Autistic children left 'completely traumatised' after holiday park refuses entry to assistance dog
A South Australian mother says her children were left "completely traumatised" after her family's assistance dog was refused entry to a holiday park in Adelaide at the weekend.
Murrianna Reese said her family had organised to stay at the Marion Holiday Park, in Adelaide's south, but had to cancel their plans after staff denied entry to their assistance dog.
The mother-of-three from Murray Bridge said the family's labrador, named Hunter, was a vital support for all three of her children.
Logan Reese sitting on the ground next to his yellow labrador
She said her son Logan, 8, had an acquired brain injury, epilepsy and was also autistic and non-verbal, her daughter Mystique had a form of deafness and was also autistic, while her eldest son, 15-year-old Zach, also had autism.
She said Hunter, an assistance dog in training, was a big help for all three children, and provided vital support to them as parents.
"Hunter helps all of them go out and about and helps us as parents take them out and about in society," she told the ABC.
"Logan runs away and hides and you get no response, but since we've had Hunter that's decreased from every time you go out in public to once every four months.
"Even then, he doesn't run away and hide, he stays within sight of Hunter and Hunter is trained to follow him and keep him out of danger.
"He just supports them daily, not just them, us as parents as well."
Ms Reese said the family arrived at the caravan park on Saturday and as a courtesy she informed staff of the family's assistance dog when checking in.
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-29/family-claims-discrimination-as-assistance-dog-denied-entry/11355546
Murrianna Reese said her family had organised to stay at the Marion Holiday Park, in Adelaide's south, but had to cancel their plans after staff denied entry to their assistance dog.
The mother-of-three from Murray Bridge said the family's labrador, named Hunter, was a vital support for all three of her children.
Logan Reese sitting on the ground next to his yellow labrador
She said her son Logan, 8, had an acquired brain injury, epilepsy and was also autistic and non-verbal, her daughter Mystique had a form of deafness and was also autistic, while her eldest son, 15-year-old Zach, also had autism.
She said Hunter, an assistance dog in training, was a big help for all three children, and provided vital support to them as parents.
"Hunter helps all of them go out and about and helps us as parents take them out and about in society," she told the ABC.
"Logan runs away and hides and you get no response, but since we've had Hunter that's decreased from every time you go out in public to once every four months.
"Even then, he doesn't run away and hide, he stays within sight of Hunter and Hunter is trained to follow him and keep him out of danger.
"He just supports them daily, not just them, us as parents as well."
Ms Reese said the family arrived at the caravan park on Saturday and as a courtesy she informed staff of the family's assistance dog when checking in.
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-29/family-claims-discrimination-as-assistance-dog-denied-entry/11355546
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