[wendychan]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/p...in-hougang

[wendychan]

SINGAPORE – Paralympic swimmer Sophie Soon was involved in a confrontation with a Rocky Master employee when she patronised the cafe at the Hougang 1 mall on Wednesday night, accompanied by her guide dog and her mother.

In a video taken by Ms Soon and posted on Facebook, the female employee was seen speaking on the phone before telling Ms Soon – who is visually impaired – and her mother to sit outside its premises with the guide dog.

Ms Soon’s mother then asked the woman why they were being discriminated against, adding that guide dogs are allowed in restaurants by Muis, or the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.

Asked what would happen if Ms Soon posted the video, the woman in the clip said: “Police report.”

“This happens practically every time I visit a new restaurant, which is a few times a week,” the 25-year-old told The Straits Times. Her guide dog, Orinda, has been with her since January 2022.

“It’s always the same when I go to a restaurant I haven’t been to before, where the staff on the ground have to check with management, and then I have to end up waiting 10 to 15 minutes.”

But this time, there was a half-hour delay before Ms Soon and her mother were seated.

Ms Soon claimed they were given three conditions by the employee in the video for remaining in the restaurant: the dog must be leashed, it must not be fed, and customers must not complain about the dog.
“As said many times before, guide dogs are allowed by law into all restaurant establishments, including halal establishments, as supported by Muis,” Ms Soon wrote in the caption accompanying the video.
In Singapore, guide dogs wear a yellow harness with text indicating that they are working dogs.

Guide dogs are approved and allowed in halal-certified premises, according to a Muis advisory.

The Housing Board and the National Parks Board’s Animal and Veterinary Service allow guide dogs to live in HDB flats. The National Environment Agency and the Singapore Food Agency also allow guide dogs in restaurants, foodcourts and cafes.

“How many more times do guide dog users have to be discriminated (against) before businesses finally educate themselves on the guide dog laws in Singapore?” Ms Soon wrote in the video caption.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Rocky Master said it does not discriminate against any diner.

[wendychan]

[wendychan]

she made a tik tok video "explaining"

not sure about her "tone"
and did she wear lipstick for the video? or her lips pink?

https://www.tiktok.com/@sophsoon/video/7...m_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7144198938580600321

[Stoki]

Aiyah, so simple lah, why need publicity.


Just leash the dog outside the restaurant lah.

Simple as ABC.

Eating outside the restaurant also is not a crime lah.

Why so picky?

[wendychan]

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/EPHA1987-RG16

[wendychan]

keyword MAY

[Sharexchange]

The dog so cute...can go halal ok la...

[K88 shu shu]

me like meow meow not dogs.

[starbugs]

At first I was sympathetic to the swimmer, but then she was rather aggressive to the shop employee who was quite clearly taking instructions from her boss. There's no need to shame the employee online with the video.

[sgbuffett]

Sometimes I pity tye restaurant staff.

They may not be well educated or conversant with rules and laws ....most of the time they are trying to do their job.

Most of us would expect that animals are not allowed in restaurants. It is not prejudice but common sense ...being employee there is risk being fired if something goes wrong. Like other customers complaining of the dog or the dog shit in the restaurant.

Yes it is a guide dog and she has right to take the dog in sure....but the poor employee may not be aware of all rules and laws covering such areas.

[mrclubbie]

it takes two hands to make a clap

[sgbuffett]

keyword MAY

The use of the word MAY instead of SHALL means the restaurant does not necessarily have to allow the dog.

He MAY allow the dog and not be fined for breaking any laws.

So the restaurant staff is right.

The person with the guard dog has no right to demand a place in the restaurant when she is with the dog.

I remember a friend who has a dog.
He always put the dog outside the restaurant tying the dog to a lamppost.

[Stoki]

You already know that this person is trying to find fault and shame the waitress by videoing and putting the video on internet. What is wrong with calling the owner and getting instuctions from the owner?

WTF this person who deliberately wanting to shame the waitress.

[debono]

The use of the word MAY instead of SHALL means the restaurant does not necessarily have to allow the dog.

He MAY allow the dog and not be fined for breaking any laws.

So the restaurant staff is right.

The person with the guard dog has no right to demand a place in the restaurant when she is with the dog.

I remember a friend who has a dog.
He always put the dog outside the restaurant tying the dog to a lamppost.

A normal dog is not a guide dog, and they are not properly trained to behave in an urban environment.  A guide dog on the other hand is trained to behave and guide the visually  impaired to a eating place, and behave properly..............

[wendychan]

https://mothership.sg/2023/03/spore-para...guide-dog/

[Sentinel]

What is her disability?

She partially blind ah?

I think she having PMS lah

Forgive her

Small matter lah

[Sentinel]

She not visually impaired, then why hv a guide dog?

She should get a support dog instead