After an Edmonton store apologized for turning away a 9-year-old with autism and her service dog, it kicked her out of the shop when she returned a second time, CBC News reports.
Winners issued a formal apology and a $25 gift certificate to Emily Ainsworth after her mom complained about the store's refusal to let her daughter in. But, when Emily came back to redeem the certificate, she was told that dogs are not welcome, according to the news outlet.
"I'm profoundly disappointed as a mother and as a human being," Alison Ainsworth, Emily's mom, told the Edmonton Sun. "We teach kids that 'Sorry' means 'I won’t do it again.' Where is the apology for not putting this into action?"
Doreen Thompson, a spokesperson for Winners' parent company, TJX, released this statement to The Huffington Post.
"At Winners, we take customer concerns very seriously and are committed to conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Allowing service animals in our stores is standard operating procedure. We are looking into the particulars regarding this customer's experience and are reaching out to her directly, as well as taking whatever actions we believe are appropriate, which include contacting our stores to reinforce our acceptance of service dogs. We regret that our procedures were not followed in this instance."
Ainsworth's grievance is just one of a slew of recent incidents where service dogs have been barred from private and public buildings.
Earlier this month, the Houston Chronicle shared the story of a school teacher with diabetes who was not permitted to bring her service dog to work.
Back in June, a Brooklyn man won a $20,000 lawsuit against New York City after he and his service pooch were not allowed inside a state building, according to the New York Daily News.