A Robinsons mall refuses entry to foreigner with assistance dog; local police handcuffs him
BY JB ADALIA – AUGUST 30, 2014
A foreigner suffering from a neurological disorder was denied entry by Robinsons Place Dumaguete because they would not let his assistance dog inside mall premises, saying pets are not allowed inside, reports Local Facebook page Hulagway ug Kasikas sa Dumaguete (HUKAD).
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The guards were the first to bar him from entering, pending approval from the management; however, even though Mark Cohen explained to the guards that the dog was not a “pet” but a well-trained service dog, they still would not allow him entry.
HUKAD reported that the first incident happened last August 17, just 3 days after he arrived in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The incident caused a commotion at the main entrance to the mall. When Cohen kept on insisting they allow him inside, the guards called the police. He was brought to the police in handcuffs for causing “public disturbance”.
At the police station, Cohen, some members of the local media, police officers, and some concerned citizens waited for mall representatives to arrive so the issue can be solved, but they waited in vain, HUKAD also announced.
As the director of the International Institute for Assistance Dog Training, Cohen may be a medically-certified Person with Disability, but he aims to educate people about assistance dogs. So, he wrote a lengthy letter to the management of Robinsons Place Dumaguete, explaining his side, his medical issues, and imploring them to allow him entry the next time he visits the mall with his service dog, Happy.
In his letter to mall officials, shared by HUKAD, Cohen reminded them he is allowed to enter the mall with this dog in accordance to Philippine laws under Republic Acts 7227 and 9442 as well as Batas Pambansa Blg. 344.
When they did not contact him, he returned on August 27 with high hopes, but the mall’s management continued to refuse to let him in, reports The Daily Pedia. They even closed the northwest entrance so he could not enter.
In protest, he camped out at that door for hours – and the police could only stand there and stood vigil with him outside the door, ensuring peace, while the mall guards held their ground at the other side of the door.
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Cohen camps out at the mall’s entrance in protest
Photo credit: Hulagway ug Kasikas sa Dumaguete
Netizens were divided over how to react on the issue, with some saying the mall should allow him entry because the dog was not a pet, but a service dog, reports World Fact News. These people went as far as calling the mall management as ignorant.
There were also those who sided with the management, saying the mall was right in refusing him entry because his dog was huge and could potentially harm the people inside. To this, many reminded them that service dogs are trained, not just pets.
There were also those who bashed the foreigner for going to the mall without assistance when he allegedly had a girlfriend in the city who should have accompanied him. Cohen, however, has traveled to many places across the world with only the dog as company.
Due to the overwhelming public response, the mall released the following statement:
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Robinsons Place Dumaguete refuses entry to foreigner with assistance dog
Photo credit: Robinsons Malls Facebook page
Sam Du, owner of Bo’s Coffee Club, was angry with the mall’s statement, informing HUKAD that he offered Cohen free use of the coffee shop’s wi-fi on his own accord, not ‘arranged’ by the mall as claimed by the management.
In its statement, the mall insisted that Cohen was not blind and even wanted to enter the mall to use the internet facilities; however, Cohen had never pretended he was blind. It is a common misconception that assistance dogs are used only by the blind; ‘seeing-eye’ dogs do exist, but they are just one kind of service dogs, according to Wikipedia.
