War veteran with service dog says he was kicked out of P.A. restaurant
CBC News | Posted: March 22, 2014 2:46 AM | Last Updated: March 22, 2014
Michael Sharron is taking legal action after not being able to stay at a restaurant with his service dog
A restaurant in Prince Albert is facing legal action after turning away a war veteran with a service dog.
Michael Sharron has the dog because he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from time he served with the military in Croatia and Afghanistan.
"You feel like you could crawl into a hole in the ground if you could because you're standing in an environment where there's people all around, and there wasn't yelling, but there was talking at a high enough pitch that everybody around was just looking at what was going on," said Sharron describing the scene at the restaurant.
He had gone there for lunch, and was asked by the owner if Rylie was a seeing eye dog.
"And I said no, I said he's a medical service dog for a condition that I have. And I was asked, 'What's your condition?' And I said, "That's none of your business."
Rylie and Sharron share a close bond, with the canine helping to distract the ex-military soldier by keeping his mind in reality and not zone out, as he sometimes does.
"It's strong. It's amazing," Sharron describes his relationship with the animal.
He said at the restaurant Rylie was wearing his service dog vest, and Sharron was carrying the proper paperwork.
"Didn't want that," said Sharron. "He wanted proof of what was wrong with me. And that's not right. It's nobody's concern of what is exactly wrong with me. I have the dog because it was prescribed to me."
Sharron said the owner kicked him out and is now pursuing legal action against the establishment.
"It's like taking ten steps backwards with your therapy and that, you know, you get comfortable going out to places and going into areas where I wasn't going before I had Rylie."
CBC News did call the owner of the restaurant for comment, the owner did not return our calls.