COLUMBIA, Miss. (WDAM/Gray News) – A Mississippi woman who is legally blind says she and her family were turned away from a restaurant because she had her service dog with her.
Carlyn White is legally blind and relies on her service dog, Kuzco, to help her navigate the world. Last week, she says she encountered a first when her family was told they couldn’t enter a restaurant in the Pine Belt region with her dog, WDAM reports.
“We start trying to explain that he’s a service dog,” White said. “You can’t deny him. It’s illegal. She is immediately rude and says, ‘No dogs. It doesn’t matter.’”
White says she later talked to the restaurant owner, who only doubled down on the rude treatment.
“He goes, ‘Come get you a take-out plate and take your a– to the yard and eat with your dog,’” she said.
White argues the restaurant violated rules set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that most public facilities allow service animals to accompany their owners.
Alison Patrolia with Hub City Service Dogs said the dogs can only be asked to leave if they’re out of control.
“Barking a lot, growling or if they were being more of a nuisance in the public space,” she said.
The federal law also limits what establishments can ask people about their disability or their service dog.
“The first is ‘Is this a service dog?’” Patrolia said. “The second is ‘What task does the dog perform for you?’”
White has filed a complaint against the restaurant with the Department of Justice, which carries a fine of up to $500. She says she understands that some people might be uncomfortable around dogs, but Jane Walton with Disability Rights Mississippi says that isn’t an excuse for bad treatment.
“These are animals that are on the clock,” Walton said. “They’re working to assist the person they’re with. These dogs are highly trained, so they’re not going to be doing anything.”
Ultimately, White just wants people like the restaurant owner to take a second and think about their actions.
“He could’ve muted the phone, searched on Google, and he would’ve got the answer immediately,” she said.
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