RENO, Nev. (KOLO/Gray News) – A woman in Nevada was recently kicked out of a casino for not having her service dog.
Heather Vanus said she’s been a regular at the Nugget Casino resort in Reno for the last three years.
She and her medical dog Cherry will visit the casino some weeks up to four or five times a week. Cherry is trained to alert Vanus if she’s about to have a seizure.
“They know who we are. When we come in they automatically bring me water for my dog,” Vanus said.
What is typically a home-away-from-home atmosphere for Vanus quickly changed two weeks ago, when a security guard approached her and said to leave because Cherry was not present.
“They said you can either remove yourself, or you can leave in cuffs,” Vanus said. “After it happened, my fiancé looked at me and asked if that really just happened.”
Vanus said she didn’t take Cherry that day because she had just gotten fixed. She felt like it was safe to leave her service dog at home since she was with her fiancé at the casino if she had a medical emergency.
“Security told me that if she stayed at home, then I should have stayed at home with her,” Vanus said.
Vanus considered the Nugget her safe place and adds that not being able to see her friends there has been heartbreaking.
Now, all she wants is an apology and for the Nugget to educate their staff on how to handle others with medical dogs.
“Maybe this will make a difference because sometimes staff just isn’t trained,” Vanus said.
The Nugget Casino issued the following statement in response to the incident:
“The Nugget Casino Resort is fully committed to complying with all ADA requirements, and we welcome all guests with disabilities who use service animals. Service animals are always welcome at our property, and our team is trained to ensure that all guests are treated with respect and in accordance with federal and state laws. While we can’t comment on specific incidents, we remain dedicated to offering an inclusive environment for all our guests.”
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