Veteran with PTSD told “no comfort dogs” while kicked out store with service dog

Army veteran Joshua Schutt was medically discharged from the service following an injury in 2013.

He says without his four-year-old German Shepherd – ‘Hero’ – he wouldn’t be able to go out into society and do basic things.

His invisible scars haunt him every day, he says. The daily activities, made so difficult by his PTSD diagnosis, are bearable — thanks to Hero.

When Schutt recently went into a Dollar Tree store in Mocksville, North Carolina, an employee approached him and said his dog could not be inside the store.

The employee asked for his papers, WGHP reported, but under the Americans with Disabilities Act, he is not permitted to do so.

The employee went on to accuse Schutt of having a ‘comfort’ dog rather than a service dog and called police.

Schutt, who was an Army specialist from 2001-2004, says the incident made him wonder why he served. “It makes me feel unappreciated,”  he said.

The company issued this statement:

“Please know Dollar Tree is committed to allowing customers to bring their service animals to all areas of the store where customers are normally permitted. Please know we are in the process of reinforcing our policy with our associates, and we appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention.”

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