A deaf man says he was left feeling “humiliated” after a member of staff told him he could not have a meal with his assistance dog in the lounge of a Fife restaurant.
Kenneth Scott and his partner Sandra Donaldson had decided to go out for an evening meal at the Lomond Tavern in Falkland.
However, after settling down in the restaurant, Mr Scott, from Auchtermuchty, was told that he would have to move to the public bar with his hearing dog Spike for environmental health reasons.
This was despite them mentioning the dog when they booked the table and taking the dog there on previous occasions.
The proprietor of the Lomond Tavern told The Courier he was “genuinely sorry” if the couple had been offended by any actions of staff.
Ten-year-old Spike, a cocker spaniel poodle cross, has been Ken’s hearing dog for five years and the couple say he is “100% invaluable”.
They say other customers protested to the staff, saying Spike should be allowed into the restaurant.
They even showed the national Assistance Dogs (UK) ID book issued to Mr Scott by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, which explains hearing dogs should be allowed into places that serve food.
However, the couple say the ID book was ignored by staff and Mr Scott and his partner felt they had “no option” but to leave without having their meal.
Even if they had wanted to, they say they could not have gone into the bar area for practical reasons because the potential noise could have aggravated Mr Scott’s tinnitus.
Completely deaf in one ear and with 5% hearing in the other, Mr Scott, who received a Community Award from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in 2010, said: “I obviously couldn’t hear what the chef was saying when she told us to leave the restaurant but the way she looked at us was a disgrace.
“There are children who rely on hearing dogs and people in wheelchairs who rely on assistance dogs. It could have been any one of these people in that position. What happened to us is a disgrace and I felt humiliated.”
Sandra added: “The staff made us feel victimised and angry and I’m really quite amazed.”
The proprietor of the Lomond Tavern, Peter Smurthwaite, said he was “genuinely sorry” if the couple had been offended and he suggested more efforts be made by Fife Council to raise awareness of Hearing Dogs.
Mr Smurthwaite, who has 30 years’ experience in the service industry, said the Lomond Tavern is dog-friendly and regularly welcomes people in with their animals.
However, while food is served in both the restaurant and bar areas, “as a rule” no dogs are allowed in the restaurant.
When booking a table, he said there was no guarantee someone would get a table in the restaurant or bar, adding they were all part of the same establishment.
He said staff had told him, on this occasion, there was no clear evidence Spike had been a hearing dog as the couple “did not identify themselves” when they came in.
He apologised for any upset and said this appeared to be a “mountain out of a molehill”.
Philip Biggs, access and inclusion manager for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People said: “Sadly this refusal of service is arguably disability discrimination