A teenager with service dog says she was asked to leave a local establishment after the owner demanded documents for the dog that aren't required by law.

Ross Reed goes everywhere with Lutka, her medical alert service dog.

While she said she encounters issues with some business owners who aren't educated on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, for the most part, she and Lutka are accepted.

Last week, however, Reed said she and a friend were denied service at YoYo's Yogurt Caf� because the owner asked for records they didn't have or need.

YoYo's on Hunter Street is owned by Carol-Anne and Ted Detmers, who didn't want to comment Friday.

Reed said Carol-Anne asked the duo for their dog's vaccination records and dog service certification cards.

Yet under AODA, the only proof needed to identify a service dog is a doctor's note, which Reed has.

The Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School student said she and her friend offered their doctor's notes, but Carol-Anne wouldn't accept them and asked them to leave.

Reed said she's used to people not understanding the law, so she's happy to explain it, but Carol-Anne wouldn't listen.

Lutka doesn't have a certification card because she was owner-trained by Reed and her mother.

The type of training Lutka needed to assist Reed isn't offered by the local Lions Foundation, which trains service dogs, so the family bought Lutka themselves and trained her.

To bring Lutka to school, which Reed did last year, the public school board had the dog tested to make sure it was safe and under control.

Reed thinks some people might not recognize Lutka as a service dog because she doesn't always wear a vest, which isn't necessary.

The 2 1/2-year-old Portuguese water dog has a lot of hair and gets hot in the summer, so Reed doesn't put a vest on her. Lutka does have a harness though, which Reed prefers.

When Angie Reed-Jansen heard what happened to her daughter, she emailed YoYo's asking why Reed and her friend were refused service.

Carol-Anne responded saying they abide by the AODA guidelines and welcome several Lions Foundations dogs inside.

The owner then asked for a copy of Reed's "letter from the accredited professional" to keep on file so they don't have to ask Reed again.

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The email infuriated Reed-Jansen, not only because the owner asked to retain private information, but also because she said the owner was so ill-informed.

"It is every business' obligation to know that these laws are to make their places accessible," Reed-Jansen said.

The distraught mother said she tried repeatedly to contact the Detmers to address the issue, but they didn't respond.

A day later when Reed-Jansen and Reed went into to Yoyo's to speak to them, Carol-Anne called the police.

Reed said she was "humiliated."

Although Reed said she'd never go back to YoYo's, she hopes her voice will still make a difference.

"Even if it doesn't help me, it helps the next person that comes in . to get the service that they're looking for."

jessica.nyznik

@peterboroughdaily.com