When an opportunity arose to attend a Newfoundland Growlers hockey game at the Mary Brown’s Centre this winter, Kelly Picco was excited but wanted to be prepared – as she had never been to a hockey arena with her guide dog, Maple.
To ensure that Maple would be comfortable with her new surroundings, Kelly visited the Mary Brown’s Centre in advance of the game and asked to tour the facility to help familiarize Maple with the overall layout of the arena. The security team was accommodating and gave them a detailed tour of the space.
On game day, Kelly and her partner were greeted by security staff and escorted to their seats. Though Kelly had planned for Maple’s comfort and reserved an extra seat so that Maple would have room to relax on the floor, the security team offered to move Kelly and her guests to a different seating area if Maple needed more space.
During the game, security personnel repeatedly returned to check in on Kelly and Maple. When the noise level of a nearby children’s birthday party grew louder, security stopped by to ensure that Maple was comfortable with the noise and once again offered Kelly a quieter area to sit.
“They weren’t just accommodating me – they also wanted to make sure that Maple was comfortable,” says Kelly.
Kelly says she was pleasantly surprised by the excellent customer service at the Mary Brown’s Centre and looks forward to attending more hockey games.