Toronto man says cabbies refused him because of service dog

A Toronto man says he was refused service by two different taxi cabs because they wouldn’t accommodate his service dog.

Ashton Doudelet, 28, has epilepsy and takes his dog, Laser, with him everywhere he goes.

But on Monday night Doudelet says he was turned down twice while trying to get home from the Distillery District.

Beck and Crown taxis both rejected him, before another Beck taxi finally accepted him.

“They actually make me feel ashamed to have a disability, ashamed to have epilepsy, and that’s not my fault,” he said. “It was something I was given and not something I chose to have.”

“Stress can actually induce seizures,” he added. “So by having something that alleviates stress (the dog) you don’t have as many seizures.”

Doudelet says both cabbies said they were uncomfortable with the dog, despite the fact that Laser was wearing a bright red vest that identifies it as a service dog.

Both Beck and Crown have condemned the behaviour of the drivers who refused Doudelet and his dog.

“The refusal of any fare due to the presence of a service animal is unacceptable and illegal,” Beck said in a statement. “Any driver who fails to adhere to these bylwaws can be charged by Toronto Police Service and can expect zero tolerance from Beck.”

“Our policy is straightforward,” Crown responded. “We have zero tolerance for drivers refusing service to customers with service animals.”

Doudelet says cabbies aren’t the only offenders. He says he’s also been turned away from restaurants and stores.

“If I don’t have him (with me) I could actually die,” he said.