T.J. Maxx Told Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor To Leave Because of Her Service Dog

By Sara Morrison

Boston.com Staff

JULY 14, 2014 2:59 PM

Marathon bombing survivor Sydney Corcoran was asked to leave a New Hampshire T.J. Maxx last Thursday because, she said, the store manager said her service dog was violating store policy.

Corcoran, 19, was shopping in a Nashua T.J. Maxx with her service dog, Koda. Koda, Corcoran told WCVB, has been her “support system” as she continues to deal with post traumatic stress disorder from last year’s attack. According to Corcoran, Koda was wearing a blue vest that said “service dog” on it, yet the manager told her he had to be put in a cart. When Corcoran told the manager that Koda would not fit in a cart, she said she was told he would have to leave the store.

According to the American Disabilities Act: “A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken.”

Corcoran tweeted about the incident, saying she was “livid and embarrassed.” She also, WCVB said, called her mother, Celeste. Celeste, who lost both of her legs in the attacks, rushed over to the store and gave the manager a lesson in the American Disabilities Act, at which point the manager apologized.

Not good enough, Celeste said: “You should have known ... You just made someone with an emotional disorder so much worse.”

T.J. Maxx, which was one of the stores the Corcorans frequented as part of their “retail therapy” in a Boston Globe story last year, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The store told WCVB: “We have looked into the particulars regarding this customer’s experience and deeply regret that our procedures were not appropriately followed in this instance. We are taking actions which we believe are appropriate, including working with our stores to reinforce the acceptance of service animals.”

On the Corcorans’ Facebook page, Celeste wrote that she hopes the incident “will educate ignorant people about service dog laws and the rights that service dog owners have.”

I have tremendous empathy for the Marathon survivors. But this is too much.

Couldn't the girl put the dog into the carriage? It's a poodle. Probably like the ride.

She has every right to have the dog with her. What's the harm putting it into the shopping cart? It's not a seeing eye dog. Hell, it would be closer to her so she could pet it.

This is somebody getting an additional 15 minutes.

But most frustrating are the 200+ comments.

Liberals having a circle jerk over the evil corporate manager.

She lost my sympathy at the point she tweeted. If she really wanted to wanted to address this, perhaps a call to her mother before she tweeted instead of after. It seems she sought her 15 minutes of fame first.

On a side note, I'm all for service animals that assist people with physical limitations, but, a poodle as a support system for PTSD? I don't get that. Perhaps I need to be educated.

I am giving her the benefit of the doubt and I hope it helps her.

I just ask for her and her mother to use a little common sense.

Embarrassed?

Bull.

If it was embarrassment, would she take to the news about it?

And worst of all?

A friggin poodle.

That's ruff

😟

She would have been arrested for littering.

I thought it was bs but watching if in person found it interesting.

How many times in your life have you heard a story about someone being INAPPROPRIATELY asked to remove their service dog from an establishment?

How many times in your life have you heard a story about someone being APPROPRIATELY asked to remove their service dog from an establishment?

Why would anybody ask someone with a dog - no matter what kind of dog - with a "service dog" vest on, to leave any establishment? does the store manager live in a cave? what could they have possibly thought the outcome of this would be?

I'm skeptical in the first place that this is even a service animal.

For all we know she was "in" the marathon a mile awayand saw nothing.

Sorry... I'm calling bullshlt. Take some fuggin prozac or something. Just because you want to be able to take your stupid lap dog with you wherever you go doesn't mean you have a disability, aside from being intellectually challenged.

Now.... kindly STFU and get out of the store.

actually, I was unaware that there was an issue at all.

Didn't know I had to choose an opinion on this based on politics.

ya, those are communists...

yeah, I guess, what them being French and all.