Assistance dogs and their owners often get a bum rap in a society that is supposed to be, on paper at least, inclusive and nondiscriminatory.

In reality, people like wheelchair-user Naoto Anzue and his pet pooch, Dante, are turned away at shops and restaurants, although Anzue possesses the legal right to be accompanied by his highly trained dog on public premises.

That's why Anzue, 46, is pinning his hopes on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being an occasion to welcome all such assistance dogs and their human companions from around the globe.