Artist Pinky Fang and guide dog Lyric. Photo: Supplied / Pinky Fang
Guide dogs provide essential support for people who are blind or have low vision, helping them to have the freedom to take public transport and get around safely.
But a Wellington artist who has low vision has shared her experience of being denied access on buses and ride-share services because of her dog.
Pinky Fang's illustration of her dog Lyric Photo: Pinky Fang
Pinky is an artist who has severe tunnel vision.
"I have about 5 percent of my vision left."
She said she didn't find art a "particularly difficult thing to do" because of the nature of her vision.
It was fantastic that the NZ Blind Foundation recently changed their name to Blind and Low Vision NZ, she said, because "only a very small amount of people registered with the foundation have no vision whatsoever".
She said in the past she was allowed to take her dog on the bus which helped her get to work, but recently she was told to get off a bus in Wellington because her dog wasn't allowed.
The driver said the dog was a "safety issue" for other passengers.
"I said 'she's a guide dog', but he stopped the bus and wouldn't move it.
"Eventually he talked to someone on his intercom and we drove."
It was "incredibly embarrassing and difficult", she said.
Metlink later called her and apologised.
She said drivers should be told about guide dogs during their training.
"If he [the driver] knew about the pet dogs guidelines, I don't understand why he wasn't aware of the guide dogs rules."
She said it was also an issue when trying to get an Uber ride.
"I've had a huge amount of trouble with Ubers. I would say before I gave up on them completely, my success rate was about 40 percent. It was impossible."
Going in and out of shops also sometimes gives her "anxiety".
"Most of the time its fine ... the fact that I have to explain it, is quite upsetting. I avoid going to new places."
Another point she made was people should avoid petting guide dogs because they needed to focus on their surroundings.
