Man denied service at Pierrefonds Tim Hortons because of service dog

A man in Pierrefonds had the police called on him outside a Tim Hortons because of his service dog. The incident took place on a July morning, when Craig Read was denied service. The restaurant refused to serve him, and a confrontation ensued. "I was asked to leave, and was told it's because of the dog," he said. "I said that it was a service dog, and they said they didn't care, and I had to leave." Eventually, police were called. They verified that his dog, Joey, was, in fact, a service dog. Still, the situation left Read frustrated. "It made me feel very anxious," he said. "Very mad, angry, anxious, embarassed." Read has had Joey since 2014, after he suffered a pulmonary embolism that nearly killed him. He was then diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. After the recent incident at Tim Hortons, Read reached out to a local Tim Hortons district manager. He wanted an in-person meeting, but was instead offered a gift card, which he refused. Read's case highlights the need for clearer laws on service dogs, said.a spokesperson for the ASISTA Foundation. "We've asked Quebec to be more specific," said John Agionicolaitis. "[The dogs] are not pets." In Canada, service dogs are allowed in public and private establishments, in areas with customers. In a statement to CTV, Tim Hortons said Read's treatment was unacceptable and that they have fired the employee responsible. Read hopes they and others can learn from this experience. "Not all service dogs are for blind people or for military people," he said. "Not all wounds are visible."