A photo of a cat sitting in a shopping trolley in an Aldi store has divided shoppers, with some people furious that the animal was allowed into a place where food is sold.
A shopper recently took a photo of the feline at an Aldi store in Jerrabomberra, southwest of Canberra.
The customer visited the ‘Aldi Fans in Australia’ Facebook page last week to upload a photo of the unusual sight.
“Here’s something that’s rare to see in an Aldi store,” the woman wrote.
“This is the first time I’ve seen an assistance cat in public.”
A photo of an assistance cat (pictured) seen in an Aldi store has divided shoppers
The image shows the cat sitting inside the baby seat of a stroller while wearing a green harness around its neck.
While some users who commented on the post thought adding the animal to the shopping cart was cute, others criticized the move as “unhygienic.”
“Anyone can buy a harness for an animal, call it a service pet, and take it anywhere. Ridiculous,’ wrote one user.
‘Gross! Assistance or not. “I don’t think animals should be allowed in our carts where we put our food,” another person said.
“How unhygienic to have a cat in a food supermarket.”
Others noted that they are allergic to cats and said the animal posed a health hazard.
‘My kids would be in trouble if they sat there behind this cat! “They have severe allergies,” one woman said.
Others said people should have more respect for those who need an assistance animal to help with their disability.
Aldi declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, however a spokesperson said the company’s policy on animals is guided by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
The law states that a creature is considered an assistance animal if it is “trained to assist a person with a disability.”
Aldi (file image of a store) said its policy around assistance animals is guided by the Disability Discrimination Act.
The animal must also be accredited as trained to assist people living with disabilities under a state or territory law.
The animal must “meet the standards of hygiene and behavior appropriate for an animal in a public place.”
Assistance animals help people with disabilities perform everyday tasks.
Assistance animals are used by a variety of people with physical and cognitive disabilities.