Marine veteran says he was kicked out of local Applebee's over service dog

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — A marine veteran claims he and his service dog were asked to leave a local restaurant over the weekend.

The local veteran has post-traumatic stress disorder, and has difficulty walking after serving in Iraq.

The man told Channel 11, he was at the Applebee's in West Mifflin with his service dog when he overheard a couple talking about their allergies. The man said he asked if they wanted him to move to another table.

He claims a man at the table stood up and approached him, and that's when the man said the restaurant manager asked him to leave, and escorted him out of the restaurant.

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A spokesperson for the restaurant told Channel 11:

"We take this guest's concerns seriously and have connected with him to understand what happened. In adherence to the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act, we warmly welcome service animals into our restaurants. At Applebee's, our promise to all guests and team members is that they feel welcome and respected."

The man said he tried explaining the importance of his dog to the manager, but he was still asked to leave.

The Pennsylvania market president who is also the Applebee's franchisee, Scott Blair, has expressed regret for what happened and made a donation to the Patriot Paws Service Dog Organization.

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