It was a Sunday brunch hour that made Randi McKay think, “Here we go again.” Around 9:30 a.m. on June 14, McKay and her service dog, Jax, attempted to visit a Stella’s location at 340 Provencher Blvd. Jax, McKay’s second service dog, has been with her since 2023 and wears a harness equipped with a guiding handle to assist her – as she is legally blind. Jax had extensive training in the United States, according to McKay. However, McKay said she got into an argument with the location’s employee about Jax’s presence. “I said to the waiter, ‘Unfortunately, you can’t refuse a service dog, and you can’t ask for certification. All you can do is ask if he’s a service dog and the handler could say yes or no,’” she told CTV News on Friday. McKay said that while this isn’t the first time she has been denied service with her service animal, her experience at the Stella’s location was “not to the extent as in this.” “I also asked to speak to a manager; (the employee) said he couldn’t get a hold of the manager.” She ended up calling her friend to help advocate on her behalf, and when the friend arrived, the employee said, “’Oh no, never mind. I spoke to the manager, and they said it’s okay,’” according to McKay. McKay said her friend requested the manager’s contact information – which the employee provided – and they left the location. “We’re in 2026 here. Why do I have to go through this all the time? … I don’t even really feel like going anywhere out in public now.” In a statement to CTV News, Stella’s vice president Rob Del Grosso said, in part, the company has been welcoming service animals at all of its locations in accordance with The Accessibility for Manitobans Act – ensuring all of their guests can visit with dignity and respect. “In this instance, after reviewing this matter internally we have determined that our supervisor followed procedures and invited the guest and the service animal into the restaurant to dine,” Del Grosso said. “We have also been in direct contact with the guest’s family to acknowledge their concerns and to better understand the situation. All our staff, managers, and supervisors receive ongoing training on The Accessibility for Manitobans Act.” In response to Stella’s statement, McKay said: “Wow, I don’t really have anything to say about that.” Her sister was in contact with Stella’s general manager, McKay said, who was “very apologetic and embarrassed about the incident.” Service animals in Manitoba According to Manitoba’s Human Rights Code, a service animal is defined as “an animal that has been trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability that relates to that person’s disability.” The Manitoba Accessibility Office, the province’s body responsible for public education activities about the Accessibility for Manitobans Act, published resources for several settings, including customer service, employment, transportation and more. According to its publication for service animals – which uses the definition from the Human Rights Code – there is no standardized documentation, training program or certification of service animals in the province – adding the handler does not necessarily have to show documentation. “Some handlers may carry documentation supporting the need for a service animal such as a letter, note or form from a regulated health professional or service animal trainer,” the publication stated. Organizations and businesses can ask if the animal is trained to help the handler with a disability-related need. If it isn’t clear if the animal is a service animal, they may ask what type of assistance the animal has been trained to provide. Handlers must always keep their service animals under control and if not under control, the person may be refused access or asked to leave, the publication added. Awareness and education McKay said there needs to be much more education, training and awareness when it comes to service dogs. “People with disabilities that have service dogs should be entitled to go anywhere and everywhere and not have to defend themselves.” She added that she intends to pursue a human rights complaint because “(Jax) is my eyes and no one just has to go through that, to be refused to just live their daily life.” With files from CTV News’ Daniel Halmarson
