Former Cop and His Service Dog Kicked Out of Restaurant

A Sacramento restaurant has stirred up some controversy by refusing service to a man accompanied by a service dog. According to local news station KCRA, former police officer Joe Rangel went to dine at Fanny Ann's Saloon on Friday night along with his service dog, a pit bull. Shortly thereafter, "Rangel was asked to leave because he couldn't provide additional proof his dog was a service animal." The restaurant's manager claims he was "just worried for his patrons," noting that the dog was wearing "a thick collar around his neck with the words, 'Stay away'" on it.

Rangel suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of a police shootout that occurred in 2013. He told the news station that PTSD service dogs are intended to "nullify triggers that a combat vet or abuse survivor or law enforcement vet might have," and "hopes this incident serves as a teaching moment to Fanny Ann's and other businesses."

A follow up report from KCRA points out that federal law stipulates that "businesses that are generally open to the public must allow service dogs, however they cannot require special ID cards for the dog or ask about the person's disability." (Said law does not say anything about service kangaroos, however.)

Fanny Ann's isn't the first restaurant to be unwelcoming to a service dog: Last year, a Florida restaurant called the cops on a disabled couple and their two dogs after an employee didn't believe the Maltese-Yorkie mixes were actually service dogs.