NAPLES, Fla. — A Naples pizza shop owner is trying to clear the air after police say an employee told a man with a service dog to leave the restaurant.
This happened Friday night, and police cited the employee for violating state discrimination laws. Fox 4 has since learned that he was fired on Monday.
Naples Police say that the customer provided all proper documentation to show that his dog was in fact a service dog.
Florida law and the Americans with Disabilities Act both have clear guidelines for people with service dogs - but what about the rules for when they go out to eat?
Chris Diefenthaler is the Executive Director for Assistance Dogs International - she says those rules are also clear.
“The only time a restaurant or store owner may ask an individual to leave with their service dog is if the service dog is disrupting other people, is barking, jumping up on people,” says Diefenthaler.
She says that every restaurant or store owner should be familiar with these laws, and should visit the Americans with Disabilities Act website to read them.
