Blind woman, seeing eye dog turned away from Melbourne cafe

A Melbourne café has apologised for refusing to allow entry to a blind woman’s seeing eye dog.

Sadly those who rely on their canine companions are saying it’s happening far too often of late.

When Nadia Mattiazzo, her seeing eye dog Olympia and a friend, also with a seeing eye dog were refused entry by a staff member at Maribyrnong's Riviera Cafe.

Even though they protested, the staff member insisted that they could not stay.

“We said it's illegal for you to not allow us in with our dogs but he kept on saying 'no dogs, no dogs,’” Nadia said.

After a few tense minutes Nadia, who has been blind since birth, left the café.

“I was shocked and disappointed and upset and then probably later angry,” she said.

She then took to social media posting a complaint on Riviera’s Facebook page.

Nadia got an immediate response from the café.

“We would like to say we're very sorry about what happened,” the café owner told 7 News.

The café also made the promise that staff will be taught the law about seeing eye dogs.

"Anywhere that a person is allowed their seeing eye dog is legally allowed to go with them,” Patrick Glines a spokesperson from Seeing Eye Dogs Victoria said.

Nadia went public to highlight how much she owes to her four-legged mate.

“She does increase my independence and freedom,” she said.

When asked how important the pooch was to Nadia she answered, “vital, she's my best buddy.”