Foodworks South Gladstone manager Sam Pao said he has suffered trauma since evicting a boy and his support dog

A Gladstone mother shared her heartbreak after her six-year-old son with a disability and his support dog were denied entry to a popular grocery store. The store owner has now set the record straight in an emotional interview.

A Gladstone mother has shared her pain after she and disabled son were kicked out of a grocery store for being accompanied by a support dog.

Angie Smith said she was so devastated she was not sure she could put it in words.

After Ms Smith, her 6-year-old son and his support dog, Shaun, headed to Foodworks South Gladstone for a bottle of milk, Ms Smith was shocked to be denied entry to the store.

“Shaun was wearing his official vest and even after telling both the owners it is illegal to deny entry to an Assistance Dog, we still had to leave,” Ms Smith said.

“As if that wasn’t bad enough, they allowed us to be verbally assaulted and humiliated by a customer as we were leaving the store.

“He says ‘ya know most people tie their dog up outside! What are you retarded?’ I spun around and said I beg your pardon! So he repeated ‘well, are you retarded?’.”

Ms Smith said she did not respond before bursting into tears and running out of the store.

“My 6-year-old son has multiple disabilities and thank God he doesn’t understand the disgusting insult thrown at us by that man,” Ms Smith said.

“We returned home without the grocery items we needed because I am far too upset and humiliated to enter another business.

“To the owners of South Gladstone Foodworks, please educate yourselves on the laws regarding Assistance Dogs and don’t make anyone else go through the for the sake of a bottle of milk.”

Foodworks South Gladstone owners Serey and Sam Pao told The Observer they never meant to offend Ms Smith or her son, who were regular customers, and offered their side of the story.

Foodworks Toolooa St, Gladstone owners Serey Pao and Sam Pao.

“They entered the store as they usually did, but I didn’t see them come in and then I heard a dog barking and there are no dogs allowed in the store,” Mr Pao said.

“If we were seen to have dogs in the store by the council or anyone like that, we would get into serious trouble.

“As soon as I saw it was her and the dog was a support dog I said “oh okay” and walked away, but she must have taken offence or misunderstood and thought that I was angry.”

Mr Pao said he had suffered emotional trauma from how the event played out since, even claiming to have suffered face-to-face racial abuse.

“We just work so hard to make this store the best we can and serve the community but there always seem to be one problem or another,” he said.

“If there was an opportunity for Sam and I to meet with Angie and her son to issue an apology and explain our side of the story,” Ms Pao said.