Local Man’s Guide Dog Banned from Doctor’s Office

On Aug. 4, Dr. Priya Punjabi, a Feasterville physician, threw a guide dog for visually impaired patient out of her office.

According to a story on PhillyBurbs.com, Joseph Cichonski, of Bensalem, was there to get a physical. Instead, he left the office in the 1600 block of Bridgetown Pike with his wife and guide dog, Hero, a Labrador-golden retriever mix.

Punjabi said that pets weren’t allowed in the office.

“We simply asked him to step outside,” the doctor told PhillyBurbs. “I have my rights and my phobias, too.”

Cichonski called Lower Southampton police.

“I’m not trying to cause a fuss,” he told the newspaper. “I just want to let people know that things like this are happening and I’d like to prevent them from happening to other people with disabilities.”

A lawyer with the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania told PhillyBurbs that by banning Hero from the office Punjabi violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Click here for the full story courtesy of PhillyBurbs.