HOUSTON – "We're not out for confrontation, but we are out for education," said Betsy Furler.
But a confrontation is what Furler said they got when she and her son walked into a Southside Place restaurant Thursday with his service dog. Scout, a standard poodle, is a seizure alert dog for 17-year-old Henry Furler.
"He can tell me if I'm about to have a seizure and he'll get underneath so I don't hurt myself," Henry said. "It's pretty cool to take him everywhere. Everybody at my school loves him."
"He's had many concussions and facial injuries due to seizures," says Betsy Furler. "So that's Scout's job. He's with him all the time."
The Furlers said when they walked into Little Matt's on Edloe Street, an employee told them they had to leave because dogs weren't allowed. They said they tried to explain that Scout was a service dog and that federal and state law prevented them from being denied service.
"He wants them to leave and he thinks it's against our health code or whatever," said Betsy. "So they did end up leaving."
Channel 2 went to the restaurant and an employee got us into contact with owner Jim Reid. Reid sent apologies to the family and says the employee who asked Henry and Scout to leave didn't understand the law regarding guide dogs. He said Henry is welcome back anytime -- and so is Scout.
"I hope it ends up that the owner of the restaurant is appalled by what his employee did," said Betsy Furler. "It is strange walking into some place with a dog. So every time we have a negative experience like this, it kind of sets the process back."