Utah Restaurant Won’t Allow Dogs Inside Despite ADA Requirement

A
Utah restaurant has upset quite a number of prospective customers
with service dogs by not allowing them into the establishment. Why?
It’s because of their service animals.
According
to two Bombay Grill customers, the owner rejected their patronage
when they tried to bring their service dogs inside. The incidents
happened in a two-week span but not at the same time.
Missy
Warwood’s five-year-old son Jefferson has Down Syndrome and uses a
service dog to help keep him calm. Warwood said the moment they tried
to enter the restaurant to celebrate her birthday, the owner told her
they needed to leave because he doesn’t allow dogs.
Warwood
said they informed him they had a right to be there with their
service dog due to ADA regulations. However, he told her, it was his
restaurant and his right, and he doesn’t allow dogs to come inside.
After
the family left, they took to the restaurant’s Facebook page to
post the ADA regulations, which requires business serving the public
to allow patrons with service animals to come into areas where others
allow and prohibits them from discriminating against people who have
disabilities.
Not
long after the Warwood experience, a group of veterans also tried to
eat a the Bombay Grill and were also told they could not eat there.
Abraham
Swank had his service dog with him to help with his anxiety and
mobility. He said without his dog, he’d never be able to leave
home. Another veteran also had her dog with her for PTSD and other
medical problems. According to her, she suffers from severe hearing
loss, and her service dog keeps her aware of her surroundings.
The Bombay Grill owner said the establishment doesn’t allow dogs anymore due to a previous incident that involved a canine. The owner said the restaurant is his responsibility. The owner said he has read the ADA laws and understands them, but he stands by his no dogs inside policy.