightened of, or allergic to, them".

"In addition, many customers do not like having dogs around when eating," it added.